According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,612.02% higher in 2025 versus 1945 (a $282,103,164,308.18 difference in value).
Between 1945 and 2025: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.61% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $17,500,000,000 in the year 1945 would cost $299,603,164,308.18 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.67% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1945: Pricing changed by 0%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for transportation during the 1945-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1945 (2.27%), inflation for transportation was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $17,500,000,000 beginning in 1945. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1945 | $17,500,000,000.00 | - |
| 1946 | $18,556,603,773.58 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $20,310,836,961.78 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $22,647,556,845.67 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $24,340,832,123.85 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $24,967,343,976.78 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $26,567,489,114.66 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $28,320,029,027.58 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $29,132,801,161.10 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $28,709,482,341.56 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $28,362,360,909.53 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $28,870,343,492.99 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $30,478,955,007.26 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $31,486,453,797.77 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $32,790,275,761.97 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $32,781,809,385.58 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $33,154,329,946.78 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $33,848,572,810.84 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $34,034,833,091.44 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $34,542,815,674.89 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $35,110,062,893.08 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $35,609,579,100.15 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $36,625,544,267.05 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $37,793,904,209.00 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $39,250,120,948.23 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $41,265,118,529.27 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $43,432,510,885.34 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $43,940,493,468.80 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $45,328,979,196.90 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $50,408,805,031.45 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $55,141,509,433.96 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $60,627,721,335.27 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $64,903,241,412.68 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $67,942,670,537.01 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $77,628,205,128.21 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $91,453,797,774.55 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $102,527,818,093.86 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $106,752,539,912.92 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $109,300,919,206.58 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $114,152,152,878.57 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $117,166,182,873.73 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $112,611,272,375.42 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $116,014,755,684.57 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $119,596,032,897.92 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $125,581,761,006.29 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $132,642,718,916.30 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $136,291,727,140.78 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $139,271,891,630.38 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $143,479,680,696.66 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $147,814,465,408.81 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $153,105,950,653.12 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $157,423,802,612.48 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $158,795,355,587.81 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $155,798,258,345.43 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $158,930,817,610.06 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $168,760,280,599.90 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $169,776,245,766.81 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $168,243,831,640.06 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $173,416,787,614.90 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $179,512,578,616.35 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $191,407,837,445.57 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $199,061,441,702.95 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $203,265,928,882.44 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $215,227,225,447.51 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $197,290,360,425.74 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $212,857,148,040.64 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $233,736,163,522.01 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $239,207,813,255.93 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $239,289,513,788.10 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $237,668,964,683.12 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $219,098,476,052.25 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $214,505,551,523.95 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $221,848,355,104.02 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $231,862,385,099.18 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $231,207,172,230.29 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $221,594,279,148.52 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $253,867,767,295.60 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $293,130,333,817.13 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $293,844,134,010.64 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $297,923,996,129.66 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $299,603,164,308.18 | 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 |