According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 225.40% higher in 2025 versus 1980 (a $21,413,186,446.95 difference in value).
Between 1980 and 2025: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 2.66% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $9,500,000,000 in the year 1980 would cost $30,913,186,446.95 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.04% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1980: Pricing changed by 17.81%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for transportation during the 1980-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1980 (13.55%), inflation for transportation was much higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $9,500,000,000 beginning in 1980. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | $9,500,000,000.00 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $10,650,342,529.16 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $11,089,196,445.10 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $11,353,915,941.49 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $11,857,850,398.07 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $12,170,940,566.56 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $11,697,787,446.77 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $12,051,333,086.47 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $12,423,347,528.24 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $13,045,130,531.38 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $13,778,605,813.74 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $14,157,655,989.63 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $14,467,228,291.06 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $14,904,323,273.47 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $15,354,610,257.36 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $15,904,276,985.74 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $16,352,805,036.10 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $16,495,278,652.10 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $16,183,947,417.14 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $16,509,350,120.35 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $17,530,411,034.99 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $17,635,947,046.84 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $17,476,763,562.30 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $18,014,117,755.97 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $18,647,333,827.07 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $19,882,984,632.48 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $20,678,022,588.41 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $21,114,774,578.78 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $22,357,285,224.96 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $20,494,046,935.75 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $22,111,087,298.65 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $24,279,949,083.50 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $24,848,330,864.65 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $24,856,817,718.94 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $24,688,478,985.37 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $22,759,421,403.44 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $22,282,319,477.87 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $23,045,072,208.85 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $24,085,305,498.98 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $24,017,243,566.01 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $23,018,679,411.22 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $26,371,171,542.31 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $30,449,672,282.91 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $30,523,820,125.90 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $30,947,626,365.49 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $30,913,186,446.95 | -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 |