According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,740.53% higher in 2026 versus 1941 (a $8,858,658,599,592.70 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 $508,963,286,286 in the year 1941 would cost $9,367,621,885,878.70 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 $508,963,286,286 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 | $508,963,286,286.00 | 2.58% |
| 1942 | $555,470,496,911.79 | 9.14% |
| 1943 | $556,051,837,044.61 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | $554,598,486,712.56 | -0.26% |
| 1945 | $554,598,486,712.56 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $577,852,092,025.45 | 4.19% |
| 1947 | $643,543,527,034.38 | 11.37% |
| 1948 | $717,664,393,969.24 | 11.52% |
| 1949 | $771,438,356,255.31 | 7.49% |
| 1950 | $791,203,920,771.27 | 2.56% |
| 1951 | $842,071,182,393.23 | 6.43% |
| 1952 | $897,589,165,077.77 | 6.59% |
| 1953 | $923,168,130,921.95 | 2.85% |
| 1954 | $909,797,307,867.04 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $898,751,845,343.41 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $915,029,369,062.44 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $965,896,630,684.40 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $997,870,337,989.63 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $1,039,145,487,420.02 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $1,038,854,817,353.61 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $1,050,772,290,076.46 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $1,072,572,545,057.30 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $1,078,676,616,451.94 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $1,094,663,470,104.56 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $1,112,685,014,222.05 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $1,128,671,867,874.66 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $1,160,645,575,179.90 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $1,197,851,343,680.53 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $1,243,777,214,173.50 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $1,307,724,628,783.96 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $1,376,322,764,457.00 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $1,392,600,288,176.03 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $1,436,491,468,204.12 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $1,597,522,684,995.92 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $1,747,508,439,264.10 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $1,921,329,138,977.99 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $2,056,781,389,925.61 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $2,153,283,851,974.12 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $2,460,231,442,104.34 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $2,898,271,232,186.01 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $3,249,110,002,344.32 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $3,383,108,902,959.88 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $3,463,915,181,422.19 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $3,617,679,646,553.72 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $3,713,310,098,403.00 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $3,568,847,075,396.64 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $3,676,685,670,035.19 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $3,790,046,995,935.55 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $3,979,854,549,302.06 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $4,203,670,500,438.68 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $4,319,357,186,870.34 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $4,413,824,958,453.98 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $4,546,951,848,870.30 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $4,684,438,790,282.80 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $4,852,155,418,602.05 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $4,989,061,019,881.73 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $5,032,370,859,777.00 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $4,937,321,748,060.53 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $5,036,730,910,773.16 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $5,348,329,221,965.96 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $5,380,302,929,271.19 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $5,331,761,028,180.52 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $5,495,698,945,636.44 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $5,688,994,539,799.88 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $6,065,993,615,935.20 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $6,308,412,451,322.14 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $6,441,768,971,090.93 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $6,820,840,524,799.76 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $6,252,397,422,824.03 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $6,745,728,472,938.44 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $7,407,412,718,817.55 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $7,580,817,760,336.47 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $7,583,404,723,927.53 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $7,532,049,136,594.00 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $6,943,523,639,729.93 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $6,797,967,697,273.86 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $7,030,672,339,041.33 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $7,348,028,824,249.74 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $7,327,266,261,405.99 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $7,022,620,778,201.74 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $8,045,410,260,984.80 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $9,289,693,241,073.86 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $9,312,316,092,342.64 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $9,441,611,951,283.67 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $9,497,743,247,808.33 | 0.59% |
| 2026 | $9,367,621,885,878.70 | -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 |