According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $580,570,182,841.07 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 $32,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $612,570,182,841.07 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 $32,000,000,000 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 | $32,000,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $33,215,189,873.42 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $36,050,632,911.39 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $35,825,597,749.65 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $35,780,590,717.30 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $35,780,590,717.30 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $37,940,928,270.04 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $41,527,642,540.30 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $46,305,312,128.10 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $49,767,391,539.54 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $51,048,360,921.78 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $54,320,025,965.60 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $57,903,278,156.44 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $59,565,076,273.94 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $58,699,556,421.08 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $57,989,830,141.73 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $59,028,453,965.16 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $62,317,429,406.04 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $64,377,366,655.85 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $67,043,167,802.66 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $67,025,857,405.60 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $67,787,514,876.12 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $69,206,967,434.82 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $69,587,796,170.07 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $70,626,419,993.51 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $71,786,216,596.34 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $72,807,530,022.72 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $74,884,777,669.59 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $77,273,612,463.49 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $80,251,000,757.33 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $84,370,875,256.95 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $88,802,336,903.60 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $89,840,960,727.04 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $92,679,865,844.42 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $103,066,104,078.76 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $112,742,616,033.76 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $123,959,753,326.84 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $132,701,503,840.74 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $138,915,936,384.29 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $158,719,030,617.76 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $186,986,909,012.23 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $209,628,908,363.09 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $218,266,796,494.64 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $223,477,226,008.87 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $233,396,083,522.67 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $239,558,584,875.04 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $230,245,591,258.25 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $237,204,370,875.26 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $244,526,668,830.47 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $256,765,119,549.93 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $271,201,990,695.66 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $278,662,771,827.33 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $284,756,031,591.47 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $293,359,298,928.92 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $302,222,222,222.22 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $313,041,220,382.99 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $321,869,522,882.18 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $324,673,807,205.45 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $318,545,926,647.19 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $324,950,773,558.37 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $345,048,144,541.82 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $347,125,392,188.68 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $343,992,210,321.32 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $354,568,862,923.29 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $367,032,348,804.50 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $391,353,456,669.91 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $407,002,055,609.65 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $415,598,571,892.24 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $440,054,700,854.70 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $403,380,893,649.25 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $435,208,828,302.50 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $477,898,171,589.31 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $489,085,534,999.46 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $489,252,580,331.06 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $485,939,197,230.34 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $447,969,879,909.12 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $438,579,162,609.54 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $453,592,296,873.31 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $474,067,034,512.60 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $472,727,382,884.35 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $453,072,811,857.62 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $519,059,353,023.91 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $599,335,800,064.91 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $600,795,239,640.81 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $609,136,946,878.72 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $612,570,182,841.07 | 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 |