According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $167,587,987,691.90 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 $9,237,153,000 in the year 1940 would cost $176,825,140,691.90 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 $9,237,153,000 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 | $9,237,153,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $9,587,930,962.03 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $10,406,412,873.42 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $10,341,453,991.56 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $10,328,462,215.19 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $10,328,462,215.19 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $10,952,067,481.01 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $11,987,412,121.06 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $13,366,539,151.25 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $14,365,906,564.43 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $14,735,672,507.30 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $15,680,074,712.76 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $16,714,419,985.39 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $17,194,116,343.72 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $16,944,274,490.43 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $16,739,404,170.72 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $17,039,214,394.68 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $17,988,613,437.20 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $18,583,237,048.04 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $19,352,749,956.18 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $19,347,753,119.12 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $19,567,613,950.02 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $19,977,354,589.42 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $20,087,285,004.87 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $20,387,095,228.82 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $20,721,883,312.24 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $21,016,696,699.12 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $21,616,317,147.03 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $22,305,880,662.12 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $23,165,336,637.46 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $24,354,583,859.14 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $25,633,774,148.00 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $25,933,584,371.96 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $26,753,065,650.76 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $29,751,167,890.30 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $32,544,399,810.13 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $35,782,350,228.82 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $38,305,752,947.10 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $40,099,617,453.75 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $45,815,999,057.12 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $53,975,833,985.72 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $60,511,696,867.90 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $63,005,118,563.78 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $64,509,166,520.61 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $67,372,354,159.36 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $69,151,228,154.82 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $66,462,929,813.37 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $68,471,658,313.86 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $70,585,320,392.73 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $74,118,084,198.31 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $78,285,446,311.26 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $80,439,083,086.66 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $82,197,969,733.85 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $84,681,397,755.60 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $87,239,778,333.33 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $90,362,801,499.51 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $92,911,188,403.12 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $93,720,676,007.79 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $91,951,795,686.47 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $93,800,625,400.84 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $99,601,953,234.34 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $100,201,573,682.25 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $99,297,146,173.32 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $102,350,213,620.58 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $105,947,936,308.02 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $112,968,492,385.59 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $117,485,633,093.15 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $119,967,112,348.44 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $127,026,643,755.13 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $116,440,344,747.34 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $125,627,829,186.90 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $137,950,579,043.46 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $141,179,934,902.40 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $141,228,154,380.09 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $140,271,709,797.31 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $129,311,447,503.51 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $126,600,713,363.63 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $130,934,420,182.51 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $136,844,679,064.04 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $136,457,973,843.51 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $130,784,465,102.16 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $149,832,208,123.84 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $173,004,890,111.78 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $173,426,173,444.81 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $175,834,099,258.49 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $176,825,140,691.90 | 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 |