According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 626.04% higher in 2025 versus 1970 (a $83,263,931,652.65 difference in value).
Between 1970 and 2025: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.67% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $13,300,000,000 in the year 1970 would cost $96,563,931,652.65 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.92% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1970: Pricing changed by 5.13%, which is above the average yearly change for transportation during the 1970-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1970 (5.83%), inflation for transportation was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $13,300,000,000 beginning in 1970. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | $13,300,000,000.00 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $13,998,563,807.96 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $14,162,289,700.45 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $14,609,807,139.93 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $16,247,066,064.83 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $17,772,445,629.87 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $19,540,685,268.77 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $20,918,711,530.57 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $21,898,338,120.64 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $25,020,045,137.46 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $29,476,118,178.09 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $33,045,342,634.39 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $34,406,996,306.93 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $35,228,354,534.26 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $36,791,936,807.55 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $37,763,377,103.00 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $36,295,301,600.33 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $37,392,265,080.02 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $38,546,532,622.08 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $40,475,769,388.59 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $42,751,559,294.21 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $43,927,656,955.27 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $44,888,182,191.22 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $46,244,378,334.02 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $47,641,505,949.94 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $49,346,983,996.72 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $50,738,654,082.89 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $51,180,713,992.61 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $50,214,731,226.92 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $51,224,374,230.61 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $54,392,470,250.31 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $54,719,922,035.29 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $54,226,015,592.94 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $55,893,290,931.47 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $57,858,001,641.36 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $61,691,916,290.52 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $64,158,719,737.38 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $65,513,851,661.88 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $69,369,050,677.06 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $63,587,889,413.21 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $68,605,160,238.00 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $75,334,594,583.50 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $77,098,140,746.82 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $77,124,473,327.86 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $76,602,160,443.17 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $70,616,778,416.09 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $69,136,450,759.13 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $71,503,081,247.44 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $74,730,664,341.40 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $74,519,485,227.74 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $71,421,191,013.54 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $81,823,133,565.86 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $94,477,698,810.01 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $94,707,760,976.61 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $96,022,725,482.15 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $96,563,931,652.65 | 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 |