According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,479.04% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $1,627,273,678,812.74 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 $29,700,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $1,656,973,678,812.74 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 $29,700,000,000 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 | $29,700,000,000.00 | - |
| 1941 | $29,872,007,722.01 | 0.58% |
| 1942 | $30,789,382,239.38 | 3.07% |
| 1943 | $32,280,115,830.12 | 4.84% |
| 1944 | $33,197,490,347.49 | 2.84% |
| 1945 | $34,114,864,864.86 | 2.76% |
| 1946 | $36,006,949,806.95 | 5.55% |
| 1947 | $38,811,998,812.00 | 7.79% |
| 1948 | $41,215,696,465.70 | 6.19% |
| 1949 | $42,538,832,788.83 | 3.21% |
| 1950 | $43,332,714,582.71 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $45,405,628,155.63 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $47,875,482,625.48 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $49,573,507,573.51 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $51,095,114,345.11 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $52,285,937,035.94 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $54,204,484,704.48 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $56,431,764,181.76 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $59,122,141,372.14 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $61,614,048,114.05 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $63,797,223,047.22 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $65,715,770,715.77 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $67,457,900,207.90 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $69,067,716,067.72 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $70,479,061,479.06 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $72,199,138,699.14 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $75,396,718,146.72 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $80,711,315,711.32 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $85,606,920,106.92 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $91,516,929,016.93 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $97,338,728,838.73 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $103,623,626,373.63 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $106,975,571,725.57 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $111,121,398,871.40 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $121,463,914,463.91 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $136,106,623,106.62 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $149,051,306,801.31 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $163,297,074,547.07 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $177,079,744,579.74 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $193,464,582,714.58 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $214,656,816,156.82 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $237,723,492,723.49 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $265,310,885,060.89 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $288,377,561,627.56 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $306,328,111,078.11 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $325,425,378,675.38 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $349,859,296,109.30 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $373,080,338,580.34 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $397,448,099,198.10 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $427,880,234,630.23 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $466,714,285,714.29 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $507,466,884,466.88 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $544,889,590,139.59 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $577,394,639,144.64 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $604,937,926,937.93 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $632,040,169,290.17 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $654,268,859,518.86 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $672,506,088,506.09 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $694,139,367,389.37 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $718,374,814,374.81 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $747,527,918,027.92 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $781,951,514,701.51 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $818,756,756,756.76 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $851,658,746,658.75 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $889,081,452,331.45 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $926,614,419,364.42 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $963,772,497,772.50 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $1,006,398,878,081.38 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $1,043,699,414,166.91 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $1,076,806,269,676.27 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $1,113,565,643,005.64 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $1,147,456,456,786.46 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $1,189,501,980,249.48 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $1,218,773,504,603.50 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $1,247,893,750,371.25 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $1,280,746,784,229.28 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $1,329,260,459,607.96 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $1,362,650,466,290.47 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $1,389,555,781,853.28 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $1,428,848,961,241.46 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $1,487,509,989,604.99 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $1,505,859,905,702.41 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $1,566,857,151,767.15 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $1,574,112,349,272.35 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $1,616,416,766,409.27 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $1,656,973,678,812.74 | 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 |