According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $21,589,953,674.40 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2025: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.53% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $1,190,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $22,779,953,674.40 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.75% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by -0.56%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for transportation during the 1940-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1940 (0.72%), inflation for transportation was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $1,190,000,000 beginning in 1940. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | $1,190,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $1,235,189,873.42 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $1,340,632,911.39 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $1,332,264,416.32 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $1,330,590,717.30 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $1,330,590,717.30 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $1,410,928,270.04 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $1,544,309,206.97 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $1,721,978,794.76 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $1,850,724,872.88 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $1,898,360,921.78 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $2,020,025,965.60 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $2,153,278,156.44 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $2,215,076,273.94 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $2,182,889,754.41 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $2,156,496,808.40 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $2,195,120,631.83 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $2,317,429,406.04 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $2,394,033,322.51 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $2,493,167,802.66 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $2,492,524,072.27 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $2,520,848,209.46 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $2,573,634,101.48 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $2,587,796,170.07 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $2,626,419,993.51 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $2,669,549,929.68 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $2,707,530,022.72 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $2,784,777,669.59 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $2,873,612,463.49 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $2,984,334,090.66 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $3,137,541,923.62 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $3,302,336,903.60 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $3,340,960,727.04 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $3,446,532,511.09 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $3,832,770,745.43 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $4,192,616,033.76 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $4,609,753,326.84 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $4,934,837,174.08 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $5,165,936,384.29 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $5,902,363,951.10 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $6,953,575,678.89 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $7,795,575,029.75 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $8,116,796,494.64 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $8,310,559,342.20 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $8,679,416,856.00 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $8,908,584,875.04 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $8,562,257,924.92 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $8,821,037,541.92 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $9,093,335,497.13 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $9,548,452,883.26 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $10,085,324,028.99 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $10,362,771,827.33 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $10,589,364,924.81 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $10,909,298,928.92 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $11,238,888,888.89 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $11,641,220,382.99 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $11,969,522,882.18 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $12,073,807,205.45 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $11,845,926,647.19 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $12,084,106,891.70 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $12,831,477,875.15 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $12,908,725,522.02 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $12,792,210,321.32 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $13,185,529,589.96 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $13,649,015,471.17 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $14,553,456,669.91 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $15,135,388,942.98 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $15,455,071,892.24 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $16,364,534,188.03 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $15,000,726,982.58 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $16,184,328,302.50 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $17,771,838,255.98 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $18,187,868,332.79 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $18,194,080,331.06 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $18,070,863,897.00 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $16,658,879,909.12 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $16,309,662,609.54 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $16,867,963,539.98 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $17,629,367,845.94 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $17,579,549,551.01 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $16,848,645,190.96 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $19,302,519,690.58 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $22,287,800,064.91 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $22,342,072,974.14 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $22,652,280,212.05 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $22,779,953,674.40 | 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 |