According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 626.04% higher in 2025 versus 1970 (a $26,544,290,993.02 difference in value).
Between 1970 and 2025: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.67% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $4,240,000,000 in the year 1970 would cost $30,784,290,993.02 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.92% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1970: Pricing changed by 5.13%, which is above the average yearly change for transportation during the 1970-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1970 (5.83%), inflation for transportation was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $4,240,000,000 beginning in 1970. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | $4,240,000,000.00 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $4,462,700,041.03 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $4,514,895,363.15 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $4,657,562,576.94 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $5,179,515,798.11 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $5,665,802,215.84 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $6,229,511,694.71 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $6,668,822,322.53 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $6,981,124,333.20 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $7,976,315,141.57 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $9,396,897,825.19 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $10,534,755,847.35 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $10,968,846,942.96 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $11,230,693,475.58 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $11,729,158,801.81 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $12,038,851,046.37 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $11,570,832,991.38 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $11,920,541,649.57 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $12,288,518,670.50 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $12,903,553,549.45 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $13,629,068,526.88 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $14,004,004,924.09 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $14,310,217,480.51 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $14,742,568,732.05 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $15,187,968,814.12 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $15,731,670,086.17 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $16,175,330,324.17 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $16,316,257,693.89 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $16,008,305,293.39 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $16,330,176,446.45 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $17,340,155,929.42 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $17,444,546,573.66 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $17,287,090,685.27 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $17,818,613,048.83 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $18,444,956,914.24 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $19,667,197,373.82 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $20,453,606,893.72 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $20,885,618,875.67 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $22,114,644,727.12 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $20,271,627,903.16 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $21,871,118,752.56 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $24,016,442,183.01 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $24,578,655,395.98 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $24,587,050,143.62 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $24,420,538,366.84 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $22,512,416,577.76 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $22,040,492,572.84 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $22,794,967,254.82 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $23,823,911,038.16 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $23,756,587,771.85 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $22,768,860,894.54 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $26,084,968,896.18 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $30,119,206,237.18 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $30,192,549,363.97 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $30,611,756,093.56 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $30,784,290,993.02 | 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 |