According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,816.45% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $112,619,894,551.85 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.49% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $6,200,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $118,819,894,551.85 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.72% 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 $6,200,000,000 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 | $6,200,000,000.00 | -0.64% |
| 1941 | $6,359,812,536.61 | 2.58% |
| 1942 | $6,940,949,033.39 | 9.14% |
| 1943 | $6,948,213,239.60 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | $6,930,052,724.08 | -0.26% |
| 1945 | $6,930,052,724.08 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $7,220,620,972.47 | 4.19% |
| 1947 | $8,041,476,274.17 | 11.37% |
| 1948 | $8,967,662,565.91 | 11.52% |
| 1949 | $9,639,601,640.30 | 7.49% |
| 1950 | $9,886,584,651.44 | 2.56% |
| 1951 | $10,522,202,694.79 | 6.43% |
| 1952 | $11,215,934,387.81 | 6.59% |
| 1953 | $11,535,559,461.04 | 2.85% |
| 1954 | $11,368,482,718.22 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $11,230,462,800.23 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $11,433,860,574.11 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $12,069,478,617.46 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $12,469,009,958.99 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $12,984,768,599.88 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $12,981,136,496.78 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $13,130,052,724.08 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $13,402,460,456.94 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $13,478,734,622.14 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $13,678,500,292.91 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $13,903,690,685.41 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $14,103,456,356.18 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $14,502,987,697.72 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $14,967,896,895.14 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $15,541,769,185.71 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $16,340,831,868.78 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $17,198,008,201.52 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $17,401,405,975.40 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $17,949,853,544.23 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $19,962,038,664.32 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $21,836,203,866.43 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $24,008,201,523.14 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $25,700,761,570.01 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $26,906,619,800.82 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $30,742,120,679.55 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $36,215,700,058.58 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $40,599,648,506.15 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $42,274,048,037.49 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $43,283,772,700.64 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $45,205,155,243.12 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $46,400,117,164.62 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $44,594,961,921.50 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $45,942,472,173.40 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $47,358,992,384.30 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $49,730,755,711.78 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $52,527,475,102.52 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $53,973,052,138.25 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $55,153,485,647.33 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $56,816,988,869.36 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $58,534,973,637.96 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $60,630,697,129.47 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $62,341,417,691.86 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $62,882,601,054.48 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $61,694,903,339.19 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $62,937,082,601.05 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $66,830,697,129.47 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $67,230,228,471.00 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $66,623,667,252.49 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $68,672,173,403.63 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $71,087,521,968.37 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $75,798,359,695.37 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $78,827,533,684.83 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $80,493,906,268.31 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $85,230,640,890.45 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $78,127,591,095.49 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $84,292,069,127.12 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $92,560,224,956.06 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $94,727,028,705.33 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $94,759,354,422.96 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $94,117,634,446.40 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $86,763,642,647.92 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $84,944,830,697.13 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $87,852,619,800.82 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $91,818,186,291.74 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $91,558,745,166.96 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $87,752,010,544.82 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $100,532,400,702.99 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $116,080,489,748.10 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $116,363,176,332.75 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $117,978,808,435.85 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $118,825,402,140.92 | 0.72% |
| 2026 | $118,819,894,551.85 | 0.00%* |
* 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 | 272.628 | 272.615 |