Medical care commodities priced at $20 in 1937 $259.70 in 2024

Medical Care Commodities Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Medical Care Commodities, 1937-2024 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care commodities are 1,198.50% higher in 2024 versus 1937 (a $239.70 difference in value).

Between 1937 and 2024: Medical care commodities experienced an average inflation rate of 2.99% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care commodities costing $20 in the year 1937 would cost $259.70 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.60% during this same period, inflation for medical care commodities was lower.

In the year 1937: Pricing changed by 0.63%, which is below the average yearly change for medical care commodities during the 1937-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1937 (3.72%), inflation for medical care commodities was much lower.

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 $20.00 since 1937

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Medical care commodities, over time, for $20 beginning in 1937. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1937$20.000.63%
1938$20.130.63%
1939$20.06-0.31%
1940$20.00-0.31%
1941$20.130.63%
1942$20.632.50%
1943$20.750.61%
1944$20.940.91%
1945$21.130.90%
1946$21.511.79%
1947$23.278.19%
1948$24.334.54%
1949$24.651.34%
1950$25.011.43%
1951$25.712.82%
1952$25.910.78%
1953$26.160.97%
1954$26.441.06%
1955$26.751.19%
1956$27.332.16%
1957$28.112.85%
1958$29.043.31%
1959$29.461.43%
1960$29.470.04%
1961$29.13-1.15%
1962$28.64-1.68%
1963$28.42-0.79%
1964$28.36-0.18%
1965$28.29-0.28%
1966$28.360.28%
1967$28.25-0.41%
1968$28.290.14%
1969$28.571.01%
1970$29.222.25%
1971$29.731.77%
1972$29.800.23%
1973$29.880.28%
1974$30.923.48%
1975$33.528.40%
1976$35.556.05%
1977$37.846.45%
1978$40.507.03%
1979$43.397.13%
1980$47.459.34%
1981$52.6310.92%
1982$58.0410.29%
1983$63.008.55%
1984$67.627.33%
1985$72.437.11%
1986$77.206.58%
1987$82.366.69%
1988$88.016.86%
1989$94.847.76%
1990$102.778.36%
1991$111.178.18%
1992$118.276.39%
1993$122.633.68%
1994$126.232.94%
1995$128.601.88%
1996$132.312.89%
1997$135.392.33%
1998$139.513.04%
1999$145.094.00%
2000$149.773.22%
2001$155.713.97%
2002$161.273.57%
2003$165.302.50%
2004$169.352.45%
2005$173.592.50%
2006$179.813.58%
2007$182.391.44%
2008$186.192.09%
2009$191.893.06%
2010$197.943.15%
2011$203.832.98%
2012$209.822.94%
2013$210.760.45%
2014$215.992.48%
2015$223.033.26%
2016$230.683.43%
2017$237.132.80%
2018$239.891.16%
2019$239.80-0.04%
2020$240.980.49%
2021$237.14-1.59%
2022$244.092.93%
2023$254.284.17%
2024$259.702.13%*

* 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
CPI31.70031.60031.80032.00031.90031.80032.00032.80033.00033.30033.60034.20037.00038.68039.20039.76040.88041.20041.60042.04042.54043.46044.70046.18046.84046.86046.32045.54045.18045.10044.97545.10044.91544.97745.43146.45447.27747.38547.51549.16953.30056.52360.16964.40068.99275.43883.67792.285100.177107.523115.169122.746130.954139.938150.800163.400176.762188.054194.977200.700204.469210.377215.269221.823230.700238.131247.585256.415262.823269.269276.008285.892289.999296.045305.108314.717324.089333.609335.109343.422354.625366.781377.038381.427381.288383.160377.057388.109404.309412.923

Adjust medical care commodities prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2024 / CPI in 1937 * 1937 USD value = 2024 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Medical care commodities was 31.800 in the year 1937 and 412.923 in 2024:

412.923 / 31.800 * $20 = $259.70

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1937 has the same "purchasing power" as $259.70 in 2024 (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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