According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,808.46% higher in 2024 versus 1940 (a $1,302,088.89 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2024: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.57% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $72,000 in the year 1940 would cost $1,374,088.89 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.77% 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 1940-2024 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 $72,000 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 | $72,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $74,734.18 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $81,113.92 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $80,607.59 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $80,506.33 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $80,506.33 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $85,367.09 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $93,437.20 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $104,186.95 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $111,976.63 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $114,858.81 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $122,220.06 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $130,282.38 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $134,021.42 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $132,074.00 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $130,477.12 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $132,814.02 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $140,214.22 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $144,849.07 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $150,847.13 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $150,808.18 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $152,521.91 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $155,715.68 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $156,572.54 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $158,909.44 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $161,518.99 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $163,816.94 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $168,490.75 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $173,865.63 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $180,564.75 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $189,834.47 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $199,805.26 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $202,142.16 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $208,529.70 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $231,898.73 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $253,670.89 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $278,909.44 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $298,578.38 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $312,560.86 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $357,117.82 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $420,720.55 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $471,665.04 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $491,100.29 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $502,823.76 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $525,141.19 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $539,006.82 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $518,052.58 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $533,709.83 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $550,185.00 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $577,721.52 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $610,204.48 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $626,991.24 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $640,701.07 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $660,058.42 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $680,000.00 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $704,342.75 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $724,206.43 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $730,516.07 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $716,728.33 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $731,139.24 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $776,358.33 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $781,032.13 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $773,982.47 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $797,779.94 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $825,822.78 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $880,545.28 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $915,754.63 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $935,096.79 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $990,123.08 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $907,607.01 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $979,219.86 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $1,075,270.89 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $1,100,442.45 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $1,100,818.31 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $1,093,363.19 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $1,007,932.23 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $986,803.12 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $1,020,582.67 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $1,066,650.83 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $1,063,636.61 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $1,019,413.83 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $1,167,883.54 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $1,348,505.55 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $1,351,789.29 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $1,374,088.89 | 1.65%* |
* 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 |
| 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 | 271.383 |