According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,780.64% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $7,624,957,076.94 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.47% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $428,214,478 in the year 1940 would cost $8,053,171,554.94 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 $428,214,478 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 | $428,214,478.00 | -0.64% |
| 1941 | $439,252,226.70 | 2.58% |
| 1942 | $479,389,494.70 | 9.14% |
| 1943 | $479,891,210.55 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | $478,636,920.93 | -0.26% |
| 1945 | $478,636,920.93 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $498,705,554.93 | 4.19% |
| 1947 | $555,399,445.98 | 11.37% |
| 1948 | $619,368,216.86 | 11.52% |
| 1949 | $665,776,932.99 | 7.49% |
| 1950 | $682,835,271.89 | 2.56% |
| 1951 | $726,735,408.77 | 6.43% |
| 1952 | $774,649,272.45 | 6.59% |
| 1953 | $796,724,769.85 | 2.85% |
| 1954 | $785,185,305.30 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $775,652,704.15 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $789,700,747.95 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $833,600,884.82 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $861,195,256.58 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $896,817,081.93 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $896,566,224.00 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $906,851,398.93 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $925,665,743.30 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $930,933,759.73 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $944,730,945.61 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $960,284,136.96 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $974,081,322.83 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $1,001,675,694.58 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $1,033,785,508.99 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $1,073,421,061.14 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $1,128,609,804.64 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $1,187,812,274.94 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $1,201,860,318.75 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $1,239,739,865.42 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $1,378,715,155.88 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $1,508,157,845.19 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $1,658,170,884.35 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $1,775,070,677.40 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $1,858,355,508.51 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $2,123,261,477.32 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $2,501,304,370.32 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $2,804,089,885.81 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $2,919,735,389.25 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $2,989,473,892.40 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $3,122,177,734.73 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $3,204,709,992.06 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $3,080,033,603.33 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $3,173,101,893.51 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $3,270,936,484.27 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $3,434,746,709.30 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $3,627,907,311.56 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $3,727,748,765.72 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $3,809,277,591.35 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $3,924,170,521.00 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $4,042,826,319.54 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $4,187,571,342.27 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $4,305,725,424.95 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $4,343,103,255.78 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $4,261,072,714.30 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $4,346,866,124.65 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $4,615,785,820.27 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $4,643,380,192.02 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $4,601,486,918.54 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $4,742,970,788.25 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $4,909,791,308.39 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $5,235,154,037.13 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $5,444,369,546.59 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $5,559,460,654.01 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $5,886,611,999.76 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $5,396,026,715.86 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $5,821,787,803.36 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $6,392,843,292.44 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $6,542,497,604.77 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $6,544,730,240.30 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $6,500,408,662.11 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $5,992,491,604.17 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $5,866,871,989.64 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $6,067,703,827.25 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $6,341,593,018.36 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $6,323,674,236.77 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $6,060,755,062.73 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $6,943,456,369.21 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $8,017,313,923.14 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $8,036,838,195.44 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $8,148,424,817.65 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $8,196,867,991.55 | 0.59% |
| 2026 | $8,053,171,554.94 | -1.75%* |
* 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 | 267.521 |