According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $723,789.59 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 $39,894 in the year 1940 would cost $763,683.59 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 $39,894 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 | $39,894.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $41,408.96 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $44,943.87 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $44,663.32 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $44,607.22 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $44,607.22 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $47,300.48 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $51,771.99 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $57,728.25 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $62,044.38 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $63,641.35 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $67,720.10 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $72,187.29 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $74,259.04 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $73,180.00 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $72,295.20 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $73,590.04 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $77,690.36 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $80,258.46 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $83,581.88 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $83,560.30 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $84,509.85 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $86,279.46 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $86,754.24 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $88,049.07 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $89,494.98 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $90,768.24 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $93,357.92 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $96,336.05 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $100,047.92 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $105,184.12 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $110,708.76 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $112,003.60 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $115,542.83 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $128,491.22 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $140,554.81 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $154,539.07 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $165,437.31 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $173,184.76 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $197,873.03 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $233,114.24 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $261,341.74 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $272,110.49 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $278,606.26 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $290,971.98 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $298,654.69 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $287,044.30 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $295,719.72 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $304,848.34 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $320,105.86 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $338,104.13 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $347,405.39 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $355,001.79 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $365,727.37 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $376,776.67 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $390,264.58 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $401,270.71 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $404,766.78 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $397,127.22 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $405,112.07 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $430,167.21 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $432,756.89 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $428,850.79 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $442,036.57 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $457,574.64 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $487,895.46 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $507,404.38 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $518,121.54 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $548,610.69 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $502,889.92 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $542,569.41 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $595,789.68 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $609,736.82 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $609,945.08 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $605,814.32 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $558,478.45 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $546,771.16 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $565,487.85 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $591,013.45 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $589,343.32 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $564,840.21 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $647,104.81 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $747,184.45 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $749,003.92 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $759,403.42 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $763,683.59 | 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 |