According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,278.62% higher in 2024 versus 1939 (a $580,648,696,911.20 difference in value).
Between 1939 and 2024: Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 4.80% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care costing $11,000,000,000 in the year 1939 would cost $591,648,696,911.20 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.72% during this same period, inflation for medical care was higher.
In the year 1939: Pricing changed by 0.58%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for medical care during the 1939-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1939 (-1.31%), inflation for medical care was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Medical care, over time, for $11,000,000,000 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 | $11,000,000,000.00 | 0.58% |
1940 | $11,000,000,000.00 | 0.00% ** |
1941 | $11,063,706,563.71 | 0.58% |
1942 | $11,403,474,903.47 | 3.07% |
1943 | $11,955,598,455.60 | 4.84% |
1944 | $12,295,366,795.37 | 2.84% |
1945 | $12,635,135,135.14 | 2.76% |
1946 | $13,335,907,335.91 | 5.55% |
1947 | $14,374,814,374.81 | 7.79% |
1948 | $15,265,072,765.07 | 6.19% |
1949 | $15,755,123,255.12 | 3.21% |
1950 | $16,049,153,549.15 | 1.87% |
1951 | $16,816,899,316.90 | 4.78% |
1952 | $17,731,660,231.66 | 5.44% |
1953 | $18,360,558,360.56 | 3.55% |
1954 | $18,924,116,424.12 | 3.07% |
1955 | $19,365,161,865.16 | 2.33% |
1956 | $20,075,735,075.74 | 3.67% |
1957 | $20,900,653,400.65 | 4.11% |
1958 | $21,897,089,397.09 | 4.77% |
1959 | $22,820,017,820.02 | 4.21% |
1960 | $23,628,601,128.60 | 3.54% |
1961 | $24,339,174,339.17 | 3.01% |
1962 | $24,984,407,484.41 | 2.65% |
1963 | $25,580,635,580.64 | 2.39% |
1964 | $26,103,356,103.36 | 2.04% |
1965 | $26,740,421,740.42 | 2.44% |
1966 | $27,924,710,424.71 | 4.43% |
1967 | $29,893,079,893.08 | 7.05% |
1968 | $31,706,266,706.27 | 6.07% |
1969 | $33,895,158,895.16 | 6.90% |
1970 | $36,051,381,051.38 | 6.36% |
1971 | $38,379,120,879.12 | 6.46% |
1972 | $39,620,582,120.58 | 3.23% |
1973 | $41,156,073,656.07 | 3.88% |
1974 | $44,986,634,986.63 | 9.31% |
1975 | $50,409,860,409.86 | 12.06% |
1976 | $55,204,187,704.19 | 9.51% |
1977 | $60,480,397,980.40 | 9.56% |
1978 | $65,585,090,585.09 | 8.44% |
1979 | $71,653,549,153.55 | 9.25% |
1980 | $79,502,524,502.52 | 10.95% |
1981 | $88,045,738,045.74 | 10.75% |
1982 | $98,263,290,763.29 | 11.60% |
1983 | $106,806,504,306.50 | 8.69% |
1984 | $113,454,855,954.86 | 6.22% |
1985 | $120,527,918,027.92 | 6.23% |
1986 | $129,577,517,077.52 | 7.51% |
1987 | $138,177,903,177.90 | 6.64% |
1988 | $147,202,999,703.00 | 6.53% |
1989 | $158,474,160,974.16 | 7.66% |
1990 | $172,857,142,857.14 | 9.08% |
1991 | $187,950,697,950.70 | 8.73% |
1992 | $201,810,959,310.96 | 7.37% |
1993 | $213,849,866,349.87 | 5.97% |
1994 | $224,051,084,051.08 | 4.77% |
1995 | $234,088,951,588.95 | 4.48% |
1996 | $242,321,799,821.80 | 3.52% |
1997 | $249,076,329,076.33 | 2.79% |
1998 | $257,088,654,588.65 | 3.22% |
1999 | $266,064,746,064.75 | 3.49% |
2000 | $276,862,191,862.19 | 4.06% |
2001 | $289,611,672,111.67 | 4.60% |
2002 | $303,243,243,243.24 | 4.71% |
2003 | $315,429,165,429.17 | 4.02% |
2004 | $329,289,426,789.43 | 4.39% |
2005 | $343,190,525,690.53 | 4.22% |
2006 | $356,952,776,952.78 | 4.01% |
2007 | $372,740,325,215.33 | 4.42% |
2008 | $386,555,338,580.34 | 3.71% |
2009 | $398,817,136,917.14 | 3.17% |
2010 | $412,431,719,631.72 | 3.41% |
2011 | $424,983,872,883.87 | 3.04% |
2012 | $440,556,288,981.29 | 3.66% |
2013 | $451,397,594,297.59 | 2.46% |
2014 | $462,182,870,507.87 | 2.39% |
2015 | $474,350,660,825.66 | 2.63% |
2016 | $492,318,688,743.69 | 3.79% |
2017 | $504,685,357,885.36 | 2.51% |
2018 | $514,650,289,575.29 | 1.97% |
2019 | $529,203,318,978.32 | 2.83% |
2020 | $550,929,625,779.63 | 4.11% |
2021 | $557,725,891,000.89 | 1.23% |
2022 | $580,317,463,617.46 | 4.05% |
2023 | $583,004,573,804.57 | 0.46% |
2024 | $591,648,696,911.20 | 1.48%* |
* 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:
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 |
CPI | 10.200 | 10.200 | 10.300 | 10.300 | 10.360 | 10.360 | 10.420 | 10.740 | 11.260 | 11.580 | 11.900 | 12.560 | 13.538 | 14.377 | 14.838 | 15.115 | 15.838 | 16.700 | 17.292 | 17.823 | 18.238 | 18.908 | 19.685 | 20.623 | 21.492 | 22.254 | 22.923 | 23.531 | 24.092 | 24.585 | 25.185 | 26.300 | 28.154 | 29.862 | 31.923 | 33.954 | 36.146 | 37.315 | 38.762 | 42.369 | 47.477 | 51.992 | 56.962 | 61.769 | 67.485 | 74.877 | 82.923 | 92.546 | 100.592 | 106.854 | 113.515 | 122.038 | 130.138 | 138.638 | 149.254 | 162.800 | 177.015 | 190.069 | 201.408 | 211.015 | 220.469 | 228.223 | 234.585 | 242.131 | 250.585 | 260.754 | 272.762 | 285.600 | 297.077 | 310.131 | 323.223 | 336.185 | 351.054 | 364.065 | 375.613 | 388.436 | 400.258 | 414.924 | 425.134 | 435.292 | 446.752 | 463.675 | 475.322 | 484.707 | 498.413 | 518.876 | 525.276 | 546.554 | 549.084 | 557.226 |