According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,816.98% higher in 2025 versus 1935 (a $81,764,009,683.10 difference in value).
Between 1935 and 2025: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.34% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $4,500,000,000 in the year 1935 would cost $86,264,009,683.10 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.56% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $4,500,000,000 beginning in 1935. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1935 | $4,500,000,000.00 | - |
| 1936 | $4,521,126,760.56 | 0.47% |
| 1937 | $4,614,084,507.04 | 2.06% |
| 1938 | $4,633,098,591.55 | 0.41% |
| 1939 | $4,531,690,140.85 | -2.19% |
| 1940 | $4,506,338,028.17 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $4,677,464,788.73 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $5,076,760,563.38 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $5,045,070,422.54 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $5,038,732,394.37 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $5,038,732,394.37 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $5,342,957,746.48 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $5,848,049,837.49 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $6,520,855,904.66 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $7,008,396,533.04 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $7,188,786,565.55 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $7,649,512,459.37 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $8,154,117,009.75 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $8,388,136,511.38 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $8,266,251,354.28 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $8,166,305,525.46 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $8,312,567,713.98 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $8,775,731,310.94 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $9,065,817,984.83 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $9,441,224,268.69 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $9,438,786,565.55 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $9,546,045,503.79 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $9,745,937,161.43 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $9,799,566,630.55 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $9,945,828,819.07 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $10,109,154,929.58 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $10,252,979,414.95 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $10,545,503,791.98 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $10,881,906,825.57 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $11,301,191,765.98 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $11,881,365,113.76 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $12,505,417,118.09 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $12,651,679,306.61 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $13,051,462,621.89 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $14,514,084,507.04 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $15,876,760,563.38 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $17,456,392,199.35 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $18,687,432,286.02 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $19,562,567,713.98 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $22,351,300,108.34 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $26,332,069,339.11 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $29,520,585,048.75 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $30,736,998,916.58 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $31,470,747,562.30 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $32,867,551,462.62 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $33,735,373,781.15 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $32,423,889,490.79 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $33,403,846,153.85 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $34,434,994,582.88 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $36,158,450,704.23 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $38,191,495,124.59 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $39,242,145,178.76 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $40,100,216,684.72 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $41,311,755,146.26 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $42,559,859,154.93 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $44,083,423,618.63 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $45,326,652,221.02 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $45,721,560,130.01 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $44,858,613,217.77 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $45,760,563,380.28 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $48,590,736,728.06 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $48,883,261,105.09 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $48,442,036,836.40 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $49,931,473,456.12 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $51,686,619,718.31 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $55,111,592,632.72 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $57,315,276,273.02 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $58,525,864,030.34 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $61,969,851,029.25 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $56,805,333,152.76 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $61,287,440,411.70 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $67,299,084,507.04 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $68,874,523,293.61 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $68,898,047,128.93 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $68,431,446,370.53 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $63,084,490,790.90 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $61,762,061,213.43 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $63,876,256,771.40 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $66,759,572,047.67 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $66,570,918,201.52 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $63,803,101,300.11 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $73,095,528,169.01 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $84,400,303,358.61 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $84,605,826,110.51 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $85,780,530,877.57 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $86,264,009,683.10 | 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 |