According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,479.04% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $959,591,015.36 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 $17,513,866 in the year 1940 would cost $977,104,881.36 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 $17,513,866 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 | $17,513,866.00 | - |
| 1941 | $17,615,297.66 | 0.58% |
| 1942 | $18,156,266.49 | 3.07% |
| 1943 | $19,035,340.85 | 4.84% |
| 1944 | $19,576,309.68 | 2.84% |
| 1945 | $20,117,278.51 | 2.76% |
| 1946 | $21,233,026.73 | 5.55% |
| 1947 | $22,887,142.98 | 7.79% |
| 1948 | $24,304,585.35 | 6.19% |
| 1949 | $25,084,828.86 | 3.21% |
| 1950 | $25,552,974.97 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $26,775,356.47 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $28,231,811.02 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $29,233,123.53 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $30,130,403.57 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $30,832,622.72 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $31,963,975.82 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $33,277,385.72 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $34,863,880.86 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $36,333,339.47 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $37,620,741.27 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $38,752,094.36 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $39,779,414.98 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $40,728,711.25 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $41,560,970.99 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $42,575,287.56 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $44,460,876.04 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $47,594,854.14 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $50,481,755.13 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $53,966,842.81 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $57,399,914.26 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $61,106,070.93 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $63,082,687.83 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $65,527,450.83 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $71,626,354.27 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $80,261,049.12 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $87,894,431.46 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $96,295,053.26 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $104,422,589.83 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $114,084,605.30 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $126,581,505.53 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $140,183,750.73 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $156,451,827.92 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $170,054,073.12 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $180,639,376.75 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $191,900,891.42 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $206,309,388.25 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $220,002,661.86 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $234,372,146.51 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $252,317,747.25 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $275,217,894.29 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $299,249,394.41 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $321,317,281.70 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $340,485,263.94 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $356,727,333.02 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $372,709,320.93 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $385,817,411.91 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $396,571,768.29 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $409,328,749.69 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $423,620,209.99 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $440,811,575.34 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $461,110,910.67 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $482,814,684.32 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $502,216,739.62 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $524,284,626.91 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $546,417,534.49 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $568,329,373.08 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $593,465,828.06 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $615,461,672.86 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $634,984,535.86 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $656,661,261.07 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $676,646,418.35 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $701,440,346.43 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $718,701,543.57 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $735,873,532.87 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $755,246,719.16 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $783,854,867.63 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $803,544,702.74 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $819,410,564.41 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $842,581,455.94 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $877,173,421.94 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $887,994,229.07 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $923,963,845.02 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $928,242,180.27 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $953,188,775.99 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $977,104,881.36 | 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 |