According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,801.43% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $1,080,860.76 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 $60,000 in the year 1940 would cost $1,140,860.76 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 $60,000 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 | $60,000.00 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $62,278.48 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $67,594.94 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $67,173.00 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $67,088.61 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $67,088.61 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $71,139.24 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $77,864.33 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $86,822.46 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $93,313.86 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $95,715.68 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $101,850.05 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $108,568.65 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $111,684.52 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $110,061.67 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $108,730.93 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $110,678.35 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $116,845.18 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $120,707.56 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $125,705.94 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $125,673.48 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $127,101.59 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $129,763.06 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $130,477.12 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $132,424.54 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $134,599.16 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $136,514.12 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $140,408.96 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $144,888.02 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $150,470.63 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $158,195.39 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $166,504.38 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $168,451.80 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $173,774.75 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $193,248.95 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $211,392.41 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $232,424.54 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $248,815.32 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $260,467.38 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $297,598.18 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $350,600.45 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $393,054.20 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $409,250.24 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $419,019.80 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $437,617.66 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $449,172.35 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $431,710.48 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $444,758.20 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $458,487.50 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $481,434.60 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $508,503.73 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $522,492.70 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $533,917.56 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $550,048.69 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $566,666.67 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $586,952.29 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $603,505.36 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $608,763.39 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $597,273.61 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $609,282.70 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $646,965.27 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $650,860.11 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $644,985.39 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $664,816.62 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $688,185.65 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $733,787.73 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $763,128.85 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $779,247.32 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $825,102.56 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $756,339.18 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $816,016.55 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $896,059.07 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $917,035.38 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $917,348.59 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $911,135.99 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $839,943.52 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $822,335.93 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $850,485.56 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $888,875.69 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $886,363.84 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $849,511.52 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $973,236.29 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $1,123,754.63 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $1,126,491.07 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $1,142,131.78 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $1,140,860.76 | -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 |