According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 3,069.06% higher in 2025 versus 1955 (a $2,271,105,762,336.57 difference in value).
Between 1955 and 2025: Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 5.06% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care costing $74,000,000,000 in the year 1955 would cost $2,345,105,762,336.57 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.61% during this same period, inflation for medical care was higher.
In the year 1955: Pricing changed by 2.33%, which is below the average yearly change for medical care during the 1955-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1955 (-0.29%), inflation for medical care was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Medical care, over time, for $74,000,000,000 beginning in 1955. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | $74,000,000,000.00 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $76,715,309,995.78 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $79,867,566,427.67 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $83,675,242,513.71 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $87,202,024,462.25 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $90,291,859,974.69 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $93,007,169,970.48 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $95,472,796,288.49 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $97,751,159,848.17 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $99,748,629,270.35 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $102,183,045,128.64 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $106,708,561,788.27 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $114,230,282,581.19 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $121,159,004,639.39 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $129,523,407,844.79 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $137,762,969,211.30 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $146,657,950,231.97 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $151,401,940,109.66 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $157,269,506,537.33 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $171,907,212,146.77 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $192,630,957,401.94 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $210,951,497,258.54 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $231,113,454,238.72 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $250,619,991,564.74 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $273,809,363,137.92 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $303,802,614,930.41 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $336,448,755,799.24 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $375,493,040,911.01 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $408,139,181,779.84 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $433,544,495,993.25 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $460,572,754,112.19 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $495,153,943,483.76 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $528,018,557,570.65 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $562,506,115,563.05 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $605,576,549,978.91 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $660,538,169,548.71 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $718,215,099,114.30 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $771,179,249,261.91 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $817,183,466,891.61 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $856,165,331,083.93 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $894,522,986,081.82 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $925,983,129,481.23 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $951,794,179,671.02 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $982,411,640,657.95 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $1,016,711,935,892.03 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $1,057,972,163,644.03 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $1,106,691,691,269.51 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $1,158,781,948,544.92 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $1,205,347,954,449.60 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $1,258,312,104,597.22 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $1,311,432,307,043.44 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $1,364,021,931,674.40 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $1,424,350,814,002.53 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $1,477,142,058,203.29 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $1,523,998,009,278.79 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $1,576,023,348,797.98 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $1,623,988,831,716.58 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $1,683,495,630,535.64 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $1,724,923,458,456.35 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $1,766,137,182,623.37 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $1,812,633,901,307.47 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $1,881,295,040,067.48 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $1,928,551,733,445.80 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $1,966,630,679,038.38 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $2,022,242,100,379.59 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $2,105,264,732,180.51 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $2,131,235,267,819.49 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $2,217,564,335,723.32 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $2,227,832,576,971.74 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $2,287,705,786,587.94 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $2,345,105,762,336.57 | 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 |