According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,029.23% higher in 2026 versus 1951 (a $144,092,233,344.84 difference in value).
Between 1951 and 2026: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.28% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $14,000,000,000 in the year 1951 would cost $158,092,233,344.84 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.42% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1951: Pricing changed by 6.43%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for transportation during the 1951-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1951 (7.86%), inflation for transportation was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $14,000,000,000 beginning in 1951. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | $14,000,000,000.00 | 6.43% |
| 1952 | $14,923,023,817.74 | 6.59% |
| 1953 | $15,348,291,335.86 | 2.85% |
| 1954 | $15,125,992,405.94 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $14,942,354,159.48 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $15,212,978,943.73 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $16,058,681,394.55 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $16,590,265,792.20 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $17,276,492,923.71 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $17,271,660,338.28 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $17,469,796,341.04 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $17,832,240,248.53 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $17,933,724,542.63 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $18,199,516,741.46 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $18,499,137,038.32 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $18,764,929,237.14 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $19,296,513,634.79 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $19,915,084,570.25 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $20,678,633,068.69 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $21,741,801,864.00 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $22,882,292,026.23 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $23,152,916,810.49 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $23,882,637,210.91 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $26,559,889,540.90 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $29,053,503,624.44 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $31,943,389,713.50 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $34,195,374,525.37 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $35,799,792,889.20 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $40,903,003,106.66 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $48,185,709,354.50 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $54,018,639,972.39 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $56,246,461,857.09 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $57,589,920,607.53 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $60,146,358,301.69 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $61,736,278,909.22 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $59,334,483,948.91 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $61,127,373,144.63 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $63,012,081,463.58 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $66,167,759,751.47 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $69,888,850,535.04 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $71,812,219,537.45 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $73,382,809,803.24 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $75,596,133,931.65 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $77,881,946,841.56 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $80,670,348,636.52 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $82,946,496,375.56 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $83,666,551,605.11 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $82,086,296,168.45 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $83,739,040,386.61 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $88,919,571,971.00 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $89,451,156,368.66 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $88,644,114,601.31 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $91,369,692,785.64 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $94,583,362,098.72 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $100,851,225,405.59 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $104,881,601,656.89 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $107,098,743,527.79 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $113,401,063,168.80 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $103,950,314,118.05 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $112,152,274,767.00 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $123,153,220,573.01 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $126,036,196,064.89 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $126,079,206,075.25 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $125,225,384,880.91 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $115,440,752,502.59 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $113,020,787,021.06 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $116,889,658,267.17 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $122,165,923,369.00 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $121,820,731,791.51 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $116,755,795,650.67 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $133,760,358,992.06 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $154,447,400,759.41 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $154,823,520,883.67 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $156,973,151,536.07 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $158,099,561,301.66 | 0.72% |
| 2026 | $158,092,233,344.84 | 0.00%* |
* 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 | 2026 |
| CPI | 14.200 | 14.250 | 14.508 | 14.675 | 14.317 | 14.225 | 14.592 | 15.925 | 15.942 | 15.900 | 15.900 | 16.567 | 18.450 | 20.575 | 22.117 | 22.683 | 24.142 | 25.733 | 26.467 | 26.083 | 25.767 | 26.233 | 27.692 | 28.608 | 29.792 | 29.783 | 30.125 | 30.750 | 30.925 | 31.383 | 31.900 | 32.358 | 33.275 | 34.342 | 35.658 | 37.492 | 39.458 | 39.925 | 41.183 | 45.800 | 50.100 | 55.083 | 58.967 | 61.733 | 70.533 | 83.092 | 93.150 | 96.992 | 99.308 | 103.717 | 106.458 | 102.317 | 105.408 | 108.658 | 114.100 | 120.517 | 123.833 | 126.542 | 130.358 | 134.300 | 139.108 | 143.033 | 144.275 | 141.550 | 144.400 | 153.333 | 154.250 | 152.858 | 157.558 | 163.100 | 173.908 | 180.858 | 184.682 | 195.549 | 179.252 | 193.396 | 212.366 | 217.337 | 217.412 | 215.939 | 199.067 | 194.894 | 201.565 | 210.663 | 210.068 | 201.334 | 230.657 | 266.330 | 266.978 | 270.685 | 272.628 | 272.615 |