According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,479.04% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $18,409,560,810,810.81 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 $336,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $18,745,560,810,810.81 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 $336,000,000,000 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 | $336,000,000,000.00 | - |
| 1941 | $337,945,945,945.95 | 0.58% |
| 1942 | $348,324,324,324.32 | 3.07% |
| 1943 | $365,189,189,189.19 | 4.84% |
| 1944 | $375,567,567,567.57 | 2.84% |
| 1945 | $385,945,945,945.95 | 2.76% |
| 1946 | $407,351,351,351.35 | 5.55% |
| 1947 | $439,085,239,085.24 | 7.79% |
| 1948 | $466,278,586,278.59 | 6.19% |
| 1949 | $481,247,401,247.40 | 3.21% |
| 1950 | $490,228,690,228.69 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $513,679,833,679.83 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $541,621,621,621.62 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $560,831,600,831.60 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $578,045,738,045.74 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $591,517,671,517.67 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $613,222,453,222.45 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $638,419,958,419.96 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $668,856,548,856.55 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $697,047,817,047.82 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $721,746,361,746.36 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $743,451,143,451.14 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $763,160,083,160.08 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $781,372,141,372.14 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $797,338,877,338.88 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $816,798,336,798.34 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $852,972,972,972.97 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $913,097,713,097.71 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $968,482,328,482.33 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $1,035,343,035,343.04 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $1,101,205,821,205.82 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $1,172,307,692,307.69 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $1,210,228,690,228.69 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $1,257,130,977,130.98 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $1,374,137,214,137.21 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $1,539,792,099,792.10 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $1,686,237,006,237.01 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $1,847,401,247,401.25 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $2,003,326,403,326.40 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $2,188,690,228,690.23 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $2,428,440,748,440.75 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $2,689,397,089,397.09 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $3,001,496,881,496.88 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $3,262,453,222,453.22 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $3,465,530,145,530.15 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $3,681,580,041,580.04 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $3,958,004,158,004.16 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $4,220,706,860,706.86 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $4,496,382,536,382.54 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $4,840,665,280,665.28 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $5,280,000,000,000.00 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $5,741,039,501,039.50 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $6,164,407,484,407.48 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $6,532,141,372,141.37 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $6,843,742,203,742.20 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $7,150,353,430,353.43 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $7,401,829,521,829.52 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $7,608,149,688,149.69 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $7,852,889,812,889.81 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $8,127,068,607,068.61 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $8,456,881,496,881.50 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $8,846,320,166,320.17 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $9,262,702,702,702.70 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $9,634,927,234,927.23 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $10,058,295,218,295.22 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $10,482,910,602,910.60 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $10,903,284,823,284.82 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $11,385,522,661,122.66 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $11,807,508,523,908.52 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $12,182,050,727,650.73 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $12,597,914,345,114.35 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $12,981,325,571,725.57 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $13,456,992,099,792.10 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $13,788,144,698,544.70 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $14,117,585,862,785.86 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $14,489,256,548,856.55 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $15,038,098,128,898.13 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $15,415,843,659,043.66 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $15,720,227,027,027.03 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $16,164,755,925,155.92 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $16,828,395,841,995.84 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $17,035,990,852,390.85 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $17,726,060,706,860.70 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $17,808,139,708,939.71 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $18,286,735,135,135.13 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $18,745,560,810,810.81 | 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 |