According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 4,757.04% higher in 2025 versus 1945 (a $3,444,038,093.58 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 $72,398,715.86 in the year 1945 would cost $3,516,436,809.44 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 $72,398,715.86 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 | $72,398,715.86 | 2.76% |
| 1946 | $76,414,106.82 | 5.55% |
| 1947 | $82,366,994.13 | 7.79% |
| 1948 | $87,468,131.83 | 6.19% |
| 1949 | $90,276,097.54 | 3.21% |
| 1950 | $91,960,876.97 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $96,360,023.24 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $101,601,559.23 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $105,205,115.23 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $108,434,275.79 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $110,961,444.93 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $115,032,995.21 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $119,759,737.48 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $125,469,267.76 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $130,757,603.18 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $135,390,746.60 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $139,462,296.87 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $143,159,451.72 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $146,575,810.00 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $149,570,973.43 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $153,221,328.85 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $160,007,245.98 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $171,285,908.24 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $181,675,381.36 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $194,217,628.20 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $206,572,677.31 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $219,910,514.43 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $227,024,027.56 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $235,822,320.12 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $257,771,252.07 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $288,846,072.58 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $316,317,337.10 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $346,549,767.90 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $375,799,410.70 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $410,571,386.06 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $455,545,636.83 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $504,497,839.02 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $563,043,924.05 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $611,996,126.25 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $650,090,861.03 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $690,619,166.09 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $742,472,932.85 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $791,752,731.04 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $843,466,099.51 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $908,049,310.82 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $990,463,104.37 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $1,076,948,448.20 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $1,156,367,078.34 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $1,225,349,435.92 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $1,283,801,922.09 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $1,341,318,419.69 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $1,388,492,243.60 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $1,427,195,370.95 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $1,473,105,610.29 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $1,524,538,182.19 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $1,586,407,026.65 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $1,659,460,934.51 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $1,737,569,180.64 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $1,807,393,927.93 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $1,886,812,558.07 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $1,966,465,185.34 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $2,045,322,222.33 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $2,135,784,113.60 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $2,214,943,474.90 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $2,285,202,988.88 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $2,363,213,892.21 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $2,435,137,125.87 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $2,524,366,320.20 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $2,586,486,477.58 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $2,648,285,590.88 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $2,718,006,443.45 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $2,820,962,378.14 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $2,891,822,796.79 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $2,948,921,375.49 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $3,032,309,533.15 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $3,156,800,224.86 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $3,195,742,497.29 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $3,325,191,120.45 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $3,340,588,132.42 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $3,430,366,752.04 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $3,516,436,809.44 | 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 |