According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 556.52% higher in 2025 versus 1973 (a $5,565,169,966.38 difference in value).
Between 1973 and 2025: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.69% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $1,000,000,000 in the year 1973 would cost $6,565,169,966.38 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.86% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1973: Pricing changed by 3.16%, which is below the average yearly change for transportation during the 1973-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1973 (6.18%), inflation for transportation was much lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $1,000,000,000 beginning in 1973. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | $1,000,000,000.00 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $1,112,065,745.24 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $1,216,473,664.55 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $1,337,504,669.41 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $1,431,826,671.65 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $1,498,879,342.55 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $1,712,551,363.47 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $2,017,556,966.75 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $2,261,860,291.37 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $2,355,061,636.16 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $2,411,281,285.02 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $2,518,304,071.72 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $2,584,796,413.90 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $2,484,310,795.67 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $2,559,394,844.98 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $2,638,401,195.37 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $2,770,451,998.51 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $2,926,223,384.39 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $3,006,723,944.71 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $3,072,469,181.92 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $3,165,296,974.22 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $3,260,926,410.16 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $3,377,661,561.45 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $3,472,917,444.90 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $3,503,175,196.12 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $3,437,056,406.43 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $3,506,163,615.99 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $3,723,010,833.02 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $3,745,423,982.07 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $3,711,617,482.26 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $3,825,737,766.16 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $3,960,216,660.44 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $4,222,637,280.54 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $4,391,483,003.36 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $4,484,237,952.93 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $4,748,115,427.72 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $4,352,411,281.29 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $4,695,829,286.51 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $5,156,440,044.83 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $5,277,149,794.55 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $5,278,952,185.28 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $5,243,201,344.79 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $4,833,518,864.40 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $4,732,194,620.84 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $4,894,183,787.82 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $5,115,102,726.93 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $5,100,648,113.56 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $4,888,578,632.80 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $5,600,562,196.49 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $6,466,731,415.76 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $6,482,478,520.73 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $6,572,484,124.02 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $6,565,169,966.38 | -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 |