According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 155.71% higher in 2025 versus 1985 (a $18,684,945,805.33 difference in value).
Between 1985 and 2025: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 2.37% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $12,000,000,000 in the year 1985 would cost $30,684,945,805.33 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.77% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1985: Pricing changed by 2.64%, which is above the average yearly change for transportation during the 1985-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1985 (3.55%), inflation for transportation was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $12,000,000,000 beginning in 1985. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | $12,000,000,000.00 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $11,533,492,304.36 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $11,882,072,404.08 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $12,248,861,911.99 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $12,861,911,987.86 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $13,585,085,627.57 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $13,958,812,052.89 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $14,264,036,418.82 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $14,694,992,412.75 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $15,138,955,126.82 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $15,680,901,799.26 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $16,123,130,283.98 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $16,263,602,861.48 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $15,956,644,266.20 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $16,277,476,696.29 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $17,284,196,835.03 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $17,388,250,596.14 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $17,231,302,839.80 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $17,761,109,906.79 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $18,385,432,473.44 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $19,603,728,593.11 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $20,387,600,260.13 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $20,818,218,079.34 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $22,043,277,693.47 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $20,206,208,541.08 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $21,800,537,611.10 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $23,938,937,784.52 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $24,499,336,657.27 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $24,507,704,313.90 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $24,341,729,893.78 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $22,439,765,879.04 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $21,969,364,838.50 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $22,721,404,725.77 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $23,747,027,964.45 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $23,679,921,959.68 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $22,695,382,614.35 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $26,000,789,074.36 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $30,022,007,370.47 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $30,095,113,808.80 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $30,512,967,699.98 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $30,684,945,805.33 | 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 |