According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,479.04% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $191,766,258,445.95 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 $3,500,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $195,266,258,445.95 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 $3,500,000,000 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 | $3,500,000,000.00 | - |
| 1941 | $3,520,270,270.27 | 0.58% |
| 1942 | $3,628,378,378.38 | 3.07% |
| 1943 | $3,804,054,054.05 | 4.84% |
| 1944 | $3,912,162,162.16 | 2.84% |
| 1945 | $4,020,270,270.27 | 2.76% |
| 1946 | $4,243,243,243.24 | 5.55% |
| 1947 | $4,573,804,573.80 | 7.79% |
| 1948 | $4,857,068,607.07 | 6.19% |
| 1949 | $5,012,993,762.99 | 3.21% |
| 1950 | $5,106,548,856.55 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $5,350,831,600.83 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $5,641,891,891.89 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $5,841,995,842.00 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $6,021,309,771.31 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $6,161,642,411.64 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $6,387,733,887.73 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $6,650,207,900.21 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $6,967,255,717.26 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $7,260,914,760.91 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $7,518,191,268.19 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $7,744,282,744.28 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $7,949,584,199.58 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $8,139,293,139.29 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $8,305,613,305.61 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $8,508,316,008.32 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $8,885,135,135.14 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $9,511,434,511.43 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $10,088,357,588.36 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $10,784,823,284.82 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $11,470,893,970.89 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $12,211,538,461.54 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $12,606,548,856.55 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $13,095,114,345.11 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $14,313,929,313.93 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $16,039,501,039.50 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $17,564,968,814.97 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $19,243,762,993.76 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $20,867,983,367.98 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $22,798,856,548.86 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $25,296,257,796.26 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $28,014,553,014.55 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $31,265,592,515.59 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $33,983,887,733.89 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $36,099,272,349.27 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $38,349,792,099.79 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $41,229,209,979.21 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $43,965,696,465.70 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $46,837,318,087.32 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $50,423,596,673.60 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $55,000,000,000.00 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $59,802,494,802.49 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $64,212,577,962.58 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $68,043,139,293.14 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $71,288,981,288.98 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $74,482,848,232.85 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $77,102,390,852.39 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $79,251,559,251.56 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $81,800,935,550.94 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $84,656,964,656.96 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $88,092,515,592.52 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $92,149,168,399.17 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $96,486,486,486.49 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $100,363,825,363.83 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $104,773,908,523.91 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $109,196,985,446.99 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $113,575,883,575.88 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $118,599,194,386.69 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $122,994,880,457.38 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $126,896,361,746.36 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $131,228,274,428.27 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $135,222,141,372.14 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $140,177,001,039.50 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $143,626,507,276.51 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $147,058,186,070.69 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $150,929,755,717.26 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $156,646,855,509.36 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $160,581,704,781.70 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $163,752,364,864.86 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $168,382,874,220.37 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $175,295,790,020.79 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $177,458,238,045.74 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $184,646,465,696.47 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $185,501,455,301.46 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $190,486,824,324.32 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $195,266,258,445.95 | 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 |