According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 616.33% higher in 2026 versus 1970 (a $4,277,329,166,481.44 difference in value).
Between 1970 and 2026:Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.58% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $694,000,000,000 in the year 1970 would cost $4,971,329,166,481.44 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.87% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1970: Pricing changed by 5.14%, which is above the average yearly change for transportation during the 1970-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1970 (5.84%), inflation for transportation was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $694,000,000,000 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 | $694,000,000,000.00 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $730,404,534,340.96 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $739,042,898,421.87 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $762,335,630,140.03 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $847,793,731,940.43 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $927,390,086,685.93 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $1,019,635,474,549.90 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $1,091,519,004,223.16 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $1,142,732,162,702.82 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $1,305,627,028,228.50 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $1,538,091,575,905.76 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $1,724,279,173,149.59 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $1,795,391,420,315.63 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $1,838,274,727,717.27 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $1,919,876,416,981.55 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $1,970,626,805,956.88 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $1,893,961,324,738.83 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $1,951,190,486,774.84 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $2,011,350,522,338.30 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $2,112,080,017,781.73 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $2,230,857,523,894.20 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $2,292,251,611,469.22 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $2,342,384,974,438.76 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $2,413,034,452,100.47 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $2,485,997,777,283.84 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $2,575,003,778,617.47 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $2,647,658,590,797.96 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $2,670,642,809,513.23 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $2,620,200,933,540.79 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $2,672,956,657,034.90 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $2,838,319,626,583.69 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $2,855,287,841,742.61 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $2,829,527,006,001.33 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $2,916,527,672,816.18 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $3,019,108,246,276.95 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $3,219,178,928,650.81 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $3,347,828,850,855.75 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $3,418,600,191,153.59 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $3,619,770,722,382.75 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $3,318,102,080,462.33 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $3,579,909,299,844.41 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $3,931,060,342,298.29 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $4,023,085,143,365.19 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $4,024,458,026,228.05 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $3,997,203,987,552.79 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $3,684,877,763,947.54 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $3,607,632,278,284.06 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $3,731,126,948,210.71 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $3,899,545,739,053.12 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $3,888,527,197,154.92 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $3,726,854,043,120.69 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $4,269,641,022,449.43 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $4,929,972,998,444.10 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $4,941,978,781,951.55 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $5,010,595,158,924.21 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $5,040,383,631,918.21 | 0.59% |
| 2026 | $4,971,329,166,481.44 | -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 |