According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,479.04% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $126,017,826,978,764.48 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 $2,300,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $128,317,826,978,764.48 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 $2,300,000,000,000 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 | $2,300,000,000,000.00 | - |
| 1941 | $2,313,320,463,320.46 | 0.58% |
| 1942 | $2,384,362,934,362.93 | 3.07% |
| 1943 | $2,499,806,949,806.95 | 4.84% |
| 1944 | $2,570,849,420,849.42 | 2.84% |
| 1945 | $2,641,891,891,891.89 | 2.76% |
| 1946 | $2,788,416,988,416.99 | 5.55% |
| 1947 | $3,005,643,005,643.01 | 7.79% |
| 1948 | $3,191,787,941,787.94 | 6.19% |
| 1949 | $3,294,253,044,253.04 | 3.21% |
| 1950 | $3,355,732,105,732.11 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $3,516,260,766,260.77 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $3,707,528,957,528.96 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $3,839,025,839,025.84 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $3,956,860,706,860.71 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $4,049,079,299,079.30 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $4,197,653,697,653.70 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $4,370,136,620,136.62 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $4,578,482,328,482.33 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $4,771,458,271,458.27 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $4,940,525,690,525.69 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $5,089,100,089,100.09 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $5,224,012,474,012.47 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $5,348,678,348,678.35 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $5,457,974,457,974.46 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $5,591,179,091,179.09 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $5,838,803,088,803.09 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $6,250,371,250,371.25 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $6,629,492,129,492.13 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $7,087,169,587,169.59 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $7,538,016,038,016.04 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $8,024,725,274,725.28 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $8,284,303,534,303.53 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $8,605,360,855,360.85 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $9,406,296,406,296.40 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $10,540,243,540,243.54 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $11,542,693,792,693.79 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $12,645,901,395,901.40 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $13,713,246,213,246.21 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $14,982,105,732,105.73 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $16,623,255,123,255.12 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $18,409,563,409,563.41 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $20,545,960,795,960.79 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $22,332,269,082,269.08 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $23,722,378,972,378.97 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $25,201,291,951,291.95 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $27,093,480,843,480.84 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $28,891,743,391,743.39 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $30,778,809,028,809.03 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $33,135,506,385,506.38 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $36,142,857,142,857.14 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $39,298,782,298,782.29 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $42,196,836,946,836.95 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $44,714,062,964,062.96 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $46,847,044,847,044.84 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $48,945,871,695,871.69 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $50,667,285,417,285.41 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $52,079,596,079,596.07 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $53,754,900,504,900.49 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $55,631,719,631,719.62 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $57,889,367,389,367.38 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $60,555,167,805,167.80 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $63,405,405,405,405.40 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $65,953,370,953,370.95 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $68,851,425,601,425.59 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $71,758,019,008,019.00 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $74,635,580,635,580.63 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $77,936,613,454,113.44 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $80,825,207,157,707.14 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $83,389,037,719,037.70 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $86,235,723,195,723.19 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $88,860,264,330,264.31 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $92,116,314,968,814.95 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $94,383,133,353,133.31 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $96,638,236,560,736.56 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $99,182,410,899,910.88 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $102,939,362,191,862.16 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $105,525,120,285,120.28 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $107,608,696,911,196.91 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $110,651,603,059,103.05 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $115,194,376,299,376.30 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $116,615,413,572,913.56 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $121,339,106,029,106.02 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $121,900,956,340,956.31 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $125,177,055,984,555.95 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $128,317,826,978,764.48 | 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 |