According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,599.19% higher in 2025 versus 1942 (a $559,717.89 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 $35,000 in the year 1942 would cost $594,717.89 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 $35,000 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 | $35,000.00 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $34,781.52 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $34,737.83 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $34,737.83 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $36,835.21 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $40,317.39 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $44,955.82 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $48,317.01 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $49,560.65 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $52,736.96 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $56,215.79 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $57,829.16 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $56,988.86 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $56,299.82 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $57,308.17 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $60,501.30 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $62,501.20 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $65,089.31 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $65,072.51 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $65,811.97 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $67,190.05 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $67,559.78 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $68,568.14 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $69,694.13 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $70,685.68 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $72,702.39 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $75,021.61 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $77,912.23 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $81,912.03 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $86,214.35 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $87,222.70 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $89,978.87 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $100,062.42 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $109,456.93 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $120,347.16 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $128,834.15 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $134,867.47 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $154,093.44 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $181,537.50 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $203,519.64 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $211,905.79 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $216,964.37 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $226,594.16 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $232,577.07 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $223,535.48 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $230,291.46 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $237,400.36 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $249,282.15 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $263,298.28 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $270,541.63 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $276,457.31 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $284,809.85 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $293,414.48 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $303,918.18 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $312,489.20 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $315,211.75 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $309,262.46 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $315,480.65 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $334,992.32 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $337,009.03 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $333,967.16 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $344,235.57 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $356,335.83 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $379,948.14 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $395,140.69 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $403,486.68 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $427,230.07 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $391,625.06 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $422,525.42 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $463,970.66 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $474,831.99 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $474,994.17 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $471,777.35 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $434,914.58 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $425,797.54 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $440,373.14 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $460,251.18 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $458,950.57 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $439,868.79 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $503,932.27 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $581,869.20 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $583,286.11 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $591,384.71 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $594,717.89 | 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 |