According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $634,998,637,482,419.13 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 $35,000,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $669,998,637,482,419.13 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 $35,000,000,000,000 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 | $35,000,000,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $36,329,113,924,050.63 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $39,430,379,746,835.45 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $39,184,247,538,677.92 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $39,135,021,097,046.42 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $39,135,021,097,046.42 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $41,497,890,295,358.66 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $45,420,859,028,453.97 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $50,646,435,140,106.02 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $54,433,084,496,375.65 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $55,834,144,758,195.40 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $59,412,528,399,870.18 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $63,331,710,483,609.22 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $65,149,302,174,618.63 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $64,202,639,835,551.23 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $63,426,376,717,515.97 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $64,562,371,524,396.84 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $68,159,688,412,852.98 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $70,412,744,779,833.39 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $73,328,464,784,161.00 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $73,309,531,537,379.64 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $74,142,594,395,758.97 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $75,695,120,631,829.50 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $76,111,652,061,019.16 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $77,247,646,867,900.03 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $78,516,174,402,250.36 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $79,633,235,962,349.91 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $81,905,225,576,111.66 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $84,518,013,631,937.69 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $87,774,532,078,329.56 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $92,280,644,812,290.41 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $97,127,555,988,315.48 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $98,263,550,795,196.38 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $101,368,603,267,337.44 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $112,728,551,336,146.28 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $123,312,236,286,919.84 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $135,580,980,201,233.41 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $145,142,269,825,814.16 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $151,939,305,420,318.09 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $173,598,939,738,180.25 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $204,516,931,732,121.69 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $229,281,618,522,124.88 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $238,729,308,666,017.56 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $244,428,215,947,203.28 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $255,276,966,352,915.75 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $262,017,202,207,075.69 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $251,831,115,438,710.31 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $259,442,280,644,812.28 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $267,451,044,033,322.53 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $280,836,849,507,735.59 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $296,627,177,323,379.94 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $304,787,406,686,140.88 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $311,451,909,553,175.38 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $320,861,733,203,505.38 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $330,555,555,555,555.56 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $342,388,834,793,898.06 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $352,044,790,652,385.63 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $355,111,976,630,964.00 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $348,409,607,270,366.81 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $355,414,908,579,465.56 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $377,396,408,092,610.56 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $379,668,397,706,372.38 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $376,241,480,038,948.50 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $387,809,693,822,352.06 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $401,441,631,504,922.75 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $428,042,843,232,716.75 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $445,158,498,323,055.25 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $454,560,938,007,140.56 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $481,309,829,059,829.13 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $441,197,852,428,865.06 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $476,009,655,955,858.56 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $522,701,125,175,808.75 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $534,937,303,905,658.38 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $535,120,009,737,098.38 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $531,495,996,970,680.56 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $489,967,056,150,600.50 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $479,695,959,104,187.06 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $496,116,574,705,182.38 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $518,510,818,998,160.88 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $517,045,575,029,752.31 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $495,548,387,969,274.25 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $567,721,167,369,901.63 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $655,523,531,320,999.88 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $657,119,793,357,135.25 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $666,243,535,648,598.88 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $669,998,637,482,419.13 | 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 |