According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,099.98% higher in 2025 versus 1950 (a $5,939,892,650.05 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 $540,000,000 in the year 1950 would cost $6,479,892,650.05 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 $540,000,000 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 | $540,000,000.00 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $574,608,341.81 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $612,512,716.17 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $630,091,556.46 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $620,935,910.48 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $613,428,280.77 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $624,415,055.95 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $659,206,510.68 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $680,996,948.12 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $709,196,337.74 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $709,013,224.82 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $717,070,193.29 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $732,085,452.70 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $736,113,936.93 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $747,100,712.11 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $759,369,277.72 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $770,172,939.98 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $792,146,490.34 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $817,416,073.25 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $848,911,495.42 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $892,492,370.30 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $939,369,277.72 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $950,356,052.90 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $980,386,571.72 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $1,090,254,323.50 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $1,192,614,445.57 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $1,311,271,617.50 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $1,403,743,641.91 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $1,469,481,180.06 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $1,678,962,360.12 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $1,977,985,757.88 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $2,217,497,456.77 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $2,308,870,803.66 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $2,363,987,792.47 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $2,468,911,495.42 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $2,534,099,694.81 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $2,435,584,944.05 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $2,509,196,337.74 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $2,586,653,102.75 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $2,716,113,936.93 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $2,868,830,111.90 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $2,947,751,780.26 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $3,012,207,527.98 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $3,103,214,649.03 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $3,196,968,463.89 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $3,311,414,038.66 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $3,404,801,627.67 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $3,434,465,920.65 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $3,369,643,947.10 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $3,437,395,727.37 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $3,649,989,827.06 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $3,671,963,377.42 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $3,638,819,938.96 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $3,750,701,932.86 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $3,882,543,234.99 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $4,139,816,887.08 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $4,305,350,966.43 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $4,396,286,673.45 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $4,654,988,606.31 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $4,267,045,574.77 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $4,603,727,975.58 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $5,055,304,577.82 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $5,173,646,795.52 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $5,175,413,835.20 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $5,140,364,191.25 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $4,738,716,988.81 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $4,639,380,061.04 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $4,798,192,065.11 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $5,014,778,026.45 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $5,000,606,917.60 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $4,792,696,846.39 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $5,490,715,971.52 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $6,339,896,642.93 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $6,355,334,893.18 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $6,443,575,178.03 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $6,479,892,650.05 | 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 |