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According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,802.22% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $486,598.10 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 $27,000 in the year 1940 would cost $513,598.10 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 $27,000 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 | $27,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $28,025.32 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $30,417.72 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $30,227.85 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $30,189.87 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $30,189.87 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $32,012.66 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $35,038.95 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $39,070.11 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $41,991.24 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $43,072.05 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $45,832.52 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $48,855.89 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $50,258.03 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $49,527.75 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $48,928.92 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $49,805.26 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $52,580.33 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $54,318.40 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $56,567.67 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $56,553.07 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $57,195.72 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $58,393.38 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $58,714.70 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $59,591.04 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $60,569.62 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $61,431.35 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $63,184.03 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $65,199.61 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $67,711.78 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $71,187.93 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $74,926.97 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $75,803.31 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $78,198.64 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $86,962.03 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $95,126.58 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $104,591.04 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $111,966.89 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $117,210.32 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $133,919.18 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $157,770.20 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $176,874.39 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $184,162.61 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $188,558.91 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $196,927.95 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $202,127.56 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $194,269.72 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $200,141.19 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $206,319.38 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $216,645.57 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $228,826.68 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $235,121.71 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $240,262.90 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $247,521.91 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $255,000.00 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $264,128.53 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $271,577.41 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $273,943.52 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $268,773.13 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $274,177.22 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $291,134.37 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $292,887.05 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $290,243.43 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $299,167.48 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $309,683.54 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $330,204.48 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $343,407.98 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $350,661.30 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $371,296.15 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $340,352.63 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $367,207.45 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $403,226.58 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $412,665.92 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $412,806.86 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $410,011.20 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $377,974.59 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $370,051.17 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $382,718.50 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $399,994.06 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $398,863.73 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $382,280.19 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $437,956.33 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $505,689.58 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $506,920.98 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $513,959.30 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $513,598.10 | -0.07%* |
* 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 | 270.495 |