According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,599.19% higher in 2025 versus 1942 (a $39,979,849,406.99 difference in value).
Between 1942 and 2025: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.47% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $2,500,000,000 in the year 1942 would cost $42,479,849,406.99 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.65% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1942: Pricing changed by 8.54%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for transportation during the 1942-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1942 (10.92%), inflation for transportation was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $2,500,000,000 beginning in 1942. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1942 | $2,500,000,000.00 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $2,484,394,506.87 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $2,481,273,408.24 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $2,481,273,408.24 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $2,631,086,142.32 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $2,879,813,694.42 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $3,211,130,317.87 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $3,451,214,827.62 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $3,540,046,096.23 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $3,766,925,957.94 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $4,015,413,425.53 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $4,130,653,990.20 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $4,070,632,862.77 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $4,021,415,538.27 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $4,093,440,891.19 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $4,321,521,175.45 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $4,464,371,458.75 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $4,649,236,531.26 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $4,648,036,108.71 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $4,700,854,700.85 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $4,799,289,349.85 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $4,825,698,645.92 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $4,897,723,998.85 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $4,978,152,309.61 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $5,048,977,239.99 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $5,193,027,945.84 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $5,358,686,257.56 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $5,565,158,935.95 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $5,850,859,502.54 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $6,158,167,675.02 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $6,230,193,027.95 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $6,427,062,325.94 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $7,147,315,855.18 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $7,818,352,059.93 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $8,596,225,871.51 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $9,202,439,258.62 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $9,633,390,953.62 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $11,006,674,349.37 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $12,966,964,371.46 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $14,537,117,065.21 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $15,136,127,917.03 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $15,497,455,104.20 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $16,185,297,224.62 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $16,612,647,651.97 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $15,966,820,320.75 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $16,449,390,185.35 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $16,957,168,923.46 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $17,805,867,665.42 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $18,807,020,071.07 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $19,324,402,189.57 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $19,746,950,926.73 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $20,343,560,933.45 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $20,958,177,278.40 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $21,708,441,371.36 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $22,320,656,871.22 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $22,515,125,324.11 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $22,090,175,741.86 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $22,534,332,084.89 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $23,928,022,663.98 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $24,072,073,369.83 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $23,854,796,888.50 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $24,588,255,065.78 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $25,452,559,300.87 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $27,139,152,981.85 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $28,224,334,965.91 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $28,820,476,807.84 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $30,516,433,784.69 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $27,973,218,572.94 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $30,180,387,496.40 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $33,140,761,548.06 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $33,916,570,632.86 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $33,928,154,710.46 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $33,698,381,830.40 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $31,065,326,995.10 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $30,414,109,766.64 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $31,455,224,238.93 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $32,875,084,029.58 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $32,782,183,328.53 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $31,419,199,558.24 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $35,995,162,297.13 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $41,562,085,854.22 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $41,663,293,479.30 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $42,241,765,101.32 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $42,479,849,406.99 | 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 |