According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,479.04% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $3,670,954,090,250.97 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 $67,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $3,737,954,090,250.97 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 $67,000,000,000 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 | $67,000,000,000.00 | - |
| 1941 | $67,388,030,888.03 | 0.58% |
| 1942 | $69,457,528,957.53 | 3.07% |
| 1943 | $72,820,463,320.46 | 4.84% |
| 1944 | $74,889,961,389.96 | 2.84% |
| 1945 | $76,959,459,459.46 | 2.76% |
| 1946 | $81,227,799,227.80 | 5.55% |
| 1947 | $87,555,687,555.69 | 7.79% |
| 1948 | $92,978,170,478.17 | 6.19% |
| 1949 | $95,963,023,463.02 | 3.21% |
| 1950 | $97,753,935,253.94 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $102,430,204,930.20 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $108,001,930,501.93 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $111,832,491,832.49 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $115,265,072,765.07 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $117,951,440,451.44 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $122,279,477,279.48 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $127,303,979,803.98 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $133,373,180,873.18 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $138,994,653,994.65 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $143,919,661,419.66 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $148,247,698,247.70 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $152,177,754,677.75 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $155,809,325,809.33 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $158,993,168,993.17 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $162,873,477,873.48 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $170,086,872,586.87 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $182,076,032,076.03 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $193,119,988,119.99 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $206,452,331,452.33 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $219,585,684,585.68 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $233,763,736,263.74 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $241,325,363,825.36 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $250,677,903,177.90 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $274,009,504,009.50 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $307,041,877,041.88 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $336,243,688,743.69 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $368,380,605,880.61 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $399,472,824,472.82 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $436,435,253,935.25 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $484,242,649,242.65 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $536,278,586,278.59 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $598,512,771,012.77 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $650,548,708,048.71 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $691,043,213,543.21 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $734,124,591,624.59 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $789,244,876,744.88 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $841,629,046,629.05 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $896,600,089,100.09 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $965,251,707,751.71 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $1,052,857,142,857.14 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $1,144,790,614,790.61 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $1,229,212,206,712.21 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $1,302,540,095,040.10 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $1,364,674,784,674.78 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $1,425,814,523,314.52 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $1,475,960,053,460.05 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $1,517,101,277,101.28 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $1,565,903,623,403.62 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $1,620,576,180,576.18 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $1,686,342,441,342.44 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $1,763,998,366,498.37 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $1,847,027,027,027.03 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $1,921,250,371,250.37 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $2,005,671,963,171.96 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $2,090,342,292,842.29 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $2,174,166,914,166.91 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $2,270,327,435,402.44 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $2,354,473,425,898.43 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $2,429,158,924,858.92 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $2,512,084,110,484.11 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $2,588,538,134,838.13 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $2,683,388,305,613.31 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $2,749,421,710,721.71 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $2,815,113,847,638.85 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $2,889,226,752,301.75 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $2,998,668,376,893.38 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $3,073,992,634,392.63 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $3,134,688,127,413.13 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $3,223,329,306,504.31 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $3,355,662,266,112.27 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $3,397,057,699,732.70 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $3,534,660,914,760.91 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $3,551,027,858,627.86 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $3,646,462,065,637.07 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $3,737,954,090,250.97 | 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 |