According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,479.04% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $1,917,662,584,459,459.25 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 $35,000,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $1,952,662,584,459,459.25 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 $35,000,000,000,000 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 | $35,000,000,000,000.00 | - |
| 1941 | $35,202,702,702,702.70 | 0.58% |
| 1942 | $36,283,783,783,783.78 | 3.07% |
| 1943 | $38,040,540,540,540.54 | 4.84% |
| 1944 | $39,121,621,621,621.62 | 2.84% |
| 1945 | $40,202,702,702,702.70 | 2.76% |
| 1946 | $42,432,432,432,432.42 | 5.55% |
| 1947 | $45,738,045,738,045.73 | 7.79% |
| 1948 | $48,570,686,070,686.06 | 6.19% |
| 1949 | $50,129,937,629,937.62 | 3.21% |
| 1950 | $51,065,488,565,488.56 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $53,508,316,008,316.01 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $56,418,918,918,918.91 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $58,419,958,419,958.43 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $60,213,097,713,097.70 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $61,616,424,116,424.11 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $63,877,338,877,338.87 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $66,502,079,002,079.00 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $69,672,557,172,557.17 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $72,609,147,609,147.59 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $75,181,912,681,912.67 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $77,442,827,442,827.44 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $79,495,841,995,841.98 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $81,392,931,392,931.39 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $83,056,133,056,133.05 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $85,083,160,083,160.08 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $88,851,351,351,351.33 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $95,114,345,114,345.13 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $100,883,575,883,575.88 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $107,848,232,848,232.84 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $114,708,939,708,939.69 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $122,115,384,615,384.59 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $126,065,488,565,488.56 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $130,951,143,451,143.42 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $143,139,293,139,293.13 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $160,395,010,395,010.38 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $175,649,688,149,688.13 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $192,437,629,937,629.91 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $208,679,833,679,833.59 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $227,988,565,488,565.47 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $252,962,577,962,577.91 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $280,145,530,145,530.09 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $312,655,925,155,925.13 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $339,838,877,338,877.25 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $360,992,723,492,723.44 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $383,497,920,997,920.94 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $412,292,099,792,099.69 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $439,656,964,656,964.63 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $468,373,180,873,180.81 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $504,235,966,735,966.56 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $549,999,999,999,999.94 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $598,024,948,024,947.88 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $642,125,779,625,779.50 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $680,431,392,931,392.88 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $712,889,812,889,812.75 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $744,828,482,328,482.25 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $771,023,908,523,908.50 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $792,515,592,515,592.38 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $818,009,355,509,355.25 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $846,569,646,569,646.38 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $880,925,155,925,155.88 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $921,491,683,991,683.88 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $964,864,864,864,864.75 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $1,003,638,253,638,253.50 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $1,047,739,085,239,085.13 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $1,091,969,854,469,854.38 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $1,135,758,835,758,835.50 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $1,185,991,943,866,943.75 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $1,229,948,804,573,804.25 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $1,268,963,617,463,617.25 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $1,312,282,744,282,744.00 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $1,352,221,413,721,413.50 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $1,401,770,010,395,010.50 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $1,436,265,072,765,072.50 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $1,470,581,860,706,860.50 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $1,509,297,557,172,557.00 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $1,566,468,555,093,555.00 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $1,605,817,047,817,047.75 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $1,637,523,648,648,648.75 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $1,683,828,742,203,742.00 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $1,752,957,900,207,899.75 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $1,774,582,380,457,379.75 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $1,846,464,656,964,656.75 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $1,855,014,553,014,553.00 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $1,904,868,243,243,243.00 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $1,952,662,584,459,459.25 | 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 |