According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $54,428,454,641.35 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 $3,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $57,428,454,641.35 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 $3,000,000,000 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 | $3,000,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $3,113,924,050.63 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $3,379,746,835.44 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $3,358,649,789.03 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $3,354,430,379.75 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $3,354,430,379.75 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $3,556,962,025.32 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $3,893,216,488.15 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $4,341,123,012.01 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $4,665,692,956.83 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $4,785,783,836.42 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $5,092,502,434.27 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $5,428,432,327.17 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $5,584,225,900.68 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $5,503,083,414.48 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $5,436,546,575.79 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $5,533,917,559.23 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $5,842,259,006.82 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $6,035,378,123.99 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $6,285,296,981.50 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $6,283,674,131.78 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $6,355,079,519.64 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $6,488,153,197.01 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $6,523,855,890.94 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $6,621,226,874.39 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $6,729,957,805.91 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $6,825,705,939.63 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $7,020,447,906.52 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $7,244,401,168.45 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $7,523,531,321.00 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $7,909,769,555.34 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $8,325,219,084.71 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $8,422,590,068.16 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $8,688,737,422.91 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $9,662,447,257.38 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $10,569,620,253.16 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $11,621,226,874.39 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $12,440,765,985.07 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $13,023,369,036.03 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $14,879,909,120.42 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $17,530,022,719.90 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $19,652,710,159.04 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $20,462,512,171.37 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $20,950,989,938.33 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $21,880,882,830.25 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $22,458,617,332.04 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $21,585,524,180.46 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $22,237,909,769.56 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $22,924,375,202.86 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $24,071,729,957.81 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $25,425,186,627.72 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $26,124,634,858.81 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $26,695,877,961.70 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $27,502,434,274.59 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $28,333,333,333.33 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $29,347,614,410.91 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $30,175,267,770.20 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $30,438,169,425.51 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $29,863,680,623.17 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $30,464,135,021.10 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $32,348,263,550.80 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $32,543,005,517.69 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $32,249,269,717.62 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $33,240,830,899.06 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $34,409,282,700.42 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $36,689,386,562.80 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $38,156,442,713.40 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $38,962,366,114.90 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $41,255,128,205.13 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $37,816,958,779.62 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $40,800,827,653.36 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $44,802,953,586.50 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $45,851,768,906.20 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $45,867,429,406.04 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $45,556,799,740.34 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $41,997,176,241.48 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $41,116,796,494.64 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $42,524,277,831.87 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $44,443,784,485.56 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $44,318,192,145.41 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $42,475,576,111.65 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $48,661,814,345.99 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $56,187,731,256.09 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $56,324,553,716.33 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $57,106,588,769.88 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $57,428,454,641.35 | 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 |