According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $16,328,536,392,405.07 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 $900,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $17,228,536,392,405.07 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 $900,000,000,000 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 | $900,000,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $934,177,215,189.87 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $1,013,924,050,632.91 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $1,007,594,936,708.86 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $1,006,329,113,924.05 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $1,006,329,113,924.05 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $1,067,088,607,594.94 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $1,167,964,946,445.96 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $1,302,336,903,602.73 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $1,399,707,887,049.66 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $1,435,735,150,925.02 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $1,527,750,730,282.38 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $1,628,529,698,149.95 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $1,675,267,770,204.48 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $1,650,925,024,342.75 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $1,630,963,972,736.12 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $1,660,175,267,770.20 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $1,752,677,702,044.79 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $1,810,613,437,195.72 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $1,885,589,094,449.85 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $1,885,102,239,532.62 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $1,906,523,855,890.94 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $1,946,445,959,104.19 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $1,957,156,767,283.35 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $1,986,368,062,317.43 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $2,018,987,341,772.15 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $2,047,711,781,889.00 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $2,106,134,371,957.16 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $2,173,320,350,535.54 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $2,257,059,396,299.90 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $2,372,930,866,601.75 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $2,497,565,725,413.83 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $2,526,777,020,447.91 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $2,606,621,226,874.39 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $2,898,734,177,215.19 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $3,170,886,075,949.37 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $3,486,368,062,317.43 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $3,732,229,795,520.94 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $3,907,010,710,808.18 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $4,463,972,736,124.64 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $5,259,006,815,968.84 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $5,895,813,047,711.78 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $6,138,753,651,411.88 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $6,285,296,981,499.51 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $6,564,264,849,074.98 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $6,737,585,199,610.52 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $6,475,657,254,138.27 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $6,671,372,930,866.60 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $6,877,312,560,856.87 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $7,221,518,987,341.77 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $7,627,555,988,315.48 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $7,837,390,457,643.62 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $8,008,763,388,510.22 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $8,250,730,282,375.85 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $8,500,000,000,000.00 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $8,804,284,323,271.67 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $9,052,580,331,061.35 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $9,131,450,827,653.36 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $8,959,104,186,952.29 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $9,139,240,506,329.12 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $9,704,479,065,238.56 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $9,762,901,655,306.72 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $9,674,780,915,287.24 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $9,972,249,269,717.63 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $10,322,784,810,126.59 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $11,006,815,968,841.29 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $11,446,932,814,021.43 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $11,688,709,834,469.33 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $12,376,538,461,538.46 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $11,345,087,633,885.11 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $12,240,248,296,007.79 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $13,440,886,075,949.37 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $13,755,530,671,859.79 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $13,760,228,821,811.11 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $13,667,039,922,103.22 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $12,599,152,872,444.01 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $12,335,038,948,393.38 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $12,757,283,349,561.83 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $13,333,135,345,666.99 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $13,295,457,643,622.20 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $12,742,672,833,495.62 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $14,598,544,303,797.47 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $16,856,319,376,825.71 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $16,897,366,114,897.77 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $17,131,976,630,963.98 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $17,228,536,392,405.07 | 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 |