According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,801.43% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $737,667,652.57 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 $40,948,900 in the year 1940 would cost $778,616,552.57 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.74% 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 $40,948,900 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 | $40,948,900.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $42,503,921.52 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $46,132,305.06 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $45,844,338.12 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $45,786,744.73 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $45,786,744.73 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $48,551,227.43 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $53,140,977.55 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $59,254,737.37 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $63,684,998.11 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $65,324,194.58 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $69,510,790.98 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $74,096,110.84 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $76,222,635.99 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $75,115,070.81 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $74,206,867.36 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $75,535,945.58 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $79,744,693.28 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $82,380,698.42 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $85,791,999.19 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $85,769,847.88 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $86,744,505.25 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $88,560,912.15 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $89,048,240.83 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $90,377,319.05 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $91,861,456.40 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $93,168,383.32 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $95,826,539.76 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $98,883,419.67 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $102,693,443.90 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $107,965,454.18 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $113,636,187.93 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $114,965,266.15 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $118,598,079.95 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $131,888,862.17 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $144,271,440.93 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $158,625,485.72 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $169,811,894.08 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $177,764,212.11 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $203,105,303.53 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $239,278,382.45 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $268,252,287.68 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $279,305,788.22 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $285,973,330.63 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $298,666,027.64 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $306,551,891.76 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $294,634,490.37 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $303,539,314.45 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $312,909,315.91 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $328,570,287.62 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $347,044,474.90 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $356,591,686.79 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $364,388,945.69 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $375,398,143.62 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $386,739,611.11 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $400,584,175.92 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $411,881,340.80 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $415,469,852.00 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $407,628,290.49 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $415,824,272.86 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $441,541,936.44 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $444,200,092.88 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $440,190,706.91 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $453,725,153.47 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $469,674,092.12 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $500,796,673.81 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $520,821,452.34 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $531,822,011.27 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $563,117,373.12 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $516,187,621.12 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $556,916,337.16 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $611,543,888.71 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $625,859,833.25 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $626,073,593.33 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $621,833,612.30 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $573,246,056.73 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $561,229,195.99 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $580,440,800.17 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $606,641,362.17 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $604,927,072.78 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $579,776,039.55 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $664,215,923.16 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $766,941,929.48 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $768,809,505.89 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $779,483,997.63 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $778,616,552.57 | -0.11%* |
* 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 | 270.384 |