According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,787.97% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $6,329,420,456.94 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 $354,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $6,683,420,456.94 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 $354,000,000 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 | $354,000,000.00 | -0.64% |
| 1941 | $363,124,780.32 | 2.58% |
| 1942 | $396,305,799.65 | 9.14% |
| 1943 | $396,720,562.39 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | $395,683,655.54 | -0.26% |
| 1945 | $395,683,655.54 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $412,274,165.20 | 4.19% |
| 1947 | $459,142,355.01 | 11.37% |
| 1948 | $512,024,604.57 | 11.52% |
| 1949 | $550,390,158.17 | 7.49% |
| 1950 | $564,492,091.39 | 2.56% |
| 1951 | $600,783,831.28 | 6.43% |
| 1952 | $640,393,673.11 | 6.59% |
| 1953 | $658,643,233.74 | 2.85% |
| 1954 | $649,103,690.69 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $641,223,198.59 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $652,836,555.36 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $689,128,295.25 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $711,940,246.05 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $741,388,400.70 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $741,181,019.33 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $749,683,655.54 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $765,237,258.35 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $769,592,267.14 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $780,998,242.53 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $793,855,887.52 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $805,261,862.92 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $828,073,813.71 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $854,618,629.17 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $887,384,885.76 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $933,008,787.35 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $981,950,790.86 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $993,564,147.63 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $1,024,878,734.62 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $1,139,768,014.06 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $1,246,776,801.41 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $1,370,790,861.16 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $1,467,430,579.96 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $1,536,281,195.08 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $1,755,275,922.67 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $2,067,799,648.51 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $2,318,108,963.09 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $2,413,711,775.04 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $2,471,363,796.13 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $2,581,068,541.30 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $2,649,297,012.30 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $2,546,228,471.00 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $2,623,166,959.58 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $2,704,045,694.20 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $2,839,465,729.35 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $2,999,149,384.89 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $3,081,687,170.47 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $3,149,086,115.99 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $3,244,066,783.83 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $3,342,158,172.23 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $3,461,817,223.20 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $3,559,493,848.86 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $3,590,393,673.11 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $3,522,579,964.85 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $3,593,504,393.67 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $3,815,817,223.20 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $3,838,629,173.99 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $3,803,996,485.06 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $3,920,959,578.21 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $4,058,868,189.81 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $4,327,841,827.77 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $4,500,797,891.04 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $4,595,942,390.16 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $4,866,394,657.29 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $4,460,833,427.07 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $4,812,805,237.26 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $5,284,890,263.62 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $5,408,607,768.01 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $5,410,453,462.21 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $5,373,813,321.62 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $4,953,924,112.48 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $4,850,075,817.22 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $5,016,101,195.08 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $5,242,522,249.56 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $5,227,708,998.24 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $5,010,356,731.11 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $5,740,075,782.07 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $6,627,821,511.42 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $6,643,962,003.51 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $6,736,209,384.89 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $6,776,256,801.41 | 0.59% |
| 2026 | $6,683,420,456.94 | -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 |