According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $86,178,386,515.47 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 $4,750,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $90,928,386,515.47 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 $4,750,000,000 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 | $4,750,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $4,930,379,746.84 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $5,351,265,822.78 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $5,317,862,165.96 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $5,311,181,434.60 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $5,311,181,434.60 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $5,631,856,540.08 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $6,164,259,439.58 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $6,873,444,769.01 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $7,387,347,181.65 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $7,577,491,074.33 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $8,063,128,854.27 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $8,595,017,851.35 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $8,841,691,009.41 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $8,713,215,406.25 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $8,607,865,411.66 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $8,762,036,135.45 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $9,250,243,427.46 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $9,556,015,362.98 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $9,951,720,220.71 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $9,949,150,708.64 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $10,062,209,239.42 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $10,272,909,228.61 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $10,329,438,494.00 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $10,483,609,217.79 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $10,655,766,526.02 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $10,807,367,737.75 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $11,115,709,185.33 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $11,470,301,850.05 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $11,912,257,924.92 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $12,523,801,795.95 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $13,181,596,884.13 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $13,335,767,607.92 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $13,757,167,586.28 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $15,298,874,824.19 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $16,735,232,067.51 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $18,400,275,884.45 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $19,697,879,476.36 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $20,620,334,307.04 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $23,559,856,107.32 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $27,755,869,306.50 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $31,116,791,085.15 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $32,398,977,604.67 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $33,172,400,735.69 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $34,644,731,147.90 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $35,559,477,442.39 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $34,177,079,952.40 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $35,210,023,801.80 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $36,296,927,404.52 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $38,113,572,433.19 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $40,256,545,493.89 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $41,364,005,193.12 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $42,268,473,439.36 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $43,545,520,934.76 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $44,861,111,111.11 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $46,467,056,150.60 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $47,777,507,302.82 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $48,193,768,257.06 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $47,284,160,986.69 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $48,234,880,450.07 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $51,218,083,955.43 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $51,526,425,403.01 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $51,061,343,719.57 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $52,631,315,590.18 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $54,481,364,275.67 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $58,091,528,724.44 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $60,414,367,629.56 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $61,690,413,015.25 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $65,320,619,658.12 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $59,876,851,401.06 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $64,601,310,451.15 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $70,938,009,845.29 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $72,598,634,101.48 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $72,623,429,892.89 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $72,131,599,588.88 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $66,495,529,049.01 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $65,101,594,449.85 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $67,330,106,567.13 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $70,369,325,435.46 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $70,170,470,896.89 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $67,252,995,510.12 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $77,047,872,714.49 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $88,963,907,822.14 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $89,180,543,384.18 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $90,418,765,552.31 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $90,928,386,515.47 | 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 |