Transportation priced at $1 in 1978 $1.14 in 1979

Transportation Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Transportation, 1978-1979 ($1)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation were 14.26% higher in 1979 versus 1978 (a $0.14 difference in value).

Between 1978 and 1979: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 14.26% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $1 in the year 1978 would cost $1.14 in 1979 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 11.26% during this same period, inflation for transportation was higher.

In the year 1978: Pricing changed by 4.68%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for transportation during the 1978-1979 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1978 (7.63%), inflation for transportation was lower.

Price Inflation for Transportation since 1935

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1980 (17.81%), 2022 (15.47%), and 2021 (14.56%).

View price changes for other categories
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Buying power of $1.00 since 1978

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $1 beginning in 1978. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1978$1.004.68%
1979$1.1414.26%
1980$1.3517.81%
1981$1.5112.11%
1982$1.574.12%
1983$1.612.39%
1984$1.684.44%
1985$1.722.64%
1986$1.66-3.89%
1987$1.713.02%
1988$1.763.09%
1989$1.855.00%
1990$1.955.62%
1991$2.012.75%
1992$2.052.19%
1993$2.113.02%
1994$2.183.02%
1995$2.253.58%
1996$2.322.82%
1997$2.340.87%
1998$2.29-1.89%
1999$2.342.01%
2000$2.486.18%
2001$2.500.60%
2002$2.48-0.90%
2003$2.553.07%
2004$2.643.52%
2005$2.826.63%
2006$2.934.00%
2007$2.992.11%
2008$3.175.88%
2009$2.90-8.33%
2010$3.137.89%
2011$3.449.81%
2012$3.522.34%
2013$3.520.03%
2014$3.50-0.68%
2015$3.22-7.81%
2016$3.16-2.10%
2017$3.273.42%
2018$3.414.51%
2019$3.40-0.28%
2020$3.26-4.16%
2021$3.7414.56%
2022$4.3115.47%
2023$4.320.24%
2024$4.28-0.98%*

* 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:

Year193519361937193819391940194119421943194419451946194719481949195019511952195319541955195619571958195919601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI14.20014.26714.56014.62014.30014.22014.76016.02015.92015.90015.90016.86018.45420.57722.11522.68524.13825.73126.46926.08525.76926.23127.69228.60829.79229.78530.12330.75430.92331.38531.90032.35433.27734.33835.66237.49239.46239.92341.18545.80050.10055.08558.96961.73170.53183.09293.15496.99299.308103.715106.454102.315105.408108.662114.100120.515123.831126.538130.362134.300139.108143.031144.277141.554144.400153.331154.254152.862157.562163.100173.908180.862184.682195.549179.252193.396212.366217.337217.412215.939199.067194.894201.565210.664210.068201.334230.657266.330266.978264.374

Adjust transportation prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 1979 / CPI in 1978 * 1978 USD value = 1979 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Transportation was 61.731 in the year 1978 and 70.531 in 1979:

70.531 / 61.731 * $1 = $1.14

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $1 in 1978 has the same "purchasing power" as $1.14 in 1979 (in the CPI category of Transportation).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Transportation in 1935. In addition to transportation, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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