According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $861,783.87 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 $47,500 in the year 1940 would cost $909,283.87 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 $47,500 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 | $47,500.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $49,303.80 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $53,512.66 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $53,178.62 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $53,111.81 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $53,111.81 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $56,318.57 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $61,642.59 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $68,734.45 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $73,873.47 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $75,774.91 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $80,631.29 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $85,950.18 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $88,416.91 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $87,132.15 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $86,078.65 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $87,620.36 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $92,502.43 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $95,560.15 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $99,517.20 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $99,491.51 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $100,622.09 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $102,729.09 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $103,294.38 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $104,836.09 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $106,557.67 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $108,073.68 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $111,157.09 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $114,703.02 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $119,122.58 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $125,238.02 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $131,815.97 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $133,357.68 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $137,571.68 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $152,988.75 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $167,352.32 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $184,002.76 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $196,978.79 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $206,203.34 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $235,598.56 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $277,558.69 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $311,167.91 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $323,989.78 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $331,724.01 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $346,447.31 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $355,594.77 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $341,770.80 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $352,100.24 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $362,969.27 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $381,135.72 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $402,565.45 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $413,640.05 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $422,684.73 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $435,455.21 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $448,611.11 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $464,670.56 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $477,775.07 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $481,937.68 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $472,841.61 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $482,348.80 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $512,180.84 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $515,264.25 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $510,613.44 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $526,313.16 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $544,813.64 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $580,915.29 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $604,143.68 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $616,904.13 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $653,206.20 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $598,768.51 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $646,013.10 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $709,380.10 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $725,986.34 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $726,234.30 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $721,316.00 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $664,955.29 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $651,015.94 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $673,301.07 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $703,693.25 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $701,704.71 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $672,529.96 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $770,478.73 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $889,639.08 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $891,805.43 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $904,187.66 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $909,283.87 | 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 |