According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,479.04% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $115,059,755,067,567.56 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 $2,100,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $117,159,755,067,567.56 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 $2,100,000,000,000 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 | $2,100,000,000,000.00 | - |
| 1941 | $2,112,162,162,162.16 | 0.58% |
| 1942 | $2,177,027,027,027.03 | 3.07% |
| 1943 | $2,282,432,432,432.43 | 4.84% |
| 1944 | $2,347,297,297,297.30 | 2.84% |
| 1945 | $2,412,162,162,162.16 | 2.76% |
| 1946 | $2,545,945,945,945.95 | 5.55% |
| 1947 | $2,744,282,744,282.74 | 7.79% |
| 1948 | $2,914,241,164,241.16 | 6.19% |
| 1949 | $3,007,796,257,796.26 | 3.21% |
| 1950 | $3,063,929,313,929.31 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $3,210,498,960,498.96 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $3,385,135,135,135.14 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $3,505,197,505,197.51 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $3,612,785,862,785.86 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $3,696,985,446,985.45 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $3,832,640,332,640.33 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $3,990,124,740,124.74 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $4,180,353,430,353.43 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $4,356,548,856,548.86 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $4,510,914,760,914.76 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $4,646,569,646,569.65 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $4,769,750,519,750.52 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $4,883,575,883,575.88 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $4,983,367,983,367.98 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $5,104,989,604,989.60 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $5,331,081,081,081.08 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $5,706,860,706,860.71 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $6,053,014,553,014.55 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $6,470,893,970,893.97 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $6,882,536,382,536.38 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $7,326,923,076,923.08 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $7,563,929,313,929.31 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $7,857,068,607,068.61 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $8,588,357,588,357.59 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $9,623,700,623,700.62 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $10,538,981,288,981.29 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $11,546,257,796,257.80 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $12,520,790,020,790.02 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $13,679,313,929,313.93 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $15,177,754,677,754.68 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $16,808,731,808,731.81 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $18,759,355,509,355.51 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $20,390,332,640,332.64 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $21,659,563,409,563.41 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $23,009,875,259,875.26 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $24,737,525,987,525.99 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $26,379,417,879,417.88 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $28,102,390,852,390.85 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $30,254,158,004,158.01 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $33,000,000,000,000.00 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $35,881,496,881,496.87 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $38,527,546,777,546.77 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $40,825,883,575,883.57 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $42,773,388,773,388.77 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $44,689,708,939,708.94 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $46,261,434,511,434.50 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $47,550,935,550,935.55 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $49,080,561,330,561.32 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $50,794,178,794,178.79 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $52,855,509,355,509.35 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $55,289,501,039,501.03 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $57,891,891,891,891.88 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $60,218,295,218,295.22 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $62,864,345,114,345.12 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $65,518,191,268,191.26 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $68,145,530,145,530.13 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $71,159,516,632,016.63 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $73,796,928,274,428.27 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $76,137,817,047,817.05 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $78,736,964,656,964.66 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $81,133,284,823,284.81 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $84,106,200,623,700.63 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $86,175,904,365,904.34 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $88,234,911,642,411.63 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $90,557,853,430,353.42 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $93,988,113,305,613.28 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $96,349,022,869,022.86 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $98,251,418,918,918.91 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $101,029,724,532,224.52 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $105,177,474,012,474.00 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $106,474,942,827,442.80 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $110,787,879,417,879.41 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $111,300,873,180,873.16 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $114,292,094,594,594.58 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $117,159,755,067,567.56 | 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 |