According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,613.83% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $56,138,260,869,565,218,816 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2026:Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 4.82% 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 1940 would cost $57,138,260,869,565,218,816 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.73% during this same period, inflation for medical care was higher.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by -0.08%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for medical care during the 1940-2026 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 $1,000,000,000,000,000,000 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 | $1,000,000,000,000,000,000.00 | -0.08% |
| 1941 | $1,005,636,070,853,462,272.00 | 0.56% |
| 1942 | $1,032,206,119,162,640,768.00 | 2.64% |
| 1943 | $1,081,320,450,885,668,480.00 | 4.76% |
| 1944 | $1,113,526,570,048,309,120.00 | 2.98% |
| 1945 | $1,144,927,536,231,884,288.00 | 2.82% |
| 1946 | $1,198,872,785,829,307,648.00 | 4.71% |
| 1947 | $1,308,373,590,982,286,592.00 | 9.13% |
| 1948 | $1,388,888,888,888,888,832.00 | 6.15% |
| 1949 | $1,433,977,455,716,586,240.00 | 3.25% |
| 1950 | $1,460,547,504,025,764,864.00 | 1.85% |
| 1951 | $1,529,790,660,225,443,072.00 | 4.74% |
| 1952 | $1,613,526,570,048,309,248.00 | 5.47% |
| 1953 | $1,670,692,431,561,997,056.00 | 3.54% |
| 1954 | $1,722,222,222,222,222,336.00 | 3.08% |
| 1955 | $1,762,479,871,175,523,584.00 | 2.34% |
| 1956 | $1,826,892,109,500,805,376.00 | 3.65% |
| 1957 | $1,901,771,336,553,944,832.00 | 4.10% |
| 1958 | $1,992,753,623,188,406,016.00 | 4.78% |
| 1959 | $2,076,489,533,011,271,936.00 | 4.20% |
| 1960 | $2,149,758,454,106,280,192.00 | 3.53% |
| 1961 | $2,214,975,845,410,627,840.00 | 3.03% |
| 1962 | $2,273,752,012,882,447,616.00 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $2,327,697,262,479,871,488.00 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $2,375,201,288,244,766,208.00 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $2,433,172,302,737,520,128.00 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $2,541,062,801,932,367,360.00 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $2,719,806,763,285,024,768.00 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $2,884,863,123,993,559,040.00 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $3,084,541,062,801,932,288.00 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $3,280,193,236,714,975,232.00 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $3,492,753,623,188,406,272.00 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $3,605,475,040,257,649,664.00 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $3,744,766,505,636,071,424.00 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $4,093,397,745,571,657,728.00 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $4,586,956,521,739,130,880.00 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $5,023,349,436,392,914,944.00 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $5,503,220,611,916,264,448.00 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $5,967,793,880,837,360,640.00 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $6,520,128,824,476,651,520.00 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $7,234,299,516,908,213,248.00 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $8,012,077,294,685,990,912.00 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $8,942,028,985,507,247,104.00 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $9,719,001,610,305,957,888.00 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $10,324,476,650,563,606,528.00 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $10,967,793,880,837,359,616.00 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $11,791,465,378,421,901,312.00 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $12,574,074,074,074,075,136.00 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $13,395,330,112,721,418,240.00 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $14,420,289,855,072,464,896.00 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $15,729,468,599,033,815,040.00 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $17,103,059,581,320,450,048.00 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $18,363,929,146,537,844,736.00 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $19,459,742,351,046,701,056.00 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $20,388,083,735,909,822,464.00 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $21,301,127,214,170,693,632.00 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $22,050,724,637,681,160,192.00 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $22,665,056,360,708,538,368.00 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $23,394,524,959,742,349,312.00 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $24,210,950,080,515,297,280.00 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $25,193,236,714,975,846,400.00 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $26,353,462,157,809,983,488.00 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $27,594,202,898,550,726,656.00 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $28,702,898,550,724,636,672.00 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $29,964,573,268,921,094,144.00 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $31,229,468,599,033,815,040.00 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $32,481,481,481,481,482,240.00 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $33,918,220,611,916,267,520.00 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $35,175,346,215,781,003,264.00 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $36,291,135,265,700,487,168.00 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $37,530,016,103,059,587,072.00 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $38,672,222,222,222,221,312.00 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $40,089,267,310,789,050,368.00 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $41,075,797,101,449,265,152.00 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $42,057,222,222,222,221,312.00 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $43,164,452,495,974,236,160.00 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $44,799,484,702,093,410,304.00 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $45,924,814,814,814,822,400.00 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $46,831,594,202,898,554,880.00 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $48,155,877,616,747,184,128.00 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $50,132,898,550,724,640,768.00 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $50,751,344,605,475,045,376.00 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $52,807,101,449,275,367,424.00 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $53,051,626,409,017,704,448.00 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $54,477,391,304,347,828,224.00 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $56,086,779,388,083,724,288.00 | 2.95% |
| 2026 | $57,138,260,869,565,218,816.00 | 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 |