According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,479.04% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $393,449,571,971.53 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 $7,181,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $400,630,571,971.53 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 $7,181,000,000 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 | $7,181,000,000.00 | - |
| 1941 | $7,222,588,803.09 | 0.58% |
| 1942 | $7,444,395,752.90 | 3.07% |
| 1943 | $7,804,832,046.33 | 4.84% |
| 1944 | $8,026,638,996.14 | 2.84% |
| 1945 | $8,248,445,945.95 | 2.76% |
| 1946 | $8,705,922,779.92 | 5.55% |
| 1947 | $9,384,140,184.14 | 7.79% |
| 1948 | $9,965,317,047.82 | 6.19% |
| 1949 | $10,285,230,917.73 | 3.21% |
| 1950 | $10,477,179,239.68 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $10,978,377,635.88 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $11,575,550,193.05 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $11,986,106,326.11 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $12,354,007,276.51 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $12,641,929,759.43 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $13,105,804,870.80 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $13,644,326,551.83 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $14,294,818,087.32 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $14,897,322,542.32 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $15,425,180,427.68 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $15,889,055,539.06 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $16,310,275,467.78 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $16,699,504,009.50 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $17,040,745,470.75 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $17,456,633,501.63 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $18,229,758,687.26 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $19,514,746,064.75 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $20,698,427,383.43 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $22,127,376,002.38 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $23,534,997,030.00 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $25,054,587,912.09 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $25,865,036,382.54 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $26,867,433,174.93 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $29,368,093,258.09 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $32,908,473,418.47 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $36,038,297,445.80 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $39,482,703,445.20 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $42,815,139,590.14 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $46,776,739,679.24 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $51,900,693,495.69 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $57,477,858,627.86 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $64,148,062,815.56 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $69,725,227,947.73 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $74,065,392,782.89 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $78,682,816,305.32 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $84,590,559,103.06 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $90,205,047,520.05 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $96,096,794,624.29 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $103,454,813,632.31 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $112,844,285,714.29 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $122,697,632,907.63 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $131,745,863,528.36 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $139,605,080,932.58 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $146,264,621,324.62 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $152,817,523,760.02 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $158,192,076,774.58 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $162,601,556,281.56 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $167,832,148,054.65 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $173,691,903,771.90 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $180,740,672,705.67 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $189,063,765,221.27 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $197,962,702,702.70 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $205,917,894,267.89 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $214,966,124,888.62 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $224,041,014,998.51 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $233,025,262,845.26 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $243,331,661,397.39 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $252,350,353,304.13 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $260,355,078,200.18 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $269,242,925,334.13 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $277,437,199,198.10 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $287,603,155,561.33 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $294,680,556,786.46 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $301,721,381,192.46 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $309,664,735,944.46 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $321,394,591,260.77 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $329,467,777,724.98 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $335,973,066,312.74 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $345,473,548,507.57 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $359,656,876,611.23 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $364,093,602,116.13 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $378,841,791,476.09 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $380,595,985,862.79 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $390,824,538,706.56 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $400,630,571,971.53 | 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 |