According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 923.75% higher in 2026 versus 1956 (a $4,618,754,764,930.12 difference in value).
Between 1956 and 2026:Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.38% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $500,000,000,000 in the year 1956 would cost $5,118,754,764,930.12 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.61% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1956: Pricing changed by 1.81%, which is below the average yearly change for transportation during the 1956-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1956 (1.53%), inflation for transportation was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $500,000,000,000 beginning in 1956. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | $500,000,000,000.00 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $527,795,425,667.09 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $545,266,836,086.40 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $567,820,838,627.70 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $567,662,007,623.89 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $574,174,078,780.18 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $586,086,404,066.07 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $589,421,855,146.12 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $598,157,560,355.78 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $608,005,082,592.12 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $616,740,787,801.78 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $634,212,198,221.09 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $654,542,566,709.02 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $679,637,865,311.31 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $714,580,686,149.94 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $752,064,803,049.56 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $760,959,339,263.02 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $784,942,820,838.63 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $872,935,196,950.44 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $954,891,994,917.41 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $1,049,872,935,196.95 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $1,123,888,182,973.32 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $1,176,620,076,238.88 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $1,344,345,616,264.29 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $1,583,703,939,008.89 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $1,775,412,960,609.91 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $1,848,634,053,367.22 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $1,892,789,072,426.94 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $1,976,810,673,443.46 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $2,029,066,073,697.59 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $1,950,127,064,803.05 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $2,009,053,367,217.28 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $2,070,997,458,703.94 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $2,174,714,104,193.14 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $2,297,013,977,128.34 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $2,360,228,716,645.49 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $2,411,848,792,884.37 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $2,484,593,392,630.24 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $2,559,720,457,433.29 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $2,651,365,946,632.78 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $2,726,175,349,428.21 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $2,749,841,168,996.19 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $2,697,903,430,749.68 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $2,752,223,634,053.37 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $2,922,490,470,139.77 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $2,939,961,880,559.09 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $2,913,437,102,922.49 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $3,003,017,789,072.43 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $3,108,640,406,607.37 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $3,314,644,218,551.46 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $3,447,109,275,730.62 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $3,519,979,351,969.50 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $3,727,115,628,970.78 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $3,416,500,952,986.02 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $3,686,072,109,275.73 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $4,047,636,594,663.28 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $4,142,390,406,607.37 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $4,143,804,002,541.30 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $4,115,741,740,787.80 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $3,794,153,430,749.68 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $3,714,617,217,280.81 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $3,841,774,142,312.58 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $4,015,187,420,584.50 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $4,003,842,121,982.21 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $3,837,374,523,506.99 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $4,396,257,941,550.19 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $5,076,172,172,808.13 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $5,088,533,989,834.82 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $5,159,185,196,950.44 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $5,189,857,052,096.57 | 0.59% |
| 2026 | $5,118,754,764,930.12 | -1.37%* |
* 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 | 272.295 | 268.564 |