According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,780.64% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $5,226,289,612.54 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.47% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $293,506,292 in the year 1940 would cost $5,519,795,904.54 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.72% 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 $293,506,292 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 | $293,506,292.00 | -0.64% |
| 1941 | $301,071,773.46 | 2.58% |
| 1942 | $328,582,615.12 | 9.14% |
| 1943 | $328,926,500.64 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | $328,066,786.84 | -0.26% |
| 1945 | $328,066,786.84 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $341,822,207.67 | 4.19% |
| 1947 | $380,681,271.52 | 11.37% |
| 1948 | $424,526,675.42 | 11.52% |
| 1949 | $456,336,086.10 | 7.49% |
| 1950 | $468,028,193.80 | 2.56% |
| 1951 | $498,118,176.87 | 6.43% |
| 1952 | $530,959,244.11 | 6.59% |
| 1953 | $546,090,207.03 | 2.85% |
| 1954 | $538,180,840.05 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $531,647,015.15 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $541,275,809.73 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $571,365,792.80 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $590,279,496.45 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $614,695,368.42 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $614,523,425.66 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $621,573,078.84 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $634,468,785.87 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $638,079,583.84 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $647,536,435.66 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $658,196,886.80 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $667,653,738.63 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $686,567,442.27 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $708,576,115.60 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $735,743,071.74 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $773,570,479.03 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $814,148,970.49 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $823,777,765.07 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $849,741,121.89 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $944,997,411.15 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $1,033,719,875.51 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $1,136,541,646.23 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $1,216,666,972.58 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $1,273,751,969.03 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $1,455,323,524.01 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $1,714,441,263.93 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $1,921,976,175.73 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $2,001,241,788.28 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $2,049,041,875.67 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $2,139,999,595.92 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $2,196,568,764.09 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $2,111,113,212.17 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $2,174,903,976.28 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $2,241,961,652.83 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $2,354,240,275.37 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $2,486,636,200.88 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $2,555,069,419.52 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $2,610,950,816.65 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $2,689,700,600.91 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $2,771,029,526.58 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $2,870,240,499.33 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $2,951,225,539.48 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $2,976,845,010.78 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $2,920,619,728.13 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $2,979,424,152.18 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $3,163,746,791.33 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $3,182,660,494.97 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $3,153,946,053.99 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $3,250,921,770.85 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $3,365,263,706.52 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $3,588,273,466.75 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $3,731,673,728.93 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $3,810,559,347.97 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $4,034,795,060.09 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $3,698,538,639.57 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $3,990,363,331.37 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $4,381,775,550.57 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $4,484,351,443.14 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $4,485,881,733.71 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $4,455,502,886.80 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $4,107,366,940.97 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $4,021,264,884.27 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $4,158,918,819.39 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $4,346,647,644.62 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $4,334,365,773.25 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $4,154,156,004.93 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $4,759,176,154.22 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $5,495,218,406.37 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $5,508,600,711.41 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $5,585,084,290.09 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $5,618,288,156.55 | 0.59% |
| 2026 | $5,519,795,904.54 | -1.75%* |
* 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 | 267.521 |