According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,854.85% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $5,387,883,672.01 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.52% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $290,475,067 in the year 1940 would cost $5,678,358,739.01 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.74% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by -0.64%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for transportation during the 1940-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1940 (0.72%), inflation for transportation was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $290,475,067 beginning in 1940. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | $290,475,067.00 | -0.64% |
| 1941 | $297,962,414.95 | 2.58% |
| 1942 | $325,189,134.76 | 9.14% |
| 1943 | $325,529,468.76 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | $324,678,633.76 | -0.26% |
| 1945 | $324,678,633.76 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $338,291,993.67 | 4.19% |
| 1947 | $376,749,735.41 | 11.37% |
| 1948 | $420,142,320.11 | 11.52% |
| 1949 | $451,623,214.89 | 7.49% |
| 1950 | $463,194,570.81 | 2.56% |
| 1951 | $492,973,795.61 | 6.43% |
| 1952 | $525,475,692.38 | 6.59% |
| 1953 | $540,450,388.28 | 2.85% |
| 1954 | $532,622,706.33 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $526,156,360.38 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $535,685,712.31 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $565,464,937.11 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $584,183,306.98 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $608,347,020.81 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $608,176,853.81 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $615,153,700.76 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $627,916,225.68 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $631,489,732.65 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $640,848,917.59 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $651,399,271.51 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $660,758,456.45 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $679,476,826.32 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $701,258,202.17 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $728,144,587.99 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $765,581,327.73 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $805,740,739.45 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $815,270,091.39 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $840,965,308.21 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $935,237,825.56 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $1,023,043,996.96 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $1,124,803,862.26 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $1,204,101,683.71 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $1,260,597,127.32 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $1,440,293,478.08 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $1,696,735,145.32 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $1,902,126,712.90 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $1,980,573,699.36 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $2,027,880,125.04 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $2,117,898,467.42 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $2,173,883,410.03 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $2,089,310,411.61 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $2,152,442,368.18 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $2,218,807,497.72 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $2,329,926,547.96 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $2,460,955,137.06 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $2,528,681,602.59 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $2,583,985,877.21 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $2,661,922,362.67 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $2,742,411,353.12 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $2,840,597,711.44 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $2,920,746,367.89 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $2,946,101,250.72 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $2,890,456,642.10 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $2,948,653,755.70 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $3,131,072,778.44 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $3,149,791,148.31 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $3,121,373,259.51 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $3,217,347,446.85 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $3,330,508,501.07 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $3,551,215,098.55 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $3,693,134,375.57 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $3,771,205,292.96 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $3,993,125,181.15 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $3,660,341,493.23 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $3,949,152,326.98 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $4,336,522,184.78 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $4,438,038,711.27 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $4,439,553,197.56 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $4,409,488,092.21 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $4,064,947,566.34 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $3,979,734,740.01 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $4,115,967,035.93 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $4,301,757,066.92 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $4,289,602,038.19 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $4,111,253,410.06 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $4,710,025,133.85 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $5,438,465,812.41 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $5,451,709,909.93 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $5,527,403,594.35 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $5,560,264,543.50 | 0.59% |
| 2026 | $5,678,358,739.01 | 2.12%* |
* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.
Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Transportation:
| Year | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
| CPI | 14.200 | 14.250 | 14.508 | 14.675 | 14.317 | 14.225 | 14.592 | 15.925 | 15.942 | 15.900 | 15.900 | 16.567 | 18.450 | 20.575 | 22.117 | 22.683 | 24.142 | 25.733 | 26.467 | 26.083 | 25.767 | 26.233 | 27.692 | 28.608 | 29.792 | 29.783 | 30.125 | 30.750 | 30.925 | 31.383 | 31.900 | 32.358 | 33.275 | 34.342 | 35.658 | 37.492 | 39.458 | 39.925 | 41.183 | 45.800 | 50.100 | 55.083 | 58.967 | 61.733 | 70.533 | 83.092 | 93.150 | 96.992 | 99.308 | 103.717 | 106.458 | 102.317 | 105.408 | 108.658 | 114.100 | 120.517 | 123.833 | 126.542 | 130.358 | 134.300 | 139.108 | 143.033 | 144.275 | 141.550 | 144.400 | 153.333 | 154.250 | 152.858 | 157.558 | 163.100 | 173.908 | 180.858 | 184.682 | 195.549 | 179.252 | 193.396 | 212.366 | 217.337 | 217.412 | 215.939 | 199.067 | 194.894 | 201.565 | 210.663 | 210.068 | 201.334 | 230.657 | 266.330 | 266.978 | 270.685 | 272.295 | 278.078 |