According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 5,479.04% higher in 2025 versus 1940 (a $145,194,452,823.36 difference in value).
Between 1940 and 2025: Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 4.85% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care costing $2,650,000,000 in the year 1940 would cost $147,844,452,823.36 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.75% during this same period, inflation for medical care was higher.
In the year 1940: Pricing changed by 0%, which is significantly below the average yearly change for medical care during the 1940-2025 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 $2,650,000,000 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 | $2,650,000,000.00 | - |
| 1941 | $2,665,347,490.35 | 0.58% |
| 1942 | $2,747,200,772.20 | 3.07% |
| 1943 | $2,880,212,355.21 | 4.84% |
| 1944 | $2,962,065,637.07 | 2.84% |
| 1945 | $3,043,918,918.92 | 2.76% |
| 1946 | $3,212,741,312.74 | 5.55% |
| 1947 | $3,463,023,463.02 | 7.79% |
| 1948 | $3,677,494,802.49 | 6.19% |
| 1949 | $3,795,552,420.55 | 3.21% |
| 1950 | $3,866,386,991.39 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $4,051,343,926.34 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $4,271,718,146.72 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $4,423,225,423.23 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $4,558,991,683.99 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $4,665,243,540.24 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $4,836,427,086.43 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $5,035,157,410.16 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $5,275,207,900.21 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $5,497,549,747.55 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $5,692,344,817.34 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $5,863,528,363.53 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $6,018,970,893.97 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $6,162,607,662.61 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $6,288,535,788.54 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $6,442,010,692.01 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $6,727,316,602.32 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $7,201,514,701.51 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $7,638,327,888.33 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $8,165,651,915.65 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $8,685,105,435.11 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $9,245,879,120.88 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $9,544,958,419.96 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $9,914,872,289.87 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $10,837,689,337.69 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $12,144,193,644.19 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $13,299,190,674.19 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $14,570,277,695.28 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $15,800,044,550.04 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $17,261,991,386.99 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $19,152,880,902.88 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $21,211,018,711.02 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $23,672,520,047.52 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $25,730,657,855.66 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $27,332,306,207.31 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $29,036,271,161.27 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $31,216,401,841.40 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $33,288,313,038.31 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $35,462,540,837.54 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $38,177,866,052.87 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $41,642,857,142.86 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $45,279,031,779.03 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $48,618,094,743.09 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $51,518,376,893.38 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $53,975,942,975.94 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $56,394,156,519.16 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $58,377,524,502.52 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $60,004,752,004.75 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $61,934,994,059.99 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $64,097,416,097.42 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $66,698,618,948.62 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $69,770,084,645.08 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $73,054,054,054.05 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $75,989,753,489.75 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $79,328,816,453.82 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $82,677,717,552.72 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $85,993,168,993.17 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $89,796,532,892.78 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $93,124,695,203.45 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $96,078,673,893.67 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $99,358,550,638.55 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $102,382,478,467.48 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $106,134,015,072.77 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $108,745,784,080.78 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $111,344,055,167.81 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $114,275,386,471.64 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $118,604,047,742.80 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $121,583,290,763.29 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $123,983,933,397.68 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $127,489,890,481.14 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $132,723,955,301.46 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $134,361,237,377.49 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $139,803,752,598.75 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $140,451,101,871.10 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $144,225,738,416.99 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $147,844,452,823.36 | 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 |