According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $2,169,881,058.37 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 $119,600,000 in the year 1940 would cost $2,289,481,058.37 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 $119,600,000 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 | $119,600,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $124,141,772.15 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $134,739,240.51 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $133,898,171.59 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $133,729,957.81 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $133,729,957.81 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $141,804,219.41 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $155,209,563.99 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $173,066,104.08 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $186,005,625.88 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $190,793,248.95 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $203,021,097.05 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $216,413,502.11 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $222,624,472.57 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $219,389,592.12 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $216,736,990.15 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $220,618,846.69 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $232,911,392.41 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $240,610,407.88 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $250,573,839.66 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $250,509,142.05 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $253,355,836.85 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $258,661,040.79 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $260,084,388.19 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $263,966,244.73 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $268,300,984.53 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $272,118,143.46 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $279,881,856.54 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $288,810,126.58 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $299,938,115.33 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $315,336,146.27 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $331,898,734.18 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $335,780,590.72 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $346,390,998.59 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $385,209,563.99 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $421,375,527.43 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $463,299,578.06 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $495,971,870.60 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $519,198,312.24 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $593,212,376.93 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $698,863,572.43 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $783,488,045.01 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $815,772,151.90 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $835,246,132.21 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $872,317,862.17 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $895,350,210.97 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $860,542,897.33 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $886,551,336.15 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $913,918,424.75 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $959,659,634.32 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $1,013,617,440.23 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $1,041,502,109.70 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $1,064,275,668.07 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $1,096,430,379.75 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $1,129,555,555.56 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $1,169,991,561.18 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $1,202,987,341.77 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $1,213,468,354.43 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $1,190,565,400.84 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $1,214,503,516.17 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $1,289,617,440.23 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $1,297,381,153.31 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $1,285,670,886.08 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $1,325,201,125.18 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $1,371,783,403.66 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $1,462,683,544.30 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $1,521,170,182.84 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $1,553,299,662.45 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $1,644,704,444.44 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $1,507,636,090.01 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $1,626,592,995.78 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $1,786,144,416.32 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $1,827,957,187.06 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $1,828,581,518.99 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $1,816,197,749.65 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $1,674,287,426.16 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $1,639,189,620.25 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $1,695,301,209.56 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $1,771,825,541.49 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $1,766,818,593.53 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $1,693,359,634.32 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $1,939,984,331.93 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $2,240,017,552.74 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $2,245,472,208.16 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $2,276,649,338.96 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $2,289,481,058.37 | 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 |