According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 4,757.04% higher in 2025 versus 1945 (a $294,936,670,168.07 difference in value).
Between 1945 and 2025: Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 4.97% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care costing $6,200,000,000 in the year 1945 would cost $301,136,670,168.07 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.67% during this same period, inflation for medical care was higher.
In the year 1945: Pricing changed by 2.76%, which is below the average yearly change for medical care during the 1945-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1945 (2.27%), inflation for medical care was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Medical care, over time, for $6,200,000,000 beginning in 1945. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1945 | $6,200,000,000.00 | 2.76% |
| 1946 | $6,543,865,546.22 | 5.55% |
| 1947 | $7,053,652,230.12 | 7.79% |
| 1948 | $7,490,497,737.56 | 6.19% |
| 1949 | $7,730,963,154.49 | 3.21% |
| 1950 | $7,875,242,404.65 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $8,251,971,557.85 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $8,700,840,336.13 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $9,009,437,621.20 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $9,285,972,850.68 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $9,502,391,725.92 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $9,851,066,580.48 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $10,255,850,032.32 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $10,744,796,380.09 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $11,197,672,915.32 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $11,594,440,853.26 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $11,943,115,707.82 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $12,259,728,506.79 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $12,552,294,764.06 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $12,808,791,208.79 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $13,121,396,250.81 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $13,702,521,008.40 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $14,668,390,433.10 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $15,558,112,475.76 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $16,632,191,338.07 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $17,690,239,172.59 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $18,832,449,903.04 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $19,441,628,959.28 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $20,195,087,265.68 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $22,074,725,274.73 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $24,735,875,888.82 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $27,088,429,217.84 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $29,677,440,206.85 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $32,182,288,299.94 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $35,160,051,712.99 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $39,011,506,140.92 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $43,203,619,909.50 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $48,217,323,852.62 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $52,409,437,621.20 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $55,671,751,777.63 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $59,142,469,295.41 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $63,583,063,994.83 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $67,803,232,062.06 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $72,231,803,490.63 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $77,762,508,080.16 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $84,820,168,067.23 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $92,226,502,908.86 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $99,027,666,451.20 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $104,935,100,193.92 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $109,940,788,623.14 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $114,866,321,913.38 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $118,906,140,917.91 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $122,220,555,914.67 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $126,152,165,481.58 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $130,556,690,368.46 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $135,854,945,054.95 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $142,111,053,652.23 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $148,800,000,000.00 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $154,779,573,367.81 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $161,580,736,910.15 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $168,401,939,237.23 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $175,155,009,696.19 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $182,901,883,645.77 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $189,680,844,214.61 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $195,697,649,644.47 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $202,378,259,857.79 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $208,537,541,047.19 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $216,178,850,678.73 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $221,498,627,020.04 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $226,790,910,148.67 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $232,761,586,296.06 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $241,578,411,118.29 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $247,646,676,147.38 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $252,536,420,168.07 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $259,677,521,654.82 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $270,338,515,837.10 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $273,673,410,471.88 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $284,758,986,425.34 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $286,077,538,461.54 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $293,765,899,159.66 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $301,136,670,168.07 | 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 |