According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $9,797,121,835.44 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 $540,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $10,337,121,835.44 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 $540,000,000 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 | $540,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $560,506,329.11 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $608,354,430.38 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $604,556,962.03 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $603,797,468.35 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $603,797,468.35 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $640,253,164.56 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $700,778,967.87 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $781,402,142.16 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $839,824,732.23 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $861,441,090.56 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $916,650,438.17 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $977,117,818.89 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $1,005,160,662.12 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $990,555,014.61 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $978,578,383.64 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $996,105,160.66 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $1,051,606,621.23 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $1,086,368,062.32 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $1,131,353,456.67 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $1,131,061,343.72 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $1,143,914,313.53 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $1,167,867,575.46 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $1,174,294,060.37 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $1,191,820,837.39 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $1,211,392,405.06 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $1,228,627,069.13 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $1,263,680,623.17 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $1,303,992,210.32 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $1,354,235,637.78 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $1,423,758,519.96 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $1,498,539,435.25 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $1,516,066,212.27 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $1,563,972,736.12 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $1,739,240,506.33 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $1,902,531,645.57 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $2,091,820,837.39 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $2,239,337,877.31 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $2,344,206,426.48 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $2,678,383,641.67 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $3,155,404,089.58 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $3,537,487,828.63 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $3,683,252,190.85 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $3,771,178,188.90 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $3,938,558,909.44 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $4,042,551,119.77 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $3,885,394,352.48 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $4,002,823,758.52 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $4,126,387,536.51 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $4,332,911,392.41 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $4,576,533,592.99 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $4,702,434,274.59 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $4,805,258,033.11 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $4,950,438,169.43 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $5,100,000,000.00 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $5,282,570,593.96 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $5,431,548,198.64 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $5,478,870,496.59 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $5,375,462,512.17 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $5,483,544,303.80 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $5,822,687,439.14 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $5,857,740,993.18 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $5,804,868,549.17 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $5,983,349,561.83 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $6,193,670,886.08 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $6,604,089,581.30 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $6,868,159,688.41 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $7,013,225,900.68 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $7,425,923,076.92 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $6,807,052,580.33 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $7,344,148,977.60 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $8,064,531,645.57 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $8,253,318,403.12 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $8,256,137,293.09 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $8,200,223,953.26 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $7,559,491,723.47 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $7,401,023,369.04 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $7,654,370,009.74 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $7,999,881,207.40 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $7,977,274,586.17 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $7,645,603,700.10 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $8,759,126,582.28 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $10,113,791,626.10 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $10,138,419,668.94 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $10,279,185,978.58 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $10,337,121,835.44 | 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 |