According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,801.43% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $9,007,173 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 $500,000 in the year 1940 would cost $9,507,173 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 $500,000 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 | $500,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $518,987.34 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $563,291.14 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $559,774.96 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $559,071.73 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $559,071.73 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $592,827.00 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $648,869.41 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $723,520.50 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $777,615.49 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $797,630.64 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $848,750.41 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $904,738.72 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $930,704.32 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $917,180.57 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $906,091.10 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $922,319.59 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $973,709.83 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $1,005,896.35 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $1,047,549.50 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $1,047,279.02 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $1,059,179.92 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $1,081,358.87 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $1,087,309.32 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $1,103,537.81 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $1,121,659.63 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $1,137,617.66 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $1,170,074.65 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $1,207,400.19 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $1,253,921.89 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $1,318,294.93 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $1,387,536.51 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $1,403,765.01 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $1,448,122.90 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $1,610,407.88 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $1,761,603.38 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $1,936,871.15 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $2,073,461.00 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $2,170,561.51 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $2,479,984.85 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $2,921,670.45 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $3,275,451.69 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $3,410,418.70 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $3,491,831.66 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $3,646,813.81 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $3,743,102.89 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $3,597,587.36 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $3,706,318.29 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $3,820,729.20 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $4,011,954.99 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $4,237,531.10 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $4,354,105.81 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $4,449,312.99 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $4,583,739.05 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $4,722,222.22 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $4,891,269.07 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $5,029,211.30 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $5,073,028.24 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $4,977,280.10 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $5,077,355.84 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $5,391,377.26 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $5,423,834.25 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $5,374,878.29 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $5,540,138.48 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $5,734,880.45 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $6,114,897.76 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $6,359,407.12 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $6,493,727.69 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $6,875,854.70 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $6,302,826.46 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $6,800,137.94 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $7,467,158.93 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $7,641,961.48 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $7,644,571.57 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $7,592,799.96 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $6,999,529.37 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $6,852,799.42 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $7,087,379.64 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $7,407,297.41 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $7,386,365.36 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $7,079,262.69 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $8,110,302.39 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $9,364,621.88 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $9,387,425.62 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $9,517,764.79 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $9,507,173.00 | -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 |