According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,099.98% higher in 2025 versus 1950 (a $197,996,421,668.36 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 $18,000,000,000 in the year 1950 would cost $215,996,421,668.36 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 $18,000,000,000 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 | $18,000,000,000.00 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $19,153,611,393.69 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $20,417,090,539.17 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $21,003,051,881.99 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $20,697,863,682.60 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $20,447,609,359.10 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $20,813,835,198.37 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $21,973,550,356.05 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $22,699,898,270.60 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $23,639,877,924.72 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $23,633,774,160.73 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $23,902,339,776.20 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $24,402,848,423.19 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $24,537,131,230.93 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $24,903,357,070.19 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $25,312,309,257.38 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $25,672,431,332.66 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $26,404,883,011.19 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $27,247,202,441.51 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $28,297,049,847.41 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $29,749,745,676.50 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $31,312,309,257.38 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $31,678,535,096.64 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $32,679,552,390.64 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $36,341,810,783.32 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $39,753,814,852.49 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $43,709,053,916.58 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $46,791,454,730.42 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $48,982,706,002.03 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $55,965,412,004.07 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $65,932,858,596.13 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $73,916,581,892.17 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $76,962,360,122.08 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $78,799,593,082.40 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $82,297,049,847.41 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $84,469,989,827.06 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $81,186,164,801.63 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $83,639,877,924.72 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $86,221,770,091.56 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $90,537,131,230.93 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $95,627,670,396.74 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $98,258,392,675.48 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $100,406,917,599.19 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $103,440,488,301.12 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $106,565,615,462.87 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $110,380,467,955.24 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $113,493,387,589.01 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $114,482,197,355.04 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $112,321,464,903.36 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $114,579,857,578.84 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $121,666,327,568.67 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $122,398,779,247.20 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $121,293,997,965.41 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $125,023,397,761.95 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $129,418,107,833.16 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $137,993,896,236.01 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $143,511,698,880.98 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $146,542,889,114.95 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $155,166,286,876.91 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $142,234,852,492.37 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $153,457,599,186.16 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $168,510,152,594.10 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $172,454,893,184.13 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $172,513,794,506.61 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $171,345,473,041.71 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $157,957,232,960.33 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $154,646,002,034.59 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $159,939,735,503.56 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $167,159,267,548.32 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $166,686,897,253.31 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $159,756,561,546.29 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $183,023,865,717.19 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $211,329,888,097.66 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $211,844,496,439.47 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $214,785,839,267.55 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $215,996,421,668.36 | 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 |