Medical care commodities priced at $5 in 1950 $47.95 in 2019

Medical Care Commodities Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Medical Care Commodities, 1950-2019 ($5)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care commodities were 858.97% higher in 2019 versus 1950 (a $42.95 difference in value).

Between 1950 and 2019: Medical care commodities experienced an average inflation rate of 3.33% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care commodities costing $5 in the year 1950 would cost $47.95 in 2019 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.48% during this same period, inflation for medical care commodities was lower.

In the year 1950: Pricing changed by 1.43%, which is below the average yearly change for medical care commodities during the 1950-2019 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1950 (1.10%), inflation for medical care commodities was higher.

Price Inflation for Medical care commodities since 1935

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1981 (10.92%), 1982 (10.29%), and 1980 (9.34%).

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Buying power of $5.00 since 1950

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Medical care commodities, over time, for $5 beginning in 1950. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1950$5.001.43%
1951$5.142.82%
1952$5.180.78%
1953$5.230.97%
1954$5.291.06%
1955$5.351.19%
1956$5.472.16%
1957$5.622.85%
1958$5.813.31%
1959$5.891.43%
1960$5.890.04%
1961$5.82-1.15%
1962$5.73-1.68%
1963$5.68-0.79%
1964$5.67-0.18%
1965$5.66-0.28%
1966$5.670.28%
1967$5.65-0.41%
1968$5.660.14%
1969$5.711.01%
1970$5.842.25%
1971$5.951.77%
1972$5.960.23%
1973$5.980.28%
1974$6.183.48%
1975$6.708.40%
1976$7.116.05%
1977$7.576.45%
1978$8.107.03%
1979$8.687.13%
1980$9.499.34%
1981$10.5210.92%
1982$11.6110.29%
1983$12.608.55%
1984$13.527.33%
1985$14.487.11%
1986$15.446.58%
1987$16.476.69%
1988$17.606.86%
1989$18.967.76%
1990$20.558.36%
1991$22.238.18%
1992$23.656.39%
1993$24.523.68%
1994$25.242.94%
1995$25.711.88%
1996$26.462.89%
1997$27.072.33%
1998$27.903.04%
1999$29.014.00%
2000$29.953.22%
2001$31.133.97%
2002$32.253.57%
2003$33.052.50%
2004$33.862.45%
2005$34.712.50%
2006$35.953.58%
2007$36.471.44%
2008$37.232.09%
2009$38.373.06%
2010$39.583.15%
2011$40.762.98%
2012$41.952.94%
2013$42.140.45%
2014$43.192.48%
2015$44.603.26%
2016$46.123.43%
2017$47.412.80%
2018$47.971.16%
2019$47.95-0.04%
2020$48.180.49%
2021$47.42-1.59%
2022$48.812.93%
2023$50.844.17%
2024$51.320.93%*

* 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 Medical care commodities:

Year193519361937193819391940194119421943194419451946194719481949195019511952195319541955195619571958195919601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI31.70031.60031.80032.00031.90031.80032.00032.80033.00033.30033.60034.20037.00038.68039.20039.76040.88041.20041.60042.04042.54043.46044.70046.18046.84046.86046.32045.54045.18045.10044.97545.10044.91544.97745.43146.45447.27747.38547.51549.16953.30056.52360.16964.40068.99275.43883.67792.285100.177107.523115.169122.746130.954139.938150.800163.400176.762188.054194.977200.700204.469210.377215.269221.823230.700238.131247.585256.415262.823269.269276.008285.892289.999296.045305.108314.717324.089333.609335.109343.422354.625366.781377.038381.427381.288383.160377.057388.109404.309408.063

Adjust medical care commodities prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2019 / CPI in 1950 * 1950 USD value = 2019 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Medical care commodities was 39.760 in the year 1950 and 381.288 in 2019:

381.288 / 39.760 * $5 = $47.95

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $5 in 1950 has the same "purchasing power" as $47.95 in 2019 (in the CPI category of Medical care commodities).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Medical care commodities in 1935. In addition to medical care commodities, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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