According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,099.98% higher in 2025 versus 1950 (a $505,990,855,374.70 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 $46,000,000,000 in the year 1950 would cost $551,990,855,374.70 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 $46,000,000,000 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 | $46,000,000,000.00 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $48,948,118,006.10 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $52,177,009,155.65 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $53,674,465,920.65 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $52,894,540,522.21 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $52,255,001,695.49 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $53,190,912,173.62 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $56,154,628,687.69 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $58,010,851,135.98 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $60,413,021,363.17 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $60,397,422,855.21 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $61,083,757,205.83 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $62,362,834,859.27 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $62,706,002,034.59 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $63,641,912,512.72 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $64,687,012,546.63 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $65,607,324,516.79 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $67,479,145,473.04 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $69,631,739,572.74 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $72,314,682,943.37 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $76,027,127,839.95 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $80,020,345,879.96 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $80,956,256,358.09 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $83,514,411,664.97 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $92,873,516,446.25 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $101,593,082,400.81 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $111,700,915,564.60 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $119,578,162,088.84 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $125,178,026,449.64 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $143,022,719,565.95 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $168,495,083,079.01 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $188,897,931,502.20 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $196,681,586,978.64 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $201,376,737,877.25 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $210,314,682,943.37 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $215,867,751,780.26 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $207,475,754,493.05 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $213,746,354,696.51 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $220,344,523,567.31 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $231,372,668,701.25 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $244,381,824,347.24 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $251,104,781,281.79 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $256,595,456,086.81 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $264,347,914,547.30 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $272,334,350,627.33 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $282,083,418,107.83 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $290,038,657,171.92 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $292,565,615,462.87 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $287,043,743,641.91 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $292,815,191,590.37 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $310,925,059,342.15 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $312,796,880,298.41 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $309,973,550,356.05 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $319,504,238,724.99 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $330,735,164,462.53 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $352,651,068,158.70 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $366,752,119,362.50 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $374,498,494,404.88 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $396,536,066,463.21 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $363,489,067,480.50 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $392,169,420,142.42 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $430,637,056,629.37 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $440,718,060,359.44 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $440,868,585,961.34 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $437,882,875,551.03 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $403,668,484,231.94 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $395,206,449,643.95 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $408,734,879,620.21 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $427,184,794,845.71 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $425,977,626,314.00 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $408,266,768,396.07 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $467,727,656,832.82 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $540,065,269,582.91 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $541,380,379,789.76 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $548,897,144,794.85 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $551,990,855,374.70 | 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 |