According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $138,284.56 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2025: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.53% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $7,622 in the year 1940 would cost $145,906.56 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.75% 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 1940-2025 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 $7,622 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 | $7,622.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $7,911.44 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $8,586.81 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $8,533.21 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $8,522.49 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $8,522.49 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $9,037.05 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $9,891.37 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $11,029.35 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $11,853.97 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $12,159.08 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $12,938.35 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $13,791.84 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $14,187.66 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $13,981.50 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $13,812.45 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $14,059.84 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $14,843.23 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $15,333.88 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $15,968.84 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $15,964.72 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $16,146.14 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $16,484.23 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $16,574.94 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $16,822.33 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $17,098.58 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $17,341.84 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $17,836.62 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $18,405.61 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $19,114.79 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $20,096.09 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $21,151.61 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $21,398.99 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $22,075.19 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $24,549.06 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $26,853.88 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $29,525.66 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $31,607.84 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $33,088.04 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $37,804.89 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $44,537.94 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $49,930.99 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $51,988.42 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $53,229.48 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $55,592.03 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $57,059.86 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $54,841.62 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $56,499.12 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $58,243.20 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $61,158.24 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $64,596.92 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $66,373.99 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $67,825.33 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $69,874.52 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $71,985.56 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $74,562.51 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $76,665.30 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $77,333.24 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $75,873.66 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $77,399.21 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $82,186.15 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $82,680.93 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $81,934.64 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $84,453.87 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $87,422.52 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $93,215.50 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $96,942.80 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $98,990.38 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $104,815.53 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $96,080.29 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $103,661.30 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $113,829.37 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $116,494.06 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $116,533.85 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $115,744.64 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $106,700.83 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $104,464.07 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $108,040.02 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $112,916.84 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $112,597.75 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $107,916.28 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $123,633.45 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $142,754.30 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $143,101.92 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $145,088.81 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $145,906.56 | 0.56%* |
* 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 |
| 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 | 270.685 | 272.211 |