According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 621.17% higher in 2025 versus 1970 (a $59,011,333,606.89 difference in value).
Between 1970 and 2025: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.66% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $9,500,000,000 in the year 1970 would cost $68,511,333,606.89 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.90% 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 $9,500,000,000 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 | $9,500,000,000.00 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $9,998,974,148.54 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $10,115,921,214.61 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $10,435,576,528.52 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $11,605,047,189.17 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $12,694,604,021.34 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $13,957,632,334.84 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $14,941,936,807.55 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $15,641,670,086.17 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $17,871,460,812.47 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $21,054,370,127.21 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $23,603,816,167.42 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $24,576,425,933.52 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $25,163,110,381.62 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $26,279,954,862.54 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $26,973,840,787.85 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $25,925,215,428.81 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $26,708,760,771.44 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $27,533,237,587.20 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $28,911,263,848.99 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $30,536,828,067.30 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $31,376,897,825.19 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $32,062,987,279.44 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $33,031,698,810.01 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $34,029,647,107.10 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $35,247,845,711.94 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $36,241,895,773.49 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $36,557,652,851.87 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $35,867,665,162.08 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $36,588,838,736.15 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $38,851,764,464.51 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $39,085,658,596.64 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $38,732,868,280.67 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $39,923,779,236.77 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $41,327,144,029.54 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $44,065,654,493.23 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $45,827,656,955.27 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $46,795,608,329.91 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $49,549,321,912.19 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $45,419,921,009.44 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $49,003,685,884.28 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $53,810,424,702.50 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $55,070,100,533.44 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $55,088,909,519.90 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $54,715,828,887.98 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $50,440,556,011.49 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $49,383,179,113.66 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $51,073,629,462.45 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $53,379,045,958.15 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $53,228,203,734.10 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $51,015,136,438.24 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $58,445,095,404.19 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $67,484,070,578.58 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $67,648,400,697.58 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $68,587,661,058.68 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $68,511,333,606.89 | -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 |