According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,787.97% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $132,309,919,156,414.78 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 $7,400,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $139,709,919,156,414.78 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 $7,400,000,000,000 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 | $7,400,000,000,000.00 | -0.64% |
| 1941 | $7,590,743,995,313.42 | 2.58% |
| 1942 | $8,284,358,523,725.83 | 9.14% |
| 1943 | $8,293,028,705,330.99 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | $8,271,353,251,318.10 | -0.26% |
| 1945 | $8,271,353,251,318.10 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $8,618,160,515,524.31 | 4.19% |
| 1947 | $9,597,891,036,906.85 | 11.37% |
| 1948 | $10,703,339,191,564.15 | 11.52% |
| 1949 | $11,505,330,990,041.01 | 7.49% |
| 1950 | $11,800,117,164,616.29 | 2.56% |
| 1951 | $12,558,758,055,067.37 | 6.43% |
| 1952 | $13,386,760,398,359.70 | 6.59% |
| 1953 | $13,768,248,388,986.53 | 2.85% |
| 1954 | $13,568,834,212,067.96 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $13,404,100,761,570.01 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $13,646,865,846,514.36 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $14,405,506,736,965.44 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $14,882,366,725,248.98 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $15,497,949,619,215.00 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $15,493,614,528,412.42 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $15,671,353,251,318.10 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $15,996,485,061,511.43 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $16,087,521,968,365.56 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $16,325,951,962,507.33 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $16,594,727,592,267.14 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $16,833,157,586,408.91 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $17,310,017,574,692.44 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $17,864,909,197,422.38 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $18,549,853,544,229.64 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $19,503,573,520,796.72 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $20,526,654,950,205.04 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $20,769,420,035,149.39 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $21,424,018,746,338.60 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $23,825,659,050,966.62 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $26,062,565,905,096.66 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $28,654,950,205,038.08 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $30,675,102,519,039.26 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $32,114,352,665,495.02 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $36,692,208,553,016.99 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $43,225,190,392,501.47 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $48,457,644,991,212.65 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $50,456,121,851,200.94 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $51,661,277,094,317.52 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $53,954,540,128,881.07 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $55,380,785,002,929.12 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $53,226,244,874,048.03 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $54,834,563,561,804.34 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $56,525,248,974,809.62 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $59,356,063,268,892.80 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $62,694,083,186,877.57 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $64,419,449,326,303.45 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $65,828,353,837,141.19 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $67,813,825,424,721.73 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $69,864,323,374,340.94 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $72,365,670,767,428.23 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $74,407,498,535,442.30 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $75,053,427,065,026.36 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $73,635,852,372,583.47 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $75,118,453,427,065.03 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $79,765,670,767,428.25 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $80,242,530,755,711.78 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $79,518,570,591,681.30 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $81,963,561,804,335.09 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $84,846,397,188,049.22 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $90,469,009,958,992.41 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $94,084,475,688,342.13 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $96,073,371,997,656.72 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $101,726,893,966,022.28 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $93,249,060,339,777.41 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $100,606,663,151,728.20 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $110,475,107,205,623.91 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $113,061,292,325,717.63 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $113,099,874,633,860.56 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $112,333,950,790,861.16 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $103,556,605,741,066.20 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $101,385,765,670,767.44 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $104,856,352,665,495.02 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $109,589,448,154,657.30 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $109,279,792,618,629.16 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $104,736,270,650,263.63 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $119,990,284,710,017.58 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $138,547,681,312,243.72 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $138,885,081,429,408.31 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $140,813,416,520,210.91 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $141,650,565,905,096.69 | 0.59% |
| 2026 | $139,709,919,156,414.78 | -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 |