According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,479.04% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $104,101,683,156.37 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 $1,900,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $106,001,683,156.37 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 $1,900,000,000 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 | $1,900,000,000.00 | - |
| 1941 | $1,911,003,861.00 | 0.58% |
| 1942 | $1,969,691,119.69 | 3.07% |
| 1943 | $2,065,057,915.06 | 4.84% |
| 1944 | $2,123,745,173.75 | 2.84% |
| 1945 | $2,182,432,432.43 | 2.76% |
| 1946 | $2,303,474,903.47 | 5.55% |
| 1947 | $2,482,922,482.92 | 7.79% |
| 1948 | $2,636,694,386.69 | 6.19% |
| 1949 | $2,721,339,471.34 | 3.21% |
| 1950 | $2,772,126,522.13 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $2,904,737,154.74 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $3,062,741,312.74 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $3,171,369,171.37 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $3,268,711,018.71 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $3,344,891,594.89 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $3,467,626,967.63 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $3,610,112,860.11 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $3,782,224,532.22 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $3,941,639,441.64 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $4,081,303,831.30 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $4,204,039,204.04 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $4,315,488,565.49 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $4,418,473,418.47 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $4,508,761,508.76 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $4,618,800,118.80 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $4,823,359,073.36 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $5,163,350,163.35 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $5,476,536,976.54 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $5,854,618,354.62 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $6,227,056,727.06 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $6,629,120,879.12 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $6,843,555,093.56 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $7,108,776,358.78 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $7,770,418,770.42 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $8,707,157,707.16 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $9,535,268,785.27 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $10,446,614,196.61 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $11,328,333,828.33 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $12,376,522,126.52 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $13,732,254,232.25 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $15,207,900,207.90 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $16,972,750,222.75 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $18,448,396,198.40 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $19,596,747,846.75 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $20,818,458,568.46 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $22,381,571,131.57 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $23,867,092,367.09 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $25,425,972,675.97 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $27,372,809,622.81 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $29,857,142,857.14 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $32,464,211,464.21 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $34,858,256,608.26 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $36,937,704,187.70 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $38,699,732,699.73 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $40,433,546,183.55 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $41,855,583,605.58 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $43,022,275,022.28 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $44,406,222,156.22 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $45,956,637,956.64 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $47,821,651,321.65 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $50,023,834,273.83 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $52,378,378,378.38 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $54,483,219,483.22 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $56,877,264,627.26 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $59,278,363,528.36 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $61,655,479,655.48 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $64,382,419,809.92 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $66,768,649,391.15 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $68,886,596,376.60 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $71,238,206,118.21 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $73,406,305,316.31 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $76,096,086,278.59 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $77,968,675,378.68 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $79,831,586,724.09 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $81,933,295,960.80 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $85,036,864,419.36 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $87,172,925,452.93 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $88,894,140,926.64 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $91,407,846,005.35 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $95,160,571,725.57 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $96,334,472,081.97 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $100,236,652,806.65 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $100,700,790,020.79 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $103,407,133,204.63 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $106,001,683,156.37 | 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 |