According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,099.98% higher in 2025 versus 1950 (a $46,639,157,104.10 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 $4,240,000,000 in the year 1950 would cost $50,879,157,104.10 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 $4,240,000,000 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 | $4,240,000,000.00 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $4,511,739,572.74 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $4,809,359,104.78 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $4,947,385,554.43 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $4,875,496,778.57 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $4,816,547,982.37 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $4,902,814,513.39 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $5,175,991,861.65 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $5,347,087,148.19 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $5,568,504,577.82 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $5,567,066,802.31 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $5,630,328,925.06 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $5,748,226,517.46 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $5,779,857,578.84 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $5,866,124,109.87 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $5,962,455,069.52 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $6,047,283,825.03 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $6,219,816,887.08 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $6,418,229,908.44 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $6,665,527,297.39 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $7,007,717,870.46 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $7,375,788,402.85 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $7,462,054,933.88 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $7,697,850,118.68 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $8,560,515,428.96 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $9,364,231,943.03 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $10,295,910,478.13 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $11,021,987,114.28 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $11,538,148,524.92 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $13,182,963,716.51 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $15,530,851,135.98 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $17,411,461,512.38 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $18,128,911,495.42 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $18,561,681,926.08 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $19,385,527,297.39 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $19,897,375,381.49 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $19,123,852,153.27 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $19,701,837,911.16 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $20,310,016,954.90 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $21,326,524,245.51 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $22,525,629,026.79 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $23,145,310,274.67 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $23,651,407,256.70 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $24,365,981,688.71 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $25,102,122,753.48 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $26,000,732,451.68 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $26,733,997,965.41 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $26,966,917,599.19 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $26,457,945,066.12 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $26,989,922,007.46 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $28,659,179,382.84 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $28,831,712,444.90 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $28,571,475,076.30 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $29,449,955,917.26 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $30,485,154,289.59 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $32,505,228,891.15 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $33,804,977,958.63 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $34,518,991,658.19 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $36,550,280,908.78 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $33,504,209,698.20 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $36,147,790,030.52 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $39,693,502,611.05 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $40,622,708,172.26 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $40,636,582,706.00 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $40,361,378,094.27 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $37,207,703,763.99 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $36,427,724,923.70 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $37,674,693,251.95 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $39,375,294,133.60 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $39,264,024,686.33 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $37,631,545,608.68 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $43,112,288,368.94 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $49,779,929,196.34 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $49,901,148,050.19 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $50,593,997,694.13 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $50,879,157,104.10 | 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 |