According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,814.28% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $145,142,545,710.27 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 $8,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $153,142,545,710.27 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 $8,000,000,000 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 | $8,000,000,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $8,303,797,468.35 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $9,012,658,227.85 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $8,956,399,437.41 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $8,945,147,679.32 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $8,945,147,679.32 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $9,485,232,067.51 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $10,381,910,635.08 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $11,576,328,032.02 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $12,441,847,884.89 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $12,762,090,230.44 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $13,580,006,491.40 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $14,475,819,539.11 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $14,891,269,068.48 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $14,674,889,105.27 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $14,497,457,535.43 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $14,757,113,491.29 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $15,579,357,351.51 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $16,094,341,663.96 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $16,760,791,950.67 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $16,756,464,351.40 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $16,946,878,719.03 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $17,301,741,858.70 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $17,396,949,042.52 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $17,656,604,998.38 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $17,946,554,149.09 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $18,201,882,505.68 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $18,721,194,417.40 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $19,318,403,115.87 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $20,062,750,189.33 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $21,092,718,814.24 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $22,200,584,225.90 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $22,460,240,181.76 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $23,169,966,461.11 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $25,766,526,019.69 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $28,185,654,008.44 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $30,989,938,331.71 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $33,175,375,960.19 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $34,728,984,096.07 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $39,679,757,654.44 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $46,746,727,253.06 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $52,407,227,090.77 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $54,566,699,123.66 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $55,869,306,502.22 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $58,349,020,880.67 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $59,889,646,218.76 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $57,561,397,814.56 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $59,301,092,718.81 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $61,131,667,207.62 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $64,191,279,887.48 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $67,800,497,673.92 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $69,665,692,956.83 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $71,189,007,897.87 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $73,339,824,732.23 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $75,555,555,555.56 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $78,260,305,095.75 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $80,467,380,720.55 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $81,168,451,801.36 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $79,636,481,661.80 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $81,237,693,389.59 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $86,262,036,135.45 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $86,781,348,047.17 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $85,998,052,580.33 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $88,642,215,730.82 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $91,758,087,201.13 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $97,838,364,167.48 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $101,750,513,902.41 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $103,899,642,973.06 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $110,013,675,213.68 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $100,845,223,412.31 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $108,802,207,075.62 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $119,474,542,897.33 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $122,271,383,749.86 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $122,313,145,082.77 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $121,484,799,307.58 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $111,992,469,977.28 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $109,644,790,652.39 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $113,398,074,218.33 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $118,516,758,628.15 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $118,181,845,721.09 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $113,268,202,964.41 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $129,764,838,255.98 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $149,833,950,016.23 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $150,198,809,910.20 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $152,284,236,719.68 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $153,142,545,710.27 | 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 |