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According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for transportation are 1,790.80% higher in 2025 versus 1939 (a $89,539.86 difference in value).
Between 1939 and 2025: Transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 3.48% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, transportation costing $5,000 in the year 1939 would cost $94,539.86 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.70% during this same period, inflation for transportation was lower.
In the year 1939: Pricing changed by -2.19%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for transportation during the 1939-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1939 (-1.31%), inflation for transportation was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Transportation, over time, for $5,000 beginning in 1939. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1939 | $5,000.00 | -2.19% |
| 1940 | $4,972.03 | -0.56% |
| 1941 | $5,160.84 | 3.80% |
| 1942 | $5,601.40 | 8.54% |
| 1943 | $5,566.43 | -0.62% |
| 1944 | $5,559.44 | -0.13% |
| 1945 | $5,559.44 | 0.00% ** |
| 1946 | $5,895.10 | 6.04% |
| 1947 | $6,452.39 | 9.45% |
| 1948 | $7,194.73 | 11.50% |
| 1949 | $7,732.65 | 7.48% |
| 1950 | $7,931.68 | 2.57% |
| 1951 | $8,440.02 | 6.41% |
| 1952 | $8,996.77 | 6.60% |
| 1953 | $9,254.98 | 2.87% |
| 1954 | $9,120.49 | -1.45% |
| 1955 | $9,010.22 | -1.21% |
| 1956 | $9,171.60 | 1.79% |
| 1957 | $9,682.63 | 5.57% |
| 1958 | $10,002.69 | 3.31% |
| 1959 | $10,416.89 | 4.14% |
| 1960 | $10,414.20 | -0.03% |
| 1961 | $10,532.54 | 1.14% |
| 1962 | $10,753.09 | 2.09% |
| 1963 | $10,812.26 | 0.55% |
| 1964 | $10,973.64 | 1.49% |
| 1965 | $11,153.85 | 1.64% |
| 1966 | $11,312.53 | 1.42% |
| 1967 | $11,635.29 | 2.85% |
| 1968 | $12,006.46 | 3.19% |
| 1969 | $12,469.07 | 3.85% |
| 1970 | $13,109.20 | 5.13% |
| 1971 | $13,797.74 | 5.25% |
| 1972 | $13,959.12 | 1.17% |
| 1973 | $14,400.22 | 3.16% |
| 1974 | $16,013.99 | 11.21% |
| 1975 | $17,517.48 | 9.39% |
| 1976 | $19,260.36 | 9.95% |
| 1977 | $20,618.61 | 7.05% |
| 1978 | $21,584.19 | 4.68% |
| 1979 | $24,661.11 | 14.26% |
| 1980 | $29,053.25 | 17.81% |
| 1981 | $32,571.27 | 12.11% |
| 1982 | $33,913.39 | 4.12% |
| 1983 | $34,722.97 | 2.39% |
| 1984 | $36,264.12 | 4.44% |
| 1985 | $37,221.62 | 2.64% |
| 1986 | $35,774.61 | -3.89% |
| 1987 | $36,855.84 | 3.02% |
| 1988 | $37,993.54 | 3.09% |
| 1989 | $39,895.10 | 5.00% |
| 1990 | $42,138.25 | 5.62% |
| 1991 | $43,297.47 | 2.75% |
| 1992 | $44,244.22 | 2.19% |
| 1993 | $45,580.96 | 3.02% |
| 1994 | $46,958.04 | 3.02% |
| 1995 | $48,639.05 | 3.58% |
| 1996 | $50,010.76 | 2.82% |
| 1997 | $50,446.48 | 0.87% |
| 1998 | $49,494.35 | -1.89% |
| 1999 | $50,489.51 | 2.01% |
| 2000 | $53,612.16 | 6.18% |
| 2001 | $53,934.91 | 0.60% |
| 2002 | $53,448.09 | -0.90% |
| 2003 | $55,091.45 | 3.07% |
| 2004 | $57,027.97 | 3.52% |
| 2005 | $60,806.89 | 6.63% |
| 2006 | $63,238.30 | 4.00% |
| 2007 | $64,573.99 | 2.11% |
| 2008 | $68,373.88 | 5.88% |
| 2009 | $62,675.66 | -8.33% |
| 2010 | $67,620.95 | 7.89% |
| 2011 | $74,253.85 | 9.81% |
| 2012 | $75,992.09 | 2.34% |
| 2013 | $76,018.05 | 0.03% |
| 2014 | $75,503.23 | -0.68% |
| 2015 | $69,603.71 | -7.81% |
| 2016 | $68,144.62 | -2.10% |
| 2017 | $70,477.30 | 3.42% |
| 2018 | $73,658.58 | 4.51% |
| 2019 | $73,450.43 | -0.28% |
| 2020 | $70,396.58 | -4.16% |
| 2021 | $80,649.30 | 14.56% |
| 2022 | $93,122.32 | 15.47% |
| 2023 | $93,349.09 | 0.24% |
| 2024 | $94,645.19 | 1.39% |
| 2025 | $94,539.86 | -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 |