According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,787.97% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $5,346,035,922,671.35 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.48% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $299,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $5,645,035,922,671.35 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.73% 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 $299,000,000,000 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 | $299,000,000,000.00 | -0.64% |
| 1941 | $306,707,088,459.29 | 2.58% |
| 1942 | $334,732,864,674.87 | 9.14% |
| 1943 | $335,083,186,877.56 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | $334,207,381,370.83 | -0.26% |
| 1945 | $334,207,381,370.83 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $348,220,269,478.62 | 4.19% |
| 1947 | $387,806,678,383.13 | 11.37% |
| 1948 | $432,472,759,226.71 | 11.52% |
| 1949 | $464,877,562,975.98 | 7.49% |
| 1950 | $476,788,517,867.60 | 2.56% |
| 1951 | $507,441,710,603.40 | 6.43% |
| 1952 | $540,897,480,960.75 | 6.59% |
| 1953 | $556,311,657,879.32 | 2.85% |
| 1954 | $548,254,247,217.34 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $541,598,125,366.14 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $551,407,147,041.59 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $582,060,339,777.39 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $601,328,060,925.60 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $626,200,937,316.93 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $626,025,776,215.58 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $633,207,381,370.83 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $646,344,463,971.88 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $650,022,847,100.18 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $659,656,707,674.28 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $670,516,695,957.82 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $680,150,556,531.93 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $699,418,277,680.14 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $721,838,898,652.61 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $749,514,352,665.50 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $788,049,794,961.92 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $829,387,814,879.91 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $839,196,836,555.36 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $865,646,162,858.82 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $962,685,413,005.27 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $1,053,068,541,300.53 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $1,157,814,879,906.27 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $1,239,439,953,134.15 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $1,297,593,438,781.49 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $1,482,563,561,804.34 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $1,746,531,341,534.86 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $1,957,950,790,861.16 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $2,038,700,058,582.31 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $2,087,394,844,756.88 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $2,180,055,067,369.65 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $2,237,683,069,712.95 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $2,150,628,002,343.29 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $2,215,612,770,943.18 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $2,283,925,600,468.66 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $2,398,305,799,648.51 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $2,533,179,847,686.00 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $2,602,893,966,022.26 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $2,659,821,323,960.16 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $2,740,045,108,377.27 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $2,822,896,309,314.59 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $2,923,964,264,792.03 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $3,006,465,143,526.66 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $3,032,564,147,627.42 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $2,975,286,467,486.82 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $3,035,191,564,147.63 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $3,222,964,264,792.03 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $3,242,231,985,940.25 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $3,212,980,082,015.23 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $3,311,770,943,175.16 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $3,428,253,075,571.18 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $3,655,437,024,018.75 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $3,801,521,382,542.47 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $3,881,883,544,229.64 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $4,110,316,391,329.82 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $3,767,766,086,701.82 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $4,065,053,011,130.64 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $4,463,791,493,848.86 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $4,568,287,352,079.67 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $4,569,846,285,881.66 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $4,538,898,822,495.61 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $4,184,246,637,375.51 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $4,096,532,964,264.79 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $4,236,763,438,781.49 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $4,428,006,080,843.59 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $4,415,494,323,374.34 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $4,231,911,476,274.17 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $4,848,256,098,418.28 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $5,598,075,231,400.12 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $5,611,708,019,917.98 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $5,689,623,181,019.33 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $5,723,448,541,300.53 | 0.59% |
| 2026 | $5,645,035,922,671.35 | -1.37%* |
* 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 | 268.564 |