According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,479.04% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $506,106,934,143.64 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 $9,237,153,000 in the year 1940 would cost $515,344,087,143.64 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 $9,237,153,000 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 | $9,237,153,000.00 | - |
| 1941 | $9,290,650,025.10 | 0.58% |
| 1942 | $9,575,967,492.28 | 3.07% |
| 1943 | $10,039,608,376.45 | 4.84% |
| 1944 | $10,324,925,843.63 | 2.84% |
| 1945 | $10,610,243,310.81 | 2.76% |
| 1946 | $11,198,710,586.87 | 5.55% |
| 1947 | $12,071,123,611.52 | 7.79% |
| 1948 | $12,818,710,244.28 | 6.19% |
| 1949 | $13,230,225,821.95 | 3.21% |
| 1950 | $13,477,135,168.55 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $14,121,842,906.89 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $14,890,005,318.53 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $15,418,116,976.54 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $15,891,359,890.85 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $16,261,723,910.75 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $16,858,421,498.37 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $17,551,139,387.44 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $18,387,887,728.69 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $19,162,908,733.29 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $19,841,909,436.44 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $20,438,607,024.06 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $20,980,435,867.98 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $21,481,113,154.14 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $21,920,063,103.65 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $22,455,033,354.62 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $23,449,529,333.98 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $25,102,450,237.60 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $26,625,057,874.96 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $28,463,160,788.54 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $30,273,829,330.26 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $32,228,528,324.18 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $33,271,034,454.26 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $34,560,449,930.95 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $37,777,130,029.70 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $42,331,235,755.87 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $46,357,229,824.03 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $50,787,880,876.89 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $55,074,501,477.58 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $60,170,436,047.67 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $66,761,543,883.28 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $73,935,632,120.58 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $82,515,731,914.91 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $89,689,820,152.21 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $95,272,714,822.54 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $101,212,256,326.85 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $108,811,577,327.74 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $116,033,675,715.77 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $123,612,420,937.78 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $133,077,279,224.09 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $145,155,261,428.57 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $157,829,941,220.67 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $169,468,973,475.65 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $179,578,539,500.30 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $188,144,922,108.70 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $196,574,132,857.89 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $203,487,594,562.67 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $209,159,650,941.49 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $215,887,930,636.32 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $223,425,524,300.56 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $232,492,584,195.13 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $243,198,847,807.40 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $254,645,839,459.46 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $264,878,860,157.41 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $276,517,892,412.38 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $288,191,217,632.17 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $299,747,946,771.61 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $313,005,401,207.61 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $324,606,436,857.58 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $334,903,173,884.14 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $346,335,899,662.85 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $356,876,459,669.17 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $369,953,258,766.58 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $379,057,149,305.35 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $388,113,989,896.40 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $398,331,784,517.98 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $413,420,277,516.80 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $423,805,078,876.98 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $432,173,042,391.02 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $444,393,820,500.96 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $462,638,295,050.83 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $468,345,398,839.69 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $487,316,472,727.86 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $489,572,949,812.06 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $502,730,268,790.83 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $515,344,087,143.64 | 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 |