According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,816.45% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $7,308,533,067.68 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.49% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $402,352,579 in the year 1940 would cost $7,710,885,646.68 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.72% 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 $402,352,579 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 | $402,352,579.00 | -0.64% |
| 1941 | $412,723,705.82 | 2.58% |
| 1942 | $450,436,894.24 | 9.14% |
| 1943 | $450,908,309.10 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | $449,729,771.96 | -0.26% |
| 1945 | $449,729,771.96 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $468,586,366.17 | 4.19% |
| 1947 | $521,856,244.82 | 11.37% |
| 1948 | $581,961,638.87 | 11.52% |
| 1949 | $625,567,512.99 | 7.49% |
| 1950 | $641,595,618.07 | 2.56% |
| 1951 | $682,844,417.90 | 6.43% |
| 1952 | $727,864,536.59 | 6.59% |
| 1953 | $748,606,790.22 | 2.85% |
| 1954 | $737,764,248.55 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $728,807,366.30 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $742,006,982.24 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $783,255,782.08 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $809,183,599.13 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $842,654,053.85 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $842,418,346.42 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $852,082,350.96 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $869,760,408.03 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $874,710,264.01 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $887,674,172.53 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $902,288,033.05 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $915,251,941.57 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $941,179,758.61 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $971,350,309.35 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $1,008,592,082.92 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $1,060,447,717.00 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $1,116,074,669.93 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $1,129,274,285.88 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $1,164,866,107.45 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $1,295,448,022.37 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $1,417,073,055.04 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $1,558,026,096.77 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $1,667,865,758.06 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $1,746,120,624.04 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $1,995,027,667.64 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $2,350,238,761.11 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $2,634,737,626.28 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $2,743,398,750.43 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $2,808,925,415.32 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $2,933,614,644.54 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $3,011,162,388.24 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $2,894,015,796.70 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $2,981,463,252.36 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $3,073,389,149.14 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $3,227,306,099.40 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $3,408,800,818.69 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $3,502,612,374.89 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $3,579,217,288.88 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $3,687,171,290.74 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $3,798,660,904.02 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $3,934,664,089.78 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $4,045,682,288.20 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $4,080,802,694.92 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $4,003,726,366.08 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $4,084,338,306.33 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $4,337,016,668.78 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $4,362,944,485.82 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $4,323,581,345.40 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $4,456,520,334.59 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $4,613,265,773.98 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $4,918,978,307.65 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $5,115,558,302.31 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $5,223,698,513.04 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $5,531,091,640.66 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $5,070,135,123.92 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $5,470,182,484.28 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $6,006,749,229.66 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $6,147,365,209.77 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $6,149,463,005.88 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $6,107,818,217.56 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $5,630,576,674.65 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $5,512,543,823.18 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $5,701,246,475.61 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $5,958,594,202.19 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $5,941,757,620.63 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $5,694,717,379.86 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $6,524,108,176.76 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $7,533,110,390.60 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $7,551,455,499.70 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $7,656,302,877.66 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $7,711,243,064.86 | 0.72% |
| 2026 | $7,710,885,646.68 | 0.00%* |
* 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 | 272.628 | 272.615 |