According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $743,855,546,765.12 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 $41,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $784,855,546,765.12 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 $41,000,000,000 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 | $41,000,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $42,556,962,025.32 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $46,189,873,417.72 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $45,901,547,116.74 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $45,843,881,856.54 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $45,843,881,856.54 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $48,611,814,345.99 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $53,207,292,004.76 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $59,328,681,164.12 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $63,764,470,410.04 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $65,405,712,431.03 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $69,597,533,268.42 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $74,188,575,137.94 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $76,317,753,975.98 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $75,208,806,664.50 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $74,299,469,869.09 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $75,630,206,642.86 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $79,844,206,426.48 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $82,483,501,027.80 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $85,899,058,747.16 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $85,876,879,800.93 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $86,852,753,435.03 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $88,671,427,025.86 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $89,159,363,842.91 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $90,490,100,616.68 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $91,976,090,014.06 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $93,284,647,841.61 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $95,946,121,389.16 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $99,006,815,968.84 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $102,821,594,720.33 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $108,100,183,922.97 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $113,777,994,157.74 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $115,108,730,931.52 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $118,746,078,113.17 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $132,053,445,850.91 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $144,451,476,793.25 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $158,823,433,950.02 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $170,023,801,795.95 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $177,986,043,492.37 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $203,358,757,979.01 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $239,576,977,171.91 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $268,587,038,840.20 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $279,654,333,008.76 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $286,330,195,823.87 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $299,038,732,013.42 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $306,934,436,871.15 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $295,002,163,799.63 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $303,918,100,183.92 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $313,299,794,439.04 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $328,980,309,423.35 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $347,477,550,578.82 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $357,036,676,403.77 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $364,843,665,476.58 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $375,866,601,752.68 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $387,222,222,222.22 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $401,084,063,615.71 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $412,395,326,192.79 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $415,988,315,481.99 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $408,136,968,516.72 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $416,343,178,621.66 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $442,092,935,194.20 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $444,754,408,741.75 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $440,740,019,474.20 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $454,291,355,620.47 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $470,260,196,905.77 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $501,421,616,358.33 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $521,471,383,749.86 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $532,485,670,236.94 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $563,820,085,470.09 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $516,831,769,988.10 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $557,611,311,262.58 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $612,307,032,348.80 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $626,640,841,718.06 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $626,854,868,549.17 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $622,609,596,451.37 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $573,961,408,633.56 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $561,929,552,093.48 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $581,165,130,368.93 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $607,398,387,969.27 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $605,681,959,320.57 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $580,499,540,192.58 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $665,044,796,061.88 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $767,898,993,833.17 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $769,768,900,789.79 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $780,456,713,188.36 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $784,855,546,765.12 | 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 |