According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $598,713,001,054.85 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 $33,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $631,713,001,054.85 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 $33,000,000,000 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 | $33,000,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $34,253,164,556.96 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $37,177,215,189.87 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $36,945,147,679.32 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $36,898,734,177.22 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $36,898,734,177.22 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $39,126,582,278.48 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $42,825,381,369.69 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $47,752,353,132.10 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $51,322,622,525.15 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $52,643,622,200.58 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $56,017,526,777.02 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $59,712,755,598.83 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $61,426,484,907.50 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $60,533,917,559.23 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $59,802,012,333.66 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $60,873,093,151.57 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $64,264,849,074.98 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $66,389,159,363.84 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $69,138,266,796.49 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $69,120,415,449.53 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $69,905,874,716.00 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $71,369,685,167.15 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $71,762,414,800.39 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $72,833,495,618.31 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $74,029,535,864.98 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $75,082,765,335.93 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $77,224,926,971.76 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $79,688,412,852.97 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $82,758,844,531.00 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $87,007,465,108.73 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $91,577,409,931.84 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $92,648,490,749.76 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $95,576,111,652.06 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $106,286,919,831.22 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $116,265,822,784.81 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $127,833,495,618.31 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $136,848,425,835.77 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $143,257,059,396.30 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $163,679,000,324.57 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $192,830,249,918.86 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $216,179,811,749.43 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $225,087,633,885.10 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $230,460,889,321.65 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $240,689,711,132.75 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $247,044,790,652.39 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $237,440,765,985.07 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $244,617,007,465.11 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $252,168,127,231.42 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $264,789,029,535.87 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $279,677,052,904.90 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $287,370,983,446.93 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $293,654,657,578.71 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $302,526,777,020.45 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $311,666,666,666.67 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $322,823,758,519.96 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $331,927,945,472.25 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $334,819,863,680.62 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $328,500,486,854.92 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $335,105,485,232.07 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $355,830,899,058.75 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $357,973,060,694.58 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $354,741,966,893.87 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $365,649,139,889.65 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $378,502,109,704.64 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $403,583,252,190.85 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $419,720,869,847.45 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $428,586,027,263.88 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $453,806,410,256.41 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $415,986,546,575.79 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $448,809,104,186.95 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $492,832,489,451.48 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $504,369,457,968.19 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $504,541,723,466.41 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $501,124,797,143.78 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $461,968,938,656.28 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $452,284,761,441.09 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $467,767,056,150.60 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $488,881,629,341.12 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $487,500,113,599.48 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $467,231,337,228.17 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $535,279,957,805.91 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $618,065,043,816.94 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $619,570,090,879.58 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $628,172,476,468.68 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $631,713,001,054.85 | 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 |