According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,780.64% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $119,302,861,159,929.70 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.47% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $6,700,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $126,002,861,159,929.70 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 $6,700,000,000,000 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 | $6,700,000,000,000.00 | -0.64% |
| 1941 | $6,872,700,644,405.39 | 2.58% |
| 1942 | $7,500,702,987,697.72 | 9.14% |
| 1943 | $7,508,553,016,988.87 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | $7,488,927,943,760.98 | -0.26% |
| 1945 | $7,488,927,943,760.98 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $7,802,929,115,407.15 | 4.19% |
| 1947 | $8,689,982,425,307.56 | 11.37% |
| 1948 | $9,690,861,159,929.70 | 11.52% |
| 1949 | $10,416,988,869,361.45 | 7.49% |
| 1950 | $10,683,889,865,260.69 | 2.56% |
| 1951 | $11,370,767,428,236.67 | 6.43% |
| 1952 | $12,120,445,225,541.89 | 6.59% |
| 1953 | $12,465,846,514,352.67 | 2.85% |
| 1954 | $12,285,295,840,656.12 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $12,136,145,284,124.19 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $12,355,946,104,276.51 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $13,042,823,667,252.49 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $13,474,575,278,265.97 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $14,031,927,357,937.91 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $14,028,002,343,292.33 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $14,188,927,943,760.99 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $14,483,304,042,179.26 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $14,565,729,349,736.38 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $14,781,605,155,243.12 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $15,024,956,063,268.89 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $15,240,831,868,775.63 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $15,672,583,479,789.11 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $16,174,985,354,422.97 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $16,795,137,668,424.14 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $17,658,640,890,451.08 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $18,584,944,346,807.27 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $18,804,745,166,959.58 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $19,397,422,378,441.71 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $21,571,880,492,091.39 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $23,597,188,049,209.14 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $25,944,346,807,264.21 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $27,773,403,632,103.11 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $29,076,508,494,434.68 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $33,221,323,960,164.03 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $39,136,321,031,048.63 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $43,873,813,708,260.11 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $45,683,245,459,871.12 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $46,774,399,531,341.54 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $48,850,732,278,851.78 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $50,142,062,097,246.62 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $48,191,329,818,394.84 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $49,647,510,251,903.93 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $51,178,265,963,678.98 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $53,741,300,527,240.77 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $56,763,561,804,335.09 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $58,325,717,633,274.75 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $59,601,347,393,087.30 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $61,399,004,100,761.56 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $63,255,536,028,119.50 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $65,520,269,478,617.45 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $67,368,951,376,684.24 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $67,953,778,558,875.22 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $66,670,298,769,771.52 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $68,012,653,778,558.88 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $72,220,269,478,617.47 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $72,652,021,089,630.94 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $71,996,543,643,819.56 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $74,210,251,903,925.02 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $76,820,386,643,233.75 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $81,911,130,638,547.16 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $85,184,592,852,958.42 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $86,985,350,322,202.70 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $92,104,079,671,939.09 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $84,428,203,280,609.27 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $91,089,816,637,375.52 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $100,024,759,226,713.52 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $102,366,305,213,825.42 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $102,401,237,844,171.06 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $101,707,766,256,590.52 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $93,760,710,603,397.78 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $91,795,220,269,478.59 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $94,937,508,494,434.69 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $99,222,878,734,622.14 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $98,942,514,938,488.58 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $94,828,785,588,752.20 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $108,639,852,372,583.48 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $125,441,819,566,490.94 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $125,747,303,456,356.16 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $127,493,228,471,001.77 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $128,251,188,049,209.16 | 0.59% |
| 2026 | $126,002,861,159,929.70 | -1.75%* |
* 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 | 267.521 |