According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,099.98% higher in 2025 versus 1950 (a $2,848,948,511,783.66 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 $259,000,000,000 in the year 1950 would cost $3,107,948,511,783.66 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 $259,000,000,000 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 | $259,000,000,000.00 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $275,599,186,164.80 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $293,779,247,202.44 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $302,210,579,857.58 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $297,819,260,766.36 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $294,218,379,111.56 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $299,487,962,021.02 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $316,174,974,567.65 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $326,626,314,004.75 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $340,151,576,805.70 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $340,063,750,423.87 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $343,928,111,224.14 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $351,129,874,533.74 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $353,062,054,933.88 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $358,331,637,843.34 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $364,216,005,425.57 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $369,397,761,953.20 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $379,936,927,772.13 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $392,056,968,463.89 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $407,163,106,137.67 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $428,065,785,011.87 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $450,549,338,758.90 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $455,818,921,668.36 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $470,222,448,287.56 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $522,918,277,382.16 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $572,013,224,821.97 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $628,924,720,244.15 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $673,277,043,065.45 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $704,806,714,140.39 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $805,280,094,947.44 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $948,700,576,466.60 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $1,063,577,483,892.85 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $1,107,402,848,423.19 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $1,133,838,589,352.32 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $1,184,163,106,137.67 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $1,215,429,298,067.14 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $1,168,178,704,645.64 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $1,203,484,910,139.03 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $1,240,635,469,650.73 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $1,302,728,721,600.54 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $1,375,975,924,042.05 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $1,413,829,094,608.34 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $1,444,743,981,010.51 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $1,488,393,692,777.21 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $1,533,360,800,271.28 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $1,588,252,288,911.50 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $1,633,043,743,641.91 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $1,647,271,617,497.46 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $1,616,181,078,331.64 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $1,648,676,839,606.65 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $1,750,643,268,904.71 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $1,761,182,434,723.64 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $1,745,285,859,613.43 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $1,798,947,778,908.10 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $1,862,182,773,821.63 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $1,985,578,840,284.84 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $2,064,973,889,454.05 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $2,108,589,348,931.84 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $2,232,670,461,173.28 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $2,046,601,488,640.22 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $2,208,084,343,845.37 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $2,424,673,862,326.21 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $2,481,434,296,371.65 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $2,482,281,820,956.26 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $2,465,470,973,211.26 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $2,272,829,074,262.46 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $2,225,184,140,386.57 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $2,301,355,083,079.01 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $2,405,236,127,500.85 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $2,398,439,243,811.46 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $2,298,719,413,360.46 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $2,633,510,067,819.60 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $3,040,802,278,738.56 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $3,048,206,920,990.17 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $3,090,529,576,127.50 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $3,107,948,511,783.66 | 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 |