According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,479.04% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $58,795,534,839,527.02 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 $1,073,100,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $59,868,634,839,527.02 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 $1,073,100,000,000 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 | $1,073,100,000,000.00 | - |
| 1941 | $1,079,314,864,864.86 | 0.58% |
| 1942 | $1,112,460,810,810.81 | 3.07% |
| 1943 | $1,166,322,972,972.97 | 4.84% |
| 1944 | $1,199,468,918,918.92 | 2.84% |
| 1945 | $1,232,614,864,864.86 | 2.76% |
| 1946 | $1,300,978,378,378.38 | 5.55% |
| 1947 | $1,402,328,482,328.48 | 7.79% |
| 1948 | $1,489,177,234,927.24 | 6.19% |
| 1949 | $1,536,983,887,733.89 | 3.21% |
| 1950 | $1,565,667,879,417.88 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $1,640,564,968,814.97 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $1,729,804,054,054.05 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $1,791,155,925,155.93 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $1,846,133,575,883.58 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $1,889,159,563,409.56 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $1,958,479,209,979.21 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $2,038,953,742,203.74 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $2,136,160,602,910.60 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $2,226,196,465,696.47 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $2,305,077,442,827.44 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $2,374,397,089,397.09 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $2,437,342,515,592.52 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $2,495,507,276,507.28 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $2,546,501,039,501.04 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $2,608,649,688,149.69 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $2,724,182,432,432.43 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $2,916,205,821,205.82 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $3,093,090,436,590.44 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $3,306,626,819,126.82 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $3,516,976,091,476.09 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $3,744,057,692,307.69 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $3,865,167,879,417.88 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $4,014,962,058,212.06 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $4,388,650,727,650.73 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $4,917,711,018,711.02 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $5,385,419,438,669.44 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $5,900,137,733,887.73 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $6,398,123,700,623.70 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $6,990,129,417,879.42 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $7,755,832,640,332.64 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $8,589,261,954,261.95 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $9,586,030,665,280.66 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $10,419,459,979,209.98 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $11,068,036,902,286.90 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $11,758,046,257,796.26 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $12,640,875,779,625.78 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $13,479,882,536,382.54 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $14,360,321,725,571.73 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $15,459,874,740,124.74 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $16,863,000,000,000.00 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $18,335,444,906,444.90 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $19,687,576,403,326.40 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $20,862,026,507,276.51 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $21,857,201,663,201.66 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $22,836,441,268,191.27 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $23,639,593,035,343.03 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $24,298,528,066,528.06 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $25,080,166,839,916.84 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $25,955,825,363,825.36 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $27,009,165,280,665.28 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $28,252,935,031,185.03 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $29,582,756,756,756.76 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $30,771,548,856,548.86 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $32,123,680,353,430.35 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $33,479,795,738,045.73 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $34,822,365,904,365.90 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $36,362,512,998,960.50 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $37,710,230,348,232.84 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $38,906,424,511,434.51 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $40,234,588,939,708.94 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $41,459,108,544,698.54 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $42,978,268,518,711.02 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $44,035,887,130,977.12 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $45,088,039,849,272.34 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $46,275,063,102,910.59 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $48,027,925,899,168.39 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $49,234,350,686,070.69 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $50,206,475,067,567.56 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $51,626,189,235,966.73 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $53,745,689,220,374.21 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $54,408,695,784,823.28 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $56,612,606,382,536.38 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $56,874,746,195,426.19 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $58,403,260,337,837.83 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $59,868,634,839,527.02 | 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 |