According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $130,283,577,593.18 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 $7,181,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $137,464,577,593.18 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 $7,181,000,000 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 | $7,181,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $7,453,696,202.53 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $8,089,987,341.77 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $8,039,488,045.01 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $8,029,388,185.65 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $8,029,388,185.65 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $8,514,181,434.60 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $9,319,062,533.81 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $10,391,201,449.75 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $11,168,113,707.67 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $11,455,571,243.10 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $12,189,753,326.84 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $12,993,857,513.79 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $13,366,775,397.60 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $13,172,547,333.12 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $13,013,280,320.24 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $13,246,353,997.62 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $13,984,420,642.65 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $14,446,683,436.11 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $15,044,905,874.72 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $15,041,021,313.43 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $15,211,942,010.17 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $15,530,476,035.92 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $15,615,936,384.29 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $15,849,010,061.67 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $16,109,275,668.07 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $16,338,464,784.16 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $16,804,612,138.92 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $17,340,681,596.88 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $18,008,826,138.70 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $18,933,351,725.63 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $19,927,799,415.77 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $20,160,873,093.15 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $20,797,941,144.65 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $23,128,677,918.42 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $25,300,147,679.32 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $27,817,343,395.00 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $29,779,046,846.26 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $31,173,604,349.24 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $35,617,542,464.57 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $41,961,031,050.52 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $47,042,037,217.35 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $48,980,433,300.88 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $50,149,686,249.05 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $52,375,539,868.01 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $53,758,443,687.11 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $51,668,549,713.30 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $53,230,143,351.73 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $54,873,312,777.24 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $57,619,697,609.00 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $60,859,421,724.55 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $62,533,667,640.38 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $63,901,033,214.32 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $65,831,660,175.27 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $67,820,555,555.56 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $70,248,406,361.57 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $72,229,532,619.28 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $72,858,831,548.20 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $71,483,696,851.67 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $72,920,984,528.83 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $77,430,960,186.09 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $77,897,107,540.84 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $77,194,001,947.42 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $79,567,468,895.38 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $82,364,353,023.91 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $87,822,161,635.83 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $91,333,805,041.65 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $93,262,917,023.69 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $98,751,025,213.68 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $90,521,193,665.48 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $97,663,581,126.26 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $107,243,336,568.21 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $109,753,850,838.47 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $109,791,336,854.92 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $109,047,792,978.47 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $100,527,240,863.36 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $98,419,905,209.35 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $101,788,946,370.23 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $106,383,605,463.59 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $106,082,979,265.39 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $101,672,370,685.92 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $116,480,162,939.52 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $134,494,699,383.32 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $134,822,206,745.65 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $136,694,137,985.50 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $137,464,577,593.18 | 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 |