According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,099.98% higher in 2025 versus 1950 (a $291,494,731,900.64 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 $26,500,000,000 in the year 1950 would cost $317,994,731,900.64 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 $26,500,000,000 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 | $26,500,000,000.00 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $28,198,372,329.60 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $30,058,494,404.88 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $30,921,159,715.16 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $30,471,854,866.06 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $30,103,424,889.79 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $30,642,590,708.71 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $32,349,949,135.30 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $33,419,294,676.16 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $34,803,153,611.39 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $34,794,167,514.41 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $35,189,555,781.62 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $35,926,415,734.15 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $36,124,109,867.75 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $36,663,275,686.67 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $37,265,344,184.47 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $37,795,523,906.41 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $38,873,855,544.25 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $40,113,936,927.77 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $41,659,545,608.68 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $43,798,236,690.40 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $46,098,677,517.80 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $46,637,843,336.72 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $48,111,563,241.78 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $53,503,221,430.99 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $58,526,449,643.95 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $64,349,440,488.30 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $68,887,419,464.23 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $72,113,428,280.77 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $82,393,523,228.21 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $97,067,819,599.86 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $108,821,634,452.36 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $113,305,696,846.39 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $116,010,512,037.98 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $121,159,545,608.68 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $124,358,596,134.28 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $119,524,075,957.95 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $123,136,486,944.73 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $126,937,605,968.12 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $133,290,776,534.42 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $140,785,181,417.43 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $144,658,189,216.68 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $147,821,295,354.36 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $152,287,385,554.43 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $156,888,267,209.22 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $162,504,577,822.99 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $167,087,487,283.83 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $168,543,234,994.91 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $165,362,156,663.28 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $168,687,012,546.63 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $179,119,871,142.76 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $180,198,202,780.60 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $178,571,719,226.86 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $184,062,224,482.88 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $190,532,214,309.94 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $203,157,680,569.68 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $211,281,112,241.44 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $215,743,697,863.68 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $228,439,255,679.89 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $209,401,310,613.77 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $225,923,687,690.74 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $248,084,391,319.09 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $253,891,926,076.64 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $253,978,641,912.51 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $252,258,613,089.18 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $232,548,148,524.92 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $227,673,280,773.14 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $235,466,832,824.69 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $246,095,588,335.03 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $245,400,154,289.59 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $235,197,160,054.26 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $269,451,802,305.87 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $311,124,557,477.11 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $311,882,175,313.67 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $316,212,485,588.34 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $317,994,731,900.64 | 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 |