According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,479.04% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $38,024,509,531,853.27 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 $694,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $38,718,509,531,853.27 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 $694,000,000,000 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 | $694,000,000,000.00 | - |
| 1941 | $698,019,305,019.30 | 0.58% |
| 1942 | $719,455,598,455.60 | 3.07% |
| 1943 | $754,289,575,289.58 | 4.84% |
| 1944 | $775,725,868,725.87 | 2.84% |
| 1945 | $797,162,162,162.16 | 2.76% |
| 1946 | $841,374,517,374.52 | 5.55% |
| 1947 | $906,920,106,920.11 | 7.79% |
| 1948 | $963,087,318,087.32 | 6.19% |
| 1949 | $994,005,049,005.05 | 3.21% |
| 1950 | $1,012,555,687,555.69 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $1,060,993,465,993.47 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $1,118,706,563,706.56 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $1,158,384,318,384.32 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $1,193,939,708,939.71 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $1,221,765,666,765.67 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $1,266,596,376,596.38 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $1,318,641,223,641.22 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $1,381,507,276,507.28 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $1,439,735,669,735.67 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $1,490,749,925,749.93 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $1,535,580,635,580.64 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $1,576,288,981,288.98 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $1,613,905,553,905.55 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $1,646,884,466,884.47 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $1,687,077,517,077.52 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $1,761,795,366,795.37 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $1,885,981,585,981.59 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $2,000,377,190,377.19 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $2,138,476,388,476.39 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $2,274,514,404,514.40 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $2,421,373,626,373.63 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $2,499,698,544,698.54 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $2,596,574,101,574.10 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $2,838,247,698,247.70 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $3,180,403,920,403.92 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $3,482,882,387,882.39 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $3,815,763,290,763.29 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $4,137,822,987,822.99 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $4,520,687,555,687.56 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $5,015,886,545,886.55 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $5,554,885,654,885.65 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $6,199,520,344,520.34 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $6,738,519,453,519.45 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $7,157,970,002,970.00 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $7,604,215,919,215.92 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $8,175,163,350,163.35 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $8,717,769,527,769.53 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $9,287,171,072,171.07 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $9,998,278,883,278.88 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $10,905,714,285,714.29 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $11,857,980,397,980.40 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $12,732,436,887,436.89 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $13,491,982,476,982.48 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $14,135,586,575,586.57 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $14,768,884,763,884.76 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $15,288,302,643,302.64 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $15,714,452,034,452.03 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $16,219,956,934,956.93 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $16,786,266,706,266.70 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $17,467,487,377,487.38 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $18,271,863,676,863.68 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $19,131,891,891,891.90 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $19,900,712,800,712.80 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $20,775,169,290,169.29 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $21,652,202,257,202.26 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $22,520,475,200,475.20 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $23,516,525,972,675.98 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $24,388,127,724,977.73 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $25,161,735,729,135.73 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $26,020,692,129,492.13 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $26,812,618,889,218.89 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $27,795,096,777,546.78 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $28,479,084,585,684.58 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $29,159,537,466,587.46 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $29,927,214,419,364.42 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $31,060,833,635,283.63 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $31,841,058,033,858.03 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $32,469,754,633,204.63 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $33,387,918,488,268.49 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $34,758,650,935,550.93 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $35,187,433,486,783.48 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $36,612,756,340,956.34 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $36,782,288,565,488.56 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $37,770,816,023,166.02 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $38,718,509,531,853.27 | 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 |