According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,613.83% higher in 2026 versus 1940 (a $561,382,608,695,652,188,160 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 $10,000,000,000,000,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $571,382,608,695,652,188,160 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 $10,000,000,000,000,000,000 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 | $10,000,000,000,000,000,000.00 | -0.08% |
| 1941 | $10,056,360,708,534,622,208.00 | 0.56% |
| 1942 | $10,322,061,191,626,407,936.00 | 2.64% |
| 1943 | $10,813,204,508,856,684,544.00 | 4.76% |
| 1944 | $11,135,265,700,483,092,480.00 | 2.98% |
| 1945 | $11,449,275,362,318,841,856.00 | 2.82% |
| 1946 | $11,988,727,858,293,075,968.00 | 4.71% |
| 1947 | $13,083,735,909,822,863,360.00 | 9.13% |
| 1948 | $13,888,888,888,888,889,344.00 | 6.15% |
| 1949 | $14,339,774,557,165,858,816.00 | 3.25% |
| 1950 | $14,605,475,040,257,648,640.00 | 1.85% |
| 1951 | $15,297,906,602,254,430,208.00 | 4.74% |
| 1952 | $16,135,265,700,483,092,480.00 | 5.47% |
| 1953 | $16,706,924,315,619,971,072.00 | 3.54% |
| 1954 | $17,222,222,222,222,223,360.00 | 3.08% |
| 1955 | $17,624,798,711,755,233,280.00 | 2.34% |
| 1956 | $18,268,921,095,008,053,248.00 | 3.65% |
| 1957 | $19,017,713,365,539,454,976.00 | 4.10% |
| 1958 | $19,927,536,231,884,058,624.00 | 4.78% |
| 1959 | $20,764,895,330,112,716,800.00 | 4.20% |
| 1960 | $21,497,584,541,062,803,456.00 | 3.53% |
| 1961 | $22,149,758,454,106,279,936.00 | 3.03% |
| 1962 | $22,737,520,128,824,475,648.00 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $23,276,972,624,798,715,904.00 | 2.37% |
| 1964 | $23,752,012,882,447,663,104.00 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $24,331,723,027,375,206,400.00 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $25,410,628,019,323,670,528.00 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $27,198,067,632,850,247,680.00 | 7.03% |
| 1968 | $28,848,631,239,935,586,304.00 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $30,845,410,628,019,322,880.00 | 6.92% |
| 1970 | $32,801,932,367,149,752,320.00 | 6.34% |
| 1971 | $34,927,536,231,884,058,624.00 | 6.48% |
| 1972 | $36,054,750,402,576,494,592.00 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $37,447,665,056,360,710,144.00 | 3.86% |
| 1974 | $40,933,977,455,716,589,568.00 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $45,869,565,217,391,304,704.00 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $50,233,494,363,929,149,440.00 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $55,032,206,119,162,650,624.00 | 9.55% |
| 1978 | $59,677,938,808,373,600,256.00 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $65,201,288,244,766,515,200.00 | 9.26% |
| 1980 | $72,342,995,169,082,130,432.00 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $80,120,772,946,859,900,928.00 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $89,420,289,855,072,468,992.00 | 11.61% |
| 1983 | $97,190,016,103,059,570,688.00 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $103,244,766,505,636,069,376.00 | 6.23% |
| 1985 | $109,677,938,808,373,608,448.00 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $117,914,653,784,219,025,408.00 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $125,740,740,740,740,759,552.00 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $133,953,301,127,214,202,880.00 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $144,202,898,550,724,624,384.00 | 7.65% |
| 1990 | $157,294,685,990,338,134,016.00 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $171,030,595,813,204,525,056.00 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $183,639,291,465,378,463,744.00 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $194,597,423,510,466,985,984.00 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $203,880,837,359,098,232,832.00 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $213,011,272,141,706,919,936.00 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $220,507,246,376,811,626,496.00 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $226,650,563,607,085,350,912.00 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $233,945,249,597,423,550,464.00 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $242,109,500,805,152,997,376.00 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $251,932,367,149,758,480,384.00 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $263,534,621,578,099,851,264.00 | 4.61% |
| 2002 | $275,942,028,985,507,250,176.00 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $287,028,985,507,246,374,912.00 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $299,645,732,689,210,966,016.00 | 4.40% |
| 2005 | $312,294,685,990,338,101,248.00 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $324,814,814,814,814,797,824.00 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $339,182,206,119,162,675,200.00 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $351,753,462,157,810,008,064.00 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $362,911,352,657,004,920,832.00 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $375,300,161,030,595,870,720.00 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $386,722,222,222,222,229,504.00 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $400,892,673,107,890,470,912.00 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $410,757,971,014,492,749,824.00 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $420,572,222,222,222,163,968.00 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $431,644,524,959,742,296,064.00 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $447,994,847,020,934,037,504.00 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $459,248,148,148,148,174,848.00 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $468,315,942,028,985,565,184.00 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $481,558,776,167,471,841,280.00 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $501,328,985,507,246,440,448.00 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $507,513,446,054,750,453,760.00 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $528,071,014,492,753,559,552.00 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $530,516,264,090,177,241,088.00 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $544,773,913,043,478,315,008.00 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $560,867,793,880,837,390,336.00 | 2.95% |
| 2026 | $571,382,608,695,652,188,160.00 | 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 |