According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,441.20% higher in 2026 versus 1952 (a $34,412,035,928,143,712,256 difference in value).
Between 1952 and 2026:Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 4.94% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care costing $1,000,000,000,000,000,000 in the year 1952 would cost $35,412,035,928,143,712,256 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.45% during this same period, inflation for medical care was higher.
In the year 1952: Pricing changed by 5.47%, which is above the average yearly change for medical care during the 1952-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1952 (2.28%), inflation for medical care was much higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Medical care, over time, for $1,000,000,000,000,000,000 beginning in 1952. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | $1,000,000,000,000,000,000.00 | 5.47% |
| 1953 | $1,035,429,141,716,567,040.00 | 3.54% |
| 1954 | $1,067,365,269,461,077,888.00 | 3.08% |
| 1955 | $1,092,315,369,261,477,120.00 | 2.34% |
| 1956 | $1,132,235,528,942,116,096.00 | 3.65% |
| 1957 | $1,178,642,714,570,858,240.00 | 4.10% |
| 1958 | $1,235,029,940,119,760,640.00 | 4.78% |
| 1959 | $1,286,926,147,704,590,592.00 | 4.20% |
| 1960 | $1,332,335,329,341,317,376.00 | 3.53% |
| 1961 | $1,372,754,491,017,964,032.00 | 3.03% |
| 1962 | $1,409,181,636,726,546,944.00 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $1,442,614,770,459,081,984.00 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $1,472,055,888,223,552,768.00 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $1,507,984,031,936,127,744.00 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $1,574,850,299,401,197,568.00 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $1,685,628,742,514,970,368.00 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $1,787,924,151,696,607,232.00 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $1,911,676,646,706,586,880.00 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $2,032,934,131,736,526,848.00 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $2,164,670,658,682,635,008.00 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $2,234,530,938,123,752,960.00 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $2,320,858,283,433,134,080.00 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $2,536,926,147,704,591,360.00 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $2,842,814,371,257,485,312.00 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $3,113,273,453,093,812,224.00 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $3,410,678,642,714,571,776.00 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $3,698,602,794,411,177,984.00 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $4,040,918,163,672,654,848.00 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $4,483,532,934,131,737,088.00 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $4,965,568,862,275,448,832.00 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $5,541,916,167,664,670,720.00 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $6,023,453,093,812,375,552.00 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $6,398,702,594,810,379,264.00 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $6,797,405,189,620,760,576.00 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $7,307,884,231,536,926,720.00 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $7,792,914,171,656,687,616.00 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $8,301,896,207,584,830,464.00 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $8,937,125,748,502,994,944.00 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $9,748,502,994,011,973,632.00 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $10,599,800,399,201,597,440.00 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $11,381,237,524,950,102,016.00 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $12,060,379,241,516,967,936.00 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $12,635,728,542,914,170,880.00 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $13,201,596,806,387,224,576.00 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $13,666,167,664,670,658,560.00 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $14,046,906,187,624,751,104.00 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $14,499,001,996,007,983,104.00 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $15,004,990,019,960,080,384.00 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $15,613,772,455,089,823,744.00 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $16,332,834,331,337,324,544.00 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $17,101,796,407,185,627,136.00 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $17,788,922,155,688,622,080.00 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $18,570,858,283,433,127,936.00 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $19,354,790,419,161,673,728.00 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $20,130,738,522,954,092,544.00 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $21,021,172,654,690,619,392.00 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $21,800,289,421,157,683,200.00 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $22,491,811,377,245,507,584.00 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $23,259,620,758,483,038,208.00 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $23,967,514,970,059,882,496.00 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $24,845,743,512,974,053,376.00 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $25,457,155,688,622,751,744.00 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $26,065,404,191,616,770,048.00 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $26,751,621,756,487,024,640.00 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $27,764,950,099,800,408,064.00 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $28,462,385,229,540,921,344.00 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $29,024,371,257,485,033,472.00 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $29,845,109,780,439,126,016.00 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $31,070,389,221,556,891,648.00 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $31,453,677,644,710,584,320.00 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $32,727,754,491,017,965,568.00 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $32,879,301,397,205,590,016.00 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $33,762,934,131,736,526,848.00 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $34,760,369,261,477,044,224.00 | 2.95% |
| 2026 | $35,412,035,928,143,712,256.00 | 1.87%* |
* 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 | 2026 |
| CPI | 10.200 | 10.200 | 10.283 | 10.300 | 10.358 | 10.350 | 10.408 | 10.683 | 11.192 | 11.525 | 11.850 | 12.408 | 13.542 | 14.375 | 14.842 | 15.117 | 15.833 | 16.700 | 17.292 | 17.825 | 18.242 | 18.908 | 19.683 | 20.625 | 21.492 | 22.250 | 22.925 | 23.533 | 24.092 | 24.583 | 25.183 | 26.300 | 28.150 | 29.858 | 31.925 | 33.950 | 36.150 | 37.317 | 38.758 | 42.367 | 47.475 | 51.992 | 56.958 | 61.767 | 67.483 | 74.875 | 82.925 | 92.550 | 100.592 | 106.858 | 113.517 | 122.042 | 130.142 | 138.642 | 149.250 | 162.800 | 177.017 | 190.067 | 201.408 | 211.017 | 220.467 | 228.225 | 234.583 | 242.133 | 250.583 | 260.750 | 272.758 | 285.600 | 297.075 | 310.133 | 323.225 | 336.183 | 351.054 | 364.065 | 375.613 | 388.436 | 400.257 | 414.924 | 425.134 | 435.292 | 446.752 | 463.675 | 475.322 | 484.707 | 498.413 | 518.875 | 525.276 | 546.553 | 549.084 | 563.841 | 580.498 | 591.381 |