According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,787.97% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $7,151,887,521,968,367 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.48% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $400,000,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $7,551,887,521,968,367 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.73% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by -0.64%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for transportation during the 1940-2026 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 $400,000,000,000,000 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 | $400,000,000,000,000.00 | -0.64% |
| 1941 | $410,310,486,233,157.63 | 2.58% |
| 1942 | $447,803,163,444,639.75 | 9.14% |
| 1943 | $448,271,821,909,783.25 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | $447,100,175,746,924.50 | -0.26% |
| 1945 | $447,100,175,746,924.50 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $465,846,514,352,665.50 | 4.19% |
| 1947 | $518,804,920,913,884.00 | 11.37% |
| 1948 | $578,558,875,219,683.63 | 11.52% |
| 1949 | $621,909,783,245,459.88 | 7.49% |
| 1950 | $637,844,171,060,339.88 | 2.56% |
| 1951 | $678,851,786,760,398.38 | 6.43% |
| 1952 | $723,608,670,181,605.13 | 6.59% |
| 1953 | $744,229,642,647,920.50 | 2.85% |
| 1954 | $733,450,497,949,619.00 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $724,545,987,111,892.13 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $737,668,424,135,911.00 | 1.81% |
| 1957 | $778,676,039,835,969.50 | 5.56% |
| 1958 | $804,452,255,418,863.63 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $837,727,006,444,054.13 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $837,492,677,211,481.88 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $847,100,175,746,924.50 | 1.15% |
| 1962 | $864,674,868,189,806.75 | 2.07% |
| 1963 | $869,595,782,073,813.75 | 0.57% |
| 1964 | $882,483,889,865,260.75 | 1.48% |
| 1965 | $897,012,302,284,710.13 | 1.65% |
| 1966 | $909,900,410,076,157.13 | 1.44% |
| 1967 | $935,676,625,659,051.00 | 2.83% |
| 1968 | $965,670,767,428,236.75 | 3.21% |
| 1969 | $1,002,694,786,174,575.25 | 3.83% |
| 1970 | $1,054,247,217,340,363.25 | 5.14% |
| 1971 | $1,109,548,916,227,299.38 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $1,122,671,353,251,318.13 | 1.18% |
| 1973 | $1,158,055,067,369,654.25 | 3.15% |
| 1974 | $1,287,873,462,214,411.25 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $1,408,787,346,221,441.25 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $1,548,916,227,299,355.75 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $1,658,113,649,677,797.50 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $1,735,910,954,891,622.75 | 4.69% |
| 1979 | $1,983,362,624,487,404.75 | 14.25% |
| 1980 | $2,336,496,777,973,052.50 | 17.80% |
| 1981 | $2,619,332,161,687,170.50 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $2,727,357,937,902,754.00 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $2,792,501,464,557,704.00 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $2,916,461,628,588,166.50 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $2,993,555,946,104,276.00 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $2,877,094,317,516,110.00 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $2,964,030,462,800,234.00 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $3,055,418,863,503,222.50 | 3.08% |
| 1989 | $3,208,435,852,372,583.50 | 5.01% |
| 1990 | $3,388,869,361,452,841.00 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $3,482,132,396,016,403.00 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $3,558,289,396,602,226.50 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $3,665,612,185,120,093.50 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $3,776,449,912,126,537.50 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $3,911,657,879,320,445.00 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $4,022,026,947,861,746.00 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $4,056,942,003,514,938.00 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $3,980,316,344,463,971.00 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $4,060,456,942,003,515.00 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $4,311,657,879,320,445.50 | 6.19% |
| 2001 | $4,337,434,094,903,339.50 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $4,298,301,113,063,854.50 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $4,430,462,800,234,329.50 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $4,586,291,739,894,552.00 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $4,890,216,754,540,129.00 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $5,085,647,334,504,980.00 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $5,193,155,243,116,580.00 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $5,498,751,025,190,393.00 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $5,040,489,748,096,075.00 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $5,438,198,008,201,524.00 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $5,971,627,416,520,211.00 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $6,111,421,206,795,547.00 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $6,113,506,736,965,436.00 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $6,072,105,448,154,657.00 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $5,597,654,364,381,958.00 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $5,480,311,657,879,320.00 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $5,667,910,954,891,622.00 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $5,923,753,954,305,800.00 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $5,907,015,817,223,199.00 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $5,661,420,035,149,385.00 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $6,485,961,335,676,626.00 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $7,489,063,854,715,877.00 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $7,507,301,698,886,936.00 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $7,611,536,028,119,508.00 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $7,656,787,346,221,443.00 | 0.59% |
| 2026 | $7,551,887,521,968,367.00 | -1.37%* |
* 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 | 2026 |
| CPI | 14.200 | 14.250 | 14.508 | 14.675 | 14.317 | 14.225 | 14.592 | 15.925 | 15.942 | 15.900 | 15.900 | 16.567 | 18.450 | 20.575 | 22.117 | 22.683 | 24.142 | 25.733 | 26.467 | 26.083 | 25.767 | 26.233 | 27.692 | 28.608 | 29.792 | 29.783 | 30.125 | 30.750 | 30.925 | 31.383 | 31.900 | 32.358 | 33.275 | 34.342 | 35.658 | 37.492 | 39.458 | 39.925 | 41.183 | 45.800 | 50.100 | 55.083 | 58.967 | 61.733 | 70.533 | 83.092 | 93.150 | 96.992 | 99.308 | 103.717 | 106.458 | 102.317 | 105.408 | 108.658 | 114.100 | 120.517 | 123.833 | 126.542 | 130.358 | 134.300 | 139.108 | 143.033 | 144.275 | 141.550 | 144.400 | 153.333 | 154.250 | 152.858 | 157.558 | 163.100 | 173.908 | 180.858 | 184.682 | 195.549 | 179.252 | 193.396 | 212.366 | 217.337 | 217.412 | 215.939 | 199.067 | 194.894 | 201.565 | 210.663 | 210.068 | 201.334 | 230.657 | 266.330 | 266.978 | 270.685 | 272.295 | 268.564 |