According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $48,078,468,266.53 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 $2,650,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $50,728,468,266.53 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 $2,650,000,000 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 | $2,650,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $2,750,632,911.39 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $2,985,443,037.97 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $2,966,807,313.64 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $2,963,080,168.78 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $2,963,080,168.78 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $3,141,983,122.36 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $3,439,007,897.87 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $3,834,658,660.61 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $4,121,362,111.87 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $4,227,442,388.83 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $4,498,377,150.28 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $4,795,115,222.33 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $4,932,732,878.94 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $4,861,057,016.12 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $4,802,282,808.61 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $4,888,293,843.99 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $5,160,662,122.69 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $5,331,250,676.19 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $5,552,012,333.66 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $5,550,578,816.40 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $5,613,653,575.68 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $5,731,201,990.70 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $5,762,739,370.33 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $5,848,750,405.71 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $5,944,796,061.88 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $6,029,373,580.01 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $6,201,395,650.76 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $6,399,221,032.13 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $6,645,786,000.22 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $6,986,963,107.22 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $7,353,943,524.83 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $7,439,954,560.21 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $7,675,051,390.24 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $8,535,161,744.02 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $9,336,497,890.30 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $10,265,417,072.38 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $10,989,343,286.81 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $11,503,975,981.82 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $13,143,919,723.03 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $15,484,853,402.57 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $17,359,893,973.82 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $18,075,219,084.71 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $18,506,707,778.86 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $19,328,113,166.72 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $19,838,445,309.96 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $19,067,213,026.07 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $19,643,486,963.11 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $20,249,864,762.52 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $21,263,361,462.73 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $22,458,914,854.48 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $23,076,760,791.95 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $23,581,358,866.17 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $24,293,816,942.55 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $25,027,777,777.78 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $25,923,726,062.97 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $26,654,819,863.68 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $26,887,049,659.20 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $26,379,584,550.47 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $26,909,985,935.30 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $28,574,299,469.87 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $28,746,321,540.63 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $28,486,854,917.23 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $29,362,733,960.84 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $30,394,866,385.37 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $32,408,958,130.48 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $33,704,857,730.17 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $34,416,756,734.83 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $36,442,029,914.53 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $33,404,980,255.33 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $36,040,731,093.80 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $39,575,942,334.74 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $40,502,395,867.14 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $40,516,229,308.67 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $40,241,839,770.64 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $37,097,505,679.97 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $36,319,836,903.60 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $37,563,112,084.82 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $39,258,676,295.58 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $39,147,736,395.11 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $37,520,092,231.96 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $42,984,602,672.29 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $49,632,495,942.88 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $49,753,355,782.75 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $50,444,153,413.39 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $50,728,468,266.53 | 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 |