According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,479.04% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $2,268,320,885,617,760.50 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 $41,400,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $2,309,720,885,617,760.50 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 $41,400,000,000,000 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 | $41,400,000,000,000.00 | - |
| 1941 | $41,639,768,339,768.34 | 0.58% |
| 1942 | $42,918,532,818,532.81 | 3.07% |
| 1943 | $44,996,525,096,525.09 | 4.84% |
| 1944 | $46,275,289,575,289.57 | 2.84% |
| 1945 | $47,554,054,054,054.05 | 2.76% |
| 1946 | $50,191,505,791,505.78 | 5.55% |
| 1947 | $54,101,574,101,574.09 | 7.79% |
| 1948 | $57,452,182,952,182.94 | 6.19% |
| 1949 | $59,296,554,796,554.80 | 3.21% |
| 1950 | $60,403,177,903,177.89 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $63,292,693,792,693.79 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $66,735,521,235,521.23 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $69,102,465,102,465.11 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $71,223,492,723,492.72 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $72,883,427,383,427.38 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $75,557,766,557,766.55 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $78,662,459,162,459.16 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $82,412,681,912,681.92 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $85,886,248,886,248.88 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $88,929,462,429,462.42 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $91,603,801,603,801.59 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $94,032,224,532,224.52 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $96,276,210,276,210.28 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $98,243,540,243,540.23 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $100,641,223,641,223.63 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $105,098,455,598,455.58 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $112,506,682,506,682.48 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $119,330,858,330,858.31 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $127,569,052,569,052.56 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $135,684,288,684,288.69 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $144,445,054,945,054.97 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $149,117,463,617,463.59 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $154,896,495,396,495.34 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $169,313,335,313,335.28 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $189,724,383,724,383.72 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $207,768,488,268,488.25 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $227,626,225,126,225.03 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $246,838,431,838,431.75 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $269,677,903,177,903.16 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $299,218,592,218,592.19 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $331,372,141,372,141.25 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $369,827,294,327,294.25 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $401,980,843,480,843.44 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $427,002,821,502,821.44 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $453,623,255,123,255.06 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $487,682,655,182,655.06 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $520,051,381,051,380.94 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $554,018,562,518,562.50 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $596,439,114,939,114.88 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $650,571,428,571,428.50 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $707,378,081,378,081.25 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $759,543,065,043,065.00 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $804,853,133,353,133.13 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $843,246,807,246,807.00 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $881,025,690,525,690.50 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $912,011,137,511,137.50 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $937,432,729,432,729.25 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $967,588,209,088,209.00 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $1,001,370,953,370,953.13 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $1,042,008,613,008,613.00 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $1,089,993,020,493,020.50 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $1,141,297,297,297,297.25 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $1,187,160,677,160,677.00 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $1,239,325,660,825,660.75 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $1,291,644,342,144,342.00 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $1,343,440,451,440,451.25 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $1,402,859,042,174,042.00 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $1,454,853,728,838,728.75 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $1,501,002,678,942,678.75 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $1,552,243,017,523,017.50 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $1,599,484,757,944,757.75 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $1,658,093,669,438,669.50 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $1,698,896,400,356,400.00 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $1,739,488,258,093,258.00 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $1,785,283,396,198,396.25 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $1,852,908,519,453,519.00 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $1,899,452,165,132,165.00 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $1,936,956,544,401,544.25 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $1,991,728,855,063,855.00 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $2,073,498,773,388,773.00 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $2,099,077,444,312,443.75 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $2,184,103,908,523,908.25 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $2,194,217,214,137,213.75 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $2,253,187,007,722,007.50 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $2,309,720,885,617,760.50 | 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 |