According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,099.98% higher in 2025 versus 1950 (a $18,699,662,046.46 difference in value).
Between 1950 and 2025: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.37% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $1,700,000,000 in the year 1950 would cost $20,399,662,046.46 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.51% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1950: Pricing changed by 2.57%, which is below the average yearly change for transportation during the 1950-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1950 (1.10%), inflation for transportation was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $1,700,000,000 beginning in 1950. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | $1,700,000,000.00 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $1,808,952,187.18 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $1,928,280,773.14 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $1,983,621,566.63 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $1,954,798,236.69 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $1,931,163,106.14 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $1,965,751,102.07 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $2,075,279,755.85 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $2,143,879,281.11 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $2,232,655,137.33 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $2,232,078,670.74 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $2,257,443,201.09 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $2,304,713,462.19 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $2,317,395,727.37 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $2,351,983,723.30 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $2,390,606,985.42 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $2,424,618,514.75 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $2,493,794,506.61 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $2,573,346,897.25 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $2,672,499,152.26 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $2,809,698,202.78 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $2,957,273,652.09 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $2,991,861,648.02 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $3,086,402,170.23 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $3,432,282,129.54 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $3,754,526,958.29 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $4,128,077,314.34 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $4,419,192,946.76 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $4,626,144,455.75 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $5,285,622,244.83 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $6,226,992,200.75 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $6,981,010,512.04 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $7,268,667,344.86 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $7,442,183,791.12 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $7,772,499,152.26 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $7,977,721,261.44 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $7,667,582,231.26 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $7,899,321,804.00 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $8,143,167,175.31 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $8,550,729,060.70 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $9,031,502,204.14 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $9,279,959,308.24 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $9,482,875,551.03 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $9,769,379,450.66 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $10,064,530,349.27 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $10,424,821,973.55 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $10,718,819,938.96 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $10,812,207,527.98 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $10,608,138,351.98 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $10,821,430,993.56 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $11,490,708,714.82 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $11,559,884,706.68 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $11,455,544,252.29 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $11,807,765,344.18 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $12,222,821,295.35 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $13,032,756,866.73 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $13,553,882,672.09 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $13,840,161,749.75 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $14,654,593,760.60 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $13,433,291,624.28 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $14,493,217,700.92 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $15,914,847,745.00 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $16,287,406,578.50 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $16,292,969,481.18 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $16,182,628,009.49 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $14,918,183,112.92 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $14,605,455,747.71 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $15,105,419,464.23 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $15,787,264,157.34 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $15,742,651,407.26 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $15,088,119,701.59 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $17,285,587,317.73 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $19,958,933,875.89 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $20,007,535,774.84 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $20,285,329,264.16 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $20,399,662,046.46 | 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 |