According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,479.04% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $54,790,359,555,984,547,840 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2025: Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 4.85% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care costing $1,000,000,000,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $55,790,359,555,984,547,840 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.75% during this same period, inflation for medical care was higher.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by 0%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for medical care during the 1940-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1940 (0.72%), inflation for medical care was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Medical care, over time, for $1,000,000,000,000,000,000 beginning in 1940. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | $1,000,000,000,000,000,000.00 | - |
| 1941 | $1,005,791,505,791,505,664.00 | 0.58% |
| 1942 | $1,036,679,536,679,536,512.00 | 3.07% |
| 1943 | $1,086,872,586,872,586,752.00 | 4.84% |
| 1944 | $1,117,760,617,760,617,600.00 | 2.84% |
| 1945 | $1,148,648,648,648,648,576.00 | 2.76% |
| 1946 | $1,212,355,212,355,212,032.00 | 5.55% |
| 1947 | $1,306,801,306,801,306,624.00 | 7.79% |
| 1948 | $1,387,733,887,733,887,488.00 | 6.19% |
| 1949 | $1,432,283,932,283,932,160.00 | 3.21% |
| 1950 | $1,459,013,959,013,958,912.00 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $1,528,809,028,809,028,608.00 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $1,611,969,111,969,111,808.00 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $1,669,141,669,141,669,376.00 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $1,720,374,220,374,220,032.00 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $1,760,469,260,469,260,544.00 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $1,825,066,825,066,824,704.00 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $1,900,059,400,059,399,680.00 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $1,990,644,490,644,490,752.00 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $2,074,547,074,547,074,048.00 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $2,148,054,648,054,647,808.00 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $2,212,652,212,652,212,480.00 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $2,271,309,771,309,771,008.00 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $2,325,512,325,512,325,120.00 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $2,373,032,373,032,373,248.00 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $2,430,947,430,947,430,400.00 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $2,538,610,038,610,037,760.00 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $2,717,552,717,552,717,312.00 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $2,882,387,882,387,882,496.00 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $3,081,378,081,378,081,280.00 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $3,277,398,277,398,276,096.00 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $3,489,010,989,010,989,056.00 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $3,601,871,101,871,101,952.00 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $3,741,461,241,461,241,344.00 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $4,089,694,089,694,088,192.00 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $4,582,714,582,714,582,528.00 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $5,018,562,518,562,518,016.00 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $5,498,217,998,217,997,312.00 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $5,962,280,962,280,961,024.00 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $6,513,959,013,959,012,352.00 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $7,227,502,227,502,226,432.00 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $8,004,158,004,158,002,176.00 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $8,933,026,433,026,430,976.00 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $9,709,682,209,682,208,768.00 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $10,314,077,814,077,812,736.00 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $10,957,083,457,083,455,488.00 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $11,779,774,279,774,277,632.00 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $12,561,627,561,627,561,984.00 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $13,382,090,882,090,878,976.00 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $14,406,741,906,741,903,360.00 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $15,714,285,714,285,713,408.00 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $17,086,427,086,427,080,704.00 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $18,346,450,846,450,845,696.00 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $19,440,896,940,896,940,032.00 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $20,368,280,368,280,363,008.00 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $21,280,813,780,813,778,944.00 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $22,029,254,529,254,522,880.00 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $22,643,302,643,302,641,664.00 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $23,371,695,871,695,863,808.00 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $24,187,704,187,704,184,832.00 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $25,169,290,169,290,162,176.00 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $26,328,333,828,333,826,048.00 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $27,567,567,567,567,568,896.00 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $28,675,378,675,378,671,616.00 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $29,935,402,435,402,436,608.00 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $31,199,138,699,138,695,168.00 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $32,450,252,450,252,443,648.00 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $33,885,484,110,484,103,168.00 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $35,141,394,416,394,412,032.00 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $36,256,103,356,103,352,320.00 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $37,493,792,693,792,694,272.00 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $38,634,897,534,897,528,832.00 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $40,050,571,725,571,727,360.00 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $41,036,144,936,144,928,768.00 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $42,016,624,591,624,585,216.00 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $43,122,787,347,787,341,824.00 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $44,756,244,431,244,427,264.00 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $45,880,487,080,487,075,840.00 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $46,786,389,961,389,948,928.00 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $48,109,392,634,392,633,344.00 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $50,084,511,434,511,433,728.00 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $50,702,353,727,353,733,120.00 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $52,756,133,056,133,054,464.00 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $53,000,415,800,415,789,056.00 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $54,424,806,949,806,956,544.00 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $55,790,359,555,984,547,840.00 | 2.51%* |
* 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 | 2025 |
| 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 | 563.841 | 577.988 |