According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,787.97% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $9,726,567,029,876,978 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.48% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $544,000,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $10,270,567,029,876,978 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.73% 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 $544,000,000,000,000 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 | $544,000,000,000,000.00 | -0.64% |
| 1941 | $558,022,261,277,094.38 | 2.58% |
| 1942 | $609,012,302,284,710.00 | 9.14% |
| 1943 | $609,649,677,797,305.50 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | $608,056,239,015,817.25 | -0.26% |
| 1945 | $608,056,239,015,817.25 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $633,551,259,519,625.00 | 4.19% |
| 1947 | $705,574,692,442,882.25 | 11.37% |
| 1948 | $786,840,070,298,769.75 | 11.52% |
| 1949 | $845,797,305,213,825.25 | 7.49% |
| 1950 | $867,468,072,642,062.13 | 2.56% |
| 1951 | $923,238,429,994,141.75 | 6.43% |
| 1952 | $984,107,791,446,983.00 | 6.59% |
| 1953 | $1,012,152,314,001,171.88 | 2.85% |
| 1954 | $997,492,677,211,482.13 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $985,382,542,472,173.50 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $1,003,229,056,824,839.00 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $1,058,999,414,176,918.50 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $1,094,055,067,369,654.50 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $1,139,308,728,763,913.50 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $1,138,990,041,007,615.75 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $1,152,056,239,015,817.25 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $1,175,957,820,738,137.00 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $1,182,650,263,620,387.00 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $1,200,178,090,216,755.00 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $1,219,936,731,107,205.75 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $1,237,464,557,703,573.50 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $1,272,520,210,896,309.00 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $1,313,312,243,702,402.00 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $1,363,664,909,197,422.25 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $1,433,776,215,582,894.00 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $1,508,986,526,069,127.00 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $1,526,833,040,421,792.75 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $1,574,954,891,622,730.00 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $1,751,507,908,611,599.25 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $1,915,950,790,861,160.00 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $2,106,526,069,127,123.75 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $2,255,034,563,561,804.50 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $2,360,838,898,652,606.50 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $2,697,373,169,302,871.00 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $3,177,635,618,043,351.00 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $3,562,291,739,894,551.50 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $3,709,206,795,547,745.50 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $3,797,801,991,798,477.00 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $3,966,387,814,879,905.50 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $4,071,236,086,701,816.50 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $3,912,848,271,821,910.00 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $4,031,081,429,408,319.50 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $4,155,369,654,364,382.50 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $4,363,472,759,226,714.00 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $4,608,862,331,575,864.00 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $4,735,700,058,582,308.00 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $4,839,273,579,379,028.00 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $4,985,232,571,763,327.00 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $5,135,971,880,492,090.00 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $5,319,854,715,875,805.00 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $5,469,956,649,091,974.00 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $5,517,441,124,780,316.00 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $5,413,230,228,471,001.00 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $5,522,221,441,124,780.00 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $5,863,854,715,875,805.00 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $5,898,910,369,068,541.00 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $5,845,689,513,766,842.00 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $6,025,429,408,318,688.00 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $6,237,356,766,256,591.00 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $6,650,694,786,174,575.00 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $6,916,480,374,926,772.00 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $7,062,691,130,638,548.00 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $7,478,301,394,258,935.00 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $6,855,066,057,410,662.00 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $7,395,949,291,154,074.00 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $8,121,413,286,467,487.00 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $8,311,532,841,241,944.00 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $8,314,369,162,272,993.00 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $8,258,063,409,490,335.00 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $7,612,809,935,559,462.00 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $7,453,223,854,715,877.00 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $7,708,358,898,652,607.00 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $8,056,305,377,855,887.00 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $8,033,541,511,423,549.00 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $7,699,531,247,803,164.00 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $8,820,907,416,520,211.00 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $10,185,126,842,413,592.00 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $10,209,930,310,486,232.00 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $10,351,688,998,242,532.00 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $10,413,230,790,861,160.00 | 0.59% |
| 2026 | $10,270,567,029,876,978.00 | -1.37%* |
* 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 | 268.564 |