According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $48,985,609,177.22 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 $2,700,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $51,685,609,177.22 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 $2,700,000,000 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 | $2,700,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $2,802,531,645.57 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $3,041,772,151.90 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $3,022,784,810.13 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $3,018,987,341.77 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $3,018,987,341.77 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $3,201,265,822.78 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $3,503,894,839.34 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $3,907,010,710.81 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $4,199,123,661.15 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $4,307,205,452.78 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $4,583,252,190.85 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $4,885,589,094.45 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $5,025,803,310.61 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $4,952,775,073.03 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $4,892,891,918.21 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $4,980,525,803.31 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $5,258,033,106.13 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $5,431,840,311.59 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $5,656,767,283.35 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $5,655,306,718.60 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $5,719,571,567.67 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $5,839,337,877.31 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $5,871,470,301.85 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $5,959,104,186.95 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $6,056,962,025.32 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $6,143,135,345.67 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $6,318,403,115.87 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $6,519,961,051.61 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $6,771,178,188.90 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $7,118,792,599.81 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $7,492,697,176.24 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $7,580,331,061.34 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $7,819,863,680.62 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $8,696,202,531.65 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $9,512,658,227.85 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $10,459,104,186.95 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $11,196,689,386.56 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $11,721,032,132.42 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $13,391,918,208.37 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $15,777,020,447.91 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $17,687,439,143.14 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $18,416,260,954.24 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $18,855,890,944.50 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $19,692,794,547.22 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $20,212,755,598.83 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $19,426,971,762.41 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $20,014,118,792.60 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $20,631,937,682.57 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $21,664,556,962.03 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $22,882,667,964.95 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $23,512,171,372.93 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $24,026,290,165.53 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $24,752,190,847.13 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $25,500,000,000.00 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $26,412,852,969.82 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $27,157,740,993.18 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $27,394,352,482.96 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $26,877,312,560.86 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $27,417,721,518.99 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $29,113,437,195.72 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $29,288,704,965.92 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $29,024,342,745.86 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $29,916,747,809.15 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $30,968,354,430.38 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $33,020,447,906.52 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $34,340,798,442.06 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $35,066,129,503.41 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $37,129,615,384.62 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $34,035,262,901.66 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $36,720,744,888.02 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $40,322,658,227.85 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $41,266,592,015.58 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $41,280,686,465.43 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $41,001,119,766.31 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $37,797,458,617.33 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $37,005,116,845.18 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $38,271,850,048.69 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $39,999,406,037.00 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $39,886,372,930.87 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $38,228,018,500.49 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $43,795,632,911.39 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $50,568,958,130.48 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $50,692,098,344.69 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $51,395,929,892.89 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $51,685,609,177.22 | 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 |