According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,787.97% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $6,007,585,518,453.43 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 $336,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $6,343,585,518,453.43 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 $336,000,000,000 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 | $336,000,000,000.00 | -0.64% |
| 1941 | $344,660,808,435.85 | 2.58% |
| 1942 | $376,154,657,293.50 | 9.14% |
| 1943 | $376,548,330,404.22 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | $375,564,147,627.42 | -0.26% |
| 1945 | $375,564,147,627.42 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $391,311,072,056.24 | 4.19% |
| 1947 | $435,796,133,567.66 | 11.37% |
| 1948 | $485,989,455,184.53 | 11.52% |
| 1949 | $522,404,217,926.19 | 7.49% |
| 1950 | $535,789,103,690.69 | 2.56% |
| 1951 | $570,235,500,878.73 | 6.43% |
| 1952 | $607,831,282,952.55 | 6.59% |
| 1953 | $625,152,899,824.25 | 2.85% |
| 1954 | $616,098,418,277.68 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $608,618,629,173.99 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $619,641,476,274.17 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $654,087,873,462.21 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $675,739,894,551.85 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $703,690,685,413.01 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $703,493,848,857.65 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $711,564,147,627.42 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $726,326,889,279.44 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $730,460,456,942.00 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $741,286,467,486.82 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $753,490,333,919.16 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $764,316,344,463.97 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $785,968,365,553.60 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $811,163,444,639.72 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $842,263,620,386.64 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $885,567,662,565.91 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $932,021,089,630.93 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $943,043,936,731.11 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $972,766,256,590.51 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $1,081,813,708,260.11 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $1,183,381,370,826.01 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $1,301,089,630,931.46 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $1,392,815,465,729.35 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $1,458,165,202,108.96 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $1,666,024,604,569.42 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $1,962,657,293,497.36 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $2,200,239,015,817.22 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $2,290,980,667,838.31 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $2,345,701,230,228.47 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $2,449,827,768,014.06 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $2,514,586,994,727.59 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $2,416,759,226,713.53 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $2,489,785,588,752.20 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $2,566,551,845,342.71 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $2,695,086,115,992.97 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $2,846,650,263,620.39 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $2,924,991,212,653.78 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $2,988,963,093,145.87 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $3,079,114,235,500.88 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $3,172,217,926,186.29 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $3,285,792,618,629.17 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $3,378,502,636,203.87 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $3,407,831,282,952.55 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $3,343,465,729,349.74 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $3,410,783,831,282.95 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $3,621,792,618,629.17 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $3,643,444,639,718.81 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $3,610,572,934,973.64 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $3,721,588,752,196.84 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $3,852,485,061,511.42 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $4,107,782,073,813.71 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $4,271,943,760,984.18 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $4,362,250,404,217.93 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $4,618,950,861,159.93 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $4,234,011,388,400.70 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $4,568,086,326,889.28 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $5,016,167,029,876.98 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $5,133,593,813,708.26 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $5,135,345,659,050.97 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $5,100,568,576,449.91 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $4,702,029,666,080.84 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $4,603,461,792,618.63 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $4,761,045,202,108.96 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $4,975,953,321,616.87 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $4,961,893,286,467.49 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $4,755,592,829,525.48 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $5,448,207,521,968.37 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $6,290,813,637,961.34 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $6,306,133,427,065.03 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $6,393,690,263,620.39 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $6,431,701,370,826.01 | 0.59% |
| 2026 | $6,343,585,518,453.43 | -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 |