According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,780.64% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $81,731,363,093.15 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 $4,590,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $86,321,363,093.15 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 $4,590,000,000 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 | $4,590,000,000.00 | -0.64% |
| 1941 | $4,708,312,829.53 | 2.58% |
| 1942 | $5,138,541,300.53 | 9.14% |
| 1943 | $5,143,919,156.41 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | $5,130,474,516.70 | -0.26% |
| 1945 | $5,130,474,516.70 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $5,345,588,752.20 | 4.19% |
| 1947 | $5,953,286,467.49 | 11.37% |
| 1948 | $6,638,963,093.15 | 11.52% |
| 1949 | $7,136,414,762.74 | 7.49% |
| 1950 | $7,319,261,862.92 | 2.56% |
| 1951 | $7,789,824,253.08 | 6.43% |
| 1952 | $8,303,409,490.33 | 6.59% |
| 1953 | $8,540,035,149.38 | 2.85% |
| 1954 | $8,416,344,463.97 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $8,314,165,202.11 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $8,464,745,166.96 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $8,935,307,557.12 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $9,231,089,630.93 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $9,612,917,398.95 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $9,610,228,471.00 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $9,720,474,516.70 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $9,922,144,112.48 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $9,978,611,599.30 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $10,126,502,636.20 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $10,293,216,168.72 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $10,441,107,205.62 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $10,736,889,279.44 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $11,081,072,056.24 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $11,505,922,671.35 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $12,097,486,818.98 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $12,732,073,813.71 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $12,882,653,778.56 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $13,288,681,898.07 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $14,778,347,978.91 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $16,165,834,797.89 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $17,773,813,708.26 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $19,026,854,130.05 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $19,919,578,207.38 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $22,759,086,115.99 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $26,811,300,527.24 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $30,056,836,555.36 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $31,296,432,337.43 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $32,043,954,305.80 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $33,466,397,188.05 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $34,351,054,481.55 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $33,014,657,293.50 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $34,012,249,560.63 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $35,060,931,458.70 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $36,816,801,405.98 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $38,887,275,922.67 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $39,957,469,244.29 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $40,831,370,826.01 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $42,062,899,824.25 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $43,334,762,741.65 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $44,886,274,165.20 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $46,152,759,226.71 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $46,553,409,490.33 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $45,674,130,052.72 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $46,593,743,409.49 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $49,476,274,165.20 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $49,772,056,239.02 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $49,323,005,272.41 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $50,839,560,632.69 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $52,627,697,715.29 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $56,115,237,258.35 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $58,357,803,163.44 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $59,591,456,414.76 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $63,098,168,014.06 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $57,839,619,859.40 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $62,403,322,144.11 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $68,524,424,604.57 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $70,128,558,347.98 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $70,152,489,806.68 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $69,677,410,017.57 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $64,233,083,831.28 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $62,886,576,274.17 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $65,039,278,207.38 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $67,975,076,625.66 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $67,783,006,502.64 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $64,964,794,903.34 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $74,426,406,326.89 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $85,937,007,732.86 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $86,146,286,994.73 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $87,342,375,922.67 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $87,861,634,797.89 | 0.59% |
| 2026 | $86,321,363,093.15 | -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 |