According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,099.98% higher in 2025 versus 1950 (a $417,992,445,744.32 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 $38,000,000,000 in the year 1950 would cost $455,992,445,744.32 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 $38,000,000,000 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 | $38,000,000,000.00 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $40,435,401,831.13 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $43,102,746,693.79 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $44,339,776,195.32 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $43,695,489,996.61 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $43,167,175,313.67 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $43,940,318,752.12 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $46,388,606,307.22 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $47,922,007,460.16 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $49,906,408,952.19 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $49,893,523,228.21 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $50,460,495,083.08 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $51,517,124,448.97 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $51,800,610,376.40 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $52,573,753,814.85 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $53,437,097,321.13 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $54,197,355,035.61 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $55,743,641,912.51 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $57,521,871,820.96 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $59,738,216,344.52 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $62,805,018,650.39 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $66,103,763,987.79 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $66,876,907,426.25 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $68,990,166,158.02 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $76,721,600,542.56 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $83,924,720,244.15 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $92,274,669,379.45 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $98,781,959,986.44 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $103,407,934,893.18 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $118,149,203,119.70 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $139,191,590,369.62 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $156,046,117,327.91 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $162,476,093,591.05 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $166,354,696,507.29 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $173,738,216,344.52 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $178,325,534,079.35 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $171,393,014,581.21 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $176,573,075,618.85 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $182,023,736,859.95 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $191,133,943,709.73 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $201,880,637,504.24 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $207,434,384,537.13 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $211,970,159,376.06 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $218,374,364,191.25 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $224,971,854,866.06 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $233,025,432,349.95 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $239,597,151,576.81 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $241,684,638,860.63 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $237,123,092,573.75 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $241,890,810,444.22 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $256,851,135,978.30 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $258,397,422,855.21 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $256,065,106,815.87 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $263,938,284,164.12 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $273,216,005,425.57 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $291,320,447,609.36 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $302,969,142,082.06 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $309,368,321,464.90 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $327,573,272,295.69 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $300,273,577,483.89 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $323,966,042,726.35 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $355,743,655,476.43 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $364,071,441,166.50 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $364,195,788,402.85 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $361,729,331,976.94 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $333,465,269,582.91 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $326,474,893,184.13 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $337,650,552,729.74 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $352,891,787,046.46 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $351,894,560,868.09 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $337,263,852,153.27 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $386,383,716,514.07 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $446,140,874,872.84 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $447,227,270,261.11 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $453,436,771,787.05 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $455,992,445,744.32 | 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 |