According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 439.69% higher in 2025 versus 1975 (a $4,396,886,227.54 difference in value).
Between 1975 and 2025: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.43% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $1,000,000,000 in the year 1975 would cost $5,396,886,227.54 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.61% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1975: Pricing changed by 9.39%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for transportation during the 1975-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1975 (9.14%), inflation for transportation was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $1,000,000,000 beginning in 1975. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | $1,000,000,000.00 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $1,099,493,321.05 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $1,177,030,554.28 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $1,232,151,082.45 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $1,407,799,785.05 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $1,658,529,095.65 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $1,859,358,206.66 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $1,935,974,205.44 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $1,982,189,467.22 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $2,070,167,357.59 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $2,124,827,268.54 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $2,042,223,245.82 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $2,103,945,954.25 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $2,168,892,983.26 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $2,277,445,109.78 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $2,405,496,698.91 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $2,471,672,040.53 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $2,525,717,795.18 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $2,602,026,715.80 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $2,680,638,722.55 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $2,776,600,644.86 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $2,854,905,573.47 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $2,879,778,903.73 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $2,825,426,070.94 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $2,882,235,528.94 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $3,060,494,395.82 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $3,078,919,084.91 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $3,051,128,512.21 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $3,144,940,887.46 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $3,255,489,021.96 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $3,471,211,423.31 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $3,610,010,747.74 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $3,686,259,788.12 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $3,903,179,794.26 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $3,577,891,908.49 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $3,860,198,065.41 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $4,238,842,315.37 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $4,338,071,549.21 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $4,339,553,201.29 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $4,310,164,286.81 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $3,973,385,536.62 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $3,890,092,123.45 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $4,023,255,028.40 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $4,204,861,047.14 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $4,192,978,658.07 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $4,018,647,320.74 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $4,603,932,135.73 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $5,315,964,993.09 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $5,328,909,872.56 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $5,402,898,817.75 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $5,396,886,227.54 | -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 |