According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $5,355,986,123.22 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2025: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.53% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $295,212,467 in the year 1940 would cost $5,651,198,590.22 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.75% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by -0.56%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for transportation during the 1940-2025 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 $295,212,467 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 | $295,212,467.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $306,423,067.01 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $332,581,133.71 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $330,505,096.67 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $330,089,889.26 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $330,089,889.26 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $350,019,844.84 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $383,108,681.34 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $427,184,544.64 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $459,123,576.02 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $470,941,017.63 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $501,123,402.28 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $534,180,299.75 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $549,511,034.81 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $541,526,276.96 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $534,978,775.53 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $544,560,484.95 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $574,902,564.75 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $593,906,288.42 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $618,499,342.58 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $618,339,647.42 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $625,366,234.32 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $638,461,237.19 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $641,974,530.64 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $651,556,240.05 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $662,255,815.56 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $671,677,829.82 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $690,841,248.64 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $712,879,180.29 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $740,346,747.27 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $778,354,194.61 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $819,236,154.77 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $828,817,864.18 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $855,007,869.91 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $950,824,964.04 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $1,040,094,556.73 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $1,143,577,018.39 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $1,224,223,072.61 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $1,281,553,633.93 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $1,464,244,893.39 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $1,725,027,084.57 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $1,933,908,349.76 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $2,013,596,233.04 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $2,061,664,475.26 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $2,153,169,800.15 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $2,210,021,276.00 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $2,124,105,281.60 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $2,188,302,734.66 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $2,255,853,786.02 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $2,368,758,261.93 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $2,501,944,022.77 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $2,570,772,635.38 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $2,626,985,330.60 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $2,706,353,823.57 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $2,788,117,743.89 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $2,887,927,216.94 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $2,969,371,746.94 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $2,995,242,362.36 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $2,938,710,276.82 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $2,997,797,484.87 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $3,183,203,562.00 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $3,202,366,980.82 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $3,173,462,157.43 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $3,271,035,898.28 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $3,386,016,411.23 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $3,610,388,106.64 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $3,754,752,528.46 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $3,834,058,740.31 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $4,059,676,057.95 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $3,721,345,898.59 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $4,014,970,995.73 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $4,408,796,819.05 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $4,512,004,605.04 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $4,513,545,663.30 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $4,482,978,413.32 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $4,132,696,668.43 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $4,046,063,642.77 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $4,184,565,655.38 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $4,373,453,086.93 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $4,361,094,278.74 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $4,179,773,203.72 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $4,788,524,753.93 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $5,529,106,253.08 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $5,542,570,151.76 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $5,619,525,650.90 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $5,651,198,590.22 | 0.56%* |
* 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 |
| CPI | 14.200 | 14.267 | 14.560 | 14.620 | 14.300 | 14.220 | 14.760 | 16.020 | 15.920 | 15.900 | 15.900 | 16.860 | 18.454 | 20.577 | 22.115 | 22.685 | 24.138 | 25.731 | 26.469 | 26.085 | 25.769 | 26.231 | 27.692 | 28.608 | 29.792 | 29.785 | 30.123 | 30.754 | 30.923 | 31.385 | 31.900 | 32.354 | 33.277 | 34.338 | 35.662 | 37.492 | 39.462 | 39.923 | 41.185 | 45.800 | 50.100 | 55.085 | 58.969 | 61.731 | 70.531 | 83.092 | 93.154 | 96.992 | 99.308 | 103.715 | 106.454 | 102.315 | 105.408 | 108.662 | 114.100 | 120.515 | 123.831 | 126.538 | 130.362 | 134.300 | 139.108 | 143.031 | 144.277 | 141.554 | 144.400 | 153.331 | 154.254 | 152.862 | 157.562 | 163.100 | 173.908 | 180.862 | 184.682 | 195.549 | 179.252 | 193.396 | 212.366 | 217.337 | 217.412 | 215.939 | 199.067 | 194.894 | 201.565 | 210.664 | 210.068 | 201.334 | 230.657 | 266.330 | 266.978 | 270.685 | 272.211 |