According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $9,615,693,653.31 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 $530,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $10,145,693,653.31 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 $530,000,000 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 | $530,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $550,126,582.28 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $597,088,607.59 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $593,361,462.73 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $592,616,033.76 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $592,616,033.76 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $628,396,624.47 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $687,801,579.57 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $766,931,732.12 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $824,272,422.37 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $845,488,477.77 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $899,675,430.06 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $959,023,044.47 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $986,546,575.79 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $972,211,403.22 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $960,456,561.72 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $977,658,768.80 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $1,032,132,424.54 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $1,066,250,135.24 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $1,110,402,466.73 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $1,110,115,763.28 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $1,122,730,715.14 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $1,146,240,398.14 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $1,152,547,874.07 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $1,169,750,081.14 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $1,188,959,212.38 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $1,205,874,716.00 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $1,240,279,130.15 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $1,279,844,206.43 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $1,329,157,200.04 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $1,397,392,621.44 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $1,470,788,704.97 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $1,487,990,912.04 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $1,535,010,278.05 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $1,707,032,348.80 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $1,867,299,578.06 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $2,053,083,414.48 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $2,197,868,657.36 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $2,300,795,196.36 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $2,628,783,944.61 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $3,096,970,680.51 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $3,471,978,794.76 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $3,615,043,816.94 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $3,701,341,555.77 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $3,865,622,633.34 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $3,967,689,061.99 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $3,813,442,605.21 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $3,928,697,392.62 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $4,049,972,952.50 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $4,252,672,292.55 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $4,491,782,970.90 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $4,615,352,158.39 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $4,716,271,773.23 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $4,858,763,388.51 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $5,005,555,555.56 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $5,184,745,212.59 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $5,330,963,972.74 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $5,377,409,931.84 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $5,275,916,910.09 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $5,381,997,187.06 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $5,714,859,893.97 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $5,749,264,308.13 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $5,697,370,983.45 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $5,872,546,792.17 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $6,078,973,277.07 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $6,481,791,626.10 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $6,740,971,546.03 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $6,883,351,346.97 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $7,288,405,982.91 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $6,680,996,051.07 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $7,208,146,218.76 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $7,915,188,466.95 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $8,100,479,173.43 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $8,103,245,861.73 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $8,048,367,954.13 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $7,419,501,135.99 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $7,263,967,380.72 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $7,512,622,416.96 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $7,851,735,259.12 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $7,829,547,279.02 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $7,504,018,446.39 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $8,596,920,534.46 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $9,926,499,188.58 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $9,950,671,156.55 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $10,088,830,682.68 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $10,145,693,653.31 | 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 |