According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,740.53% higher in 2026 versus 1941 (a $8,702,649,914,334.67 difference in value).
Between 1941 and 2026:Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.49% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $500,000,000,000 in the year 1941 would cost $9,202,649,914,334.67 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.71% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1941: Pricing changed by 2.58%, which is below the average yearly change for transportation during the 1941-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1941 (5.12%), inflation for transportation was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $500,000,000,000 beginning in 1941. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1941 | $500,000,000,000.00 | 2.58% |
| 1942 | $545,688,178,183.89 | 9.14% |
| 1943 | $546,259,280,411.19 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | $544,831,524,842.95 | -0.26% |
| 1945 | $544,831,524,842.95 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $567,675,613,934.89 | 4.19% |
| 1947 | $632,210,165,619.65 | 11.37% |
| 1948 | $705,025,699,600.23 | 11.52% |
| 1949 | $757,852,655,625.36 | 7.49% |
| 1950 | $777,270,131,353.51 | 2.56% |
| 1951 | $827,241,576,242.15 | 6.43% |
| 1952 | $881,781,838,949.17 | 6.59% |
| 1953 | $906,910,336,950.31 | 2.85% |
| 1954 | $893,774,985,722.44 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $882,924,043,403.77 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $898,914,905,768.13 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $948,886,350,656.77 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $980,296,973,158.20 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $1,020,845,231,296.40 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $1,020,559,680,182.75 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $1,032,267,275,842.38 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $1,053,683,609,366.08 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $1,059,680,182,752.71 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $1,075,385,494,003.43 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $1,093,089,663,049.69 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $1,108,794,974,300.40 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $1,140,205,596,801.83 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $1,176,756,139,348.94 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $1,221,873,215,305.54 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $1,284,694,460,308.40 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $1,352,084,523,129.64 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $1,368,075,385,494.00 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $1,411,193,603,655.05 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $1,569,388,920,616.79 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $1,716,733,295,259.85 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $1,887,492,861,222.16 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $2,020,559,680,182.75 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $2,115,362,649,914.33 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $2,416,904,625,928.04 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $2,847,230,154,197.60 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $3,191,890,348,372.36 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $3,323,529,411,764.71 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $3,402,912,621,359.22 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $3,553,969,160,479.73 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $3,647,915,476,870.36 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $3,505,996,573,386.64 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $3,611,936,036,550.54 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $3,723,300,970,873.79 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $3,909,765,848,086.81 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $4,129,640,205,596.80 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $4,243,289,548,829.24 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $4,336,093,660,765.28 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $4,466,876,070,816.68 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $4,601,941,747,572.82 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $4,766,704,740,148.49 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $4,901,199,314,677.33 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $4,943,746,430,611.08 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $4,850,371,216,447.74 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $4,948,029,697,315.82 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $5,254,140,491,147.92 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $5,285,551,113,649.34 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $5,237,864,077,669.90 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $5,398,914,905,768.13 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $5,588,806,396,344.95 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $5,959,166,190,748.15 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $6,197,315,819,531.70 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $6,328,323,814,962.88 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $6,700,719,588,806.40 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $6,142,287,264,420.33 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $6,626,930,325,528.27 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $7,276,961,736,150.77 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $7,447,312,964,020.56 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $7,449,854,368,932.04 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $7,399,403,198,172.47 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $6,821,242,147,344.38 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $6,678,249,571,673.33 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $6,906,856,082,238.72 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $7,218,623,643,632.21 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $7,198,226,727,584.24 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $6,898,946,316,390.63 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $7,903,723,586,521.99 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $9,126,093,660,765.28 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $9,148,318,103,940.61 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $9,275,336,950,314.11 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $9,330,479,725,870.93 | 0.59% |
| 2026 | $9,202,649,914,334.67 | -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 |