According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for medical care are 4,757.04% higher in 2025 versus 1945 (a $451,919,091,386.55 difference in value).
Between 1945 and 2025: Medical care experienced an average inflation rate of 4.97% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, medical care costing $9,500,000,000 in the year 1945 would cost $461,419,091,386.55 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.67% during this same period, inflation for medical care was higher.
In the year 1945: Pricing changed by 2.76%, which is below the average yearly change for medical care during the 1945-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1945 (2.27%), inflation for medical care was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Medical care, over time, for $9,500,000,000 beginning in 1945. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1945 | $9,500,000,000.00 | 2.76% |
| 1946 | $10,026,890,756.30 | 5.55% |
| 1947 | $10,808,015,513.90 | 7.79% |
| 1948 | $11,477,375,565.61 | 6.19% |
| 1949 | $11,845,830,639.95 | 3.21% |
| 1950 | $12,066,903,684.55 | 1.87% |
| 1951 | $12,644,149,967.68 | 4.78% |
| 1952 | $13,331,932,773.11 | 5.44% |
| 1953 | $13,804,783,451.84 | 3.55% |
| 1954 | $14,228,506,787.33 | 3.07% |
| 1955 | $14,560,116,354.23 | 2.33% |
| 1956 | $15,094,376,212.02 | 3.67% |
| 1957 | $15,714,608,920.49 | 4.11% |
| 1958 | $16,463,800,904.98 | 4.77% |
| 1959 | $17,157,724,628.31 | 4.21% |
| 1960 | $17,765,675,500.97 | 3.54% |
| 1961 | $18,299,935,358.76 | 3.01% |
| 1962 | $18,785,067,873.30 | 2.65% |
| 1963 | $19,233,354,880.41 | 2.39% |
| 1964 | $19,626,373,626.37 | 2.04% |
| 1965 | $20,105,365,223.01 | 2.44% |
| 1966 | $20,995,798,319.33 | 4.43% |
| 1967 | $22,475,759,534.58 | 7.05% |
| 1968 | $23,839,043,309.63 | 6.07% |
| 1969 | $25,484,809,308.34 | 6.90% |
| 1970 | $27,106,011,635.42 | 6.36% |
| 1971 | $28,856,173,238.53 | 6.46% |
| 1972 | $29,789,592,760.18 | 3.23% |
| 1973 | $30,944,085,326.44 | 3.88% |
| 1974 | $33,824,175,824.18 | 9.31% |
| 1975 | $37,901,745,313.51 | 12.06% |
| 1976 | $41,506,464,124.11 | 9.51% |
| 1977 | $45,473,497,091.14 | 9.56% |
| 1978 | $49,311,570,782.16 | 8.44% |
| 1979 | $53,874,272,786.04 | 9.25% |
| 1980 | $59,775,694,893.34 | 10.95% |
| 1981 | $66,199,095,022.62 | 10.75% |
| 1982 | $73,881,383,322.56 | 11.60% |
| 1983 | $80,304,783,451.84 | 8.69% |
| 1984 | $85,303,490,627.02 | 6.22% |
| 1985 | $90,621,525,533.29 | 6.23% |
| 1986 | $97,425,662,572.72 | 7.51% |
| 1987 | $103,892,049,127.34 | 6.64% |
| 1988 | $110,677,763,413.06 | 6.53% |
| 1989 | $119,152,230,122.82 | 7.66% |
| 1990 | $129,966,386,554.62 | 9.08% |
| 1991 | $141,314,802,844.21 | 8.73% |
| 1992 | $151,735,940,530.06 | 7.37% |
| 1993 | $160,787,653,522.95 | 5.97% |
| 1994 | $168,457,659,987.07 | 4.77% |
| 1995 | $176,004,848,093.08 | 4.48% |
| 1996 | $182,194,893,341.95 | 3.52% |
| 1997 | $187,273,432,449.90 | 2.79% |
| 1998 | $193,297,672,915.32 | 3.22% |
| 1999 | $200,046,541,693.60 | 3.49% |
| 2000 | $208,164,835,164.84 | 4.06% |
| 2001 | $217,750,808,015.51 | 4.60% |
| 2002 | $228,000,000,000.00 | 4.71% |
| 2003 | $237,162,249,515.19 | 4.02% |
| 2004 | $247,583,387,201.03 | 4.39% |
| 2005 | $258,035,229,476.41 | 4.22% |
| 2006 | $268,382,676,147.38 | 4.01% |
| 2007 | $280,252,886,231.42 | 4.42% |
| 2008 | $290,640,003,232.06 | 3.71% |
| 2009 | $299,859,301,874.60 | 3.17% |
| 2010 | $310,095,720,749.84 | 3.41% |
| 2011 | $319,533,329,023.92 | 3.04% |
| 2012 | $331,241,787,330.32 | 3.66% |
| 2013 | $339,393,057,530.70 | 2.46% |
| 2014 | $347,502,201,034.26 | 2.39% |
| 2015 | $356,650,817,711.70 | 2.63% |
| 2016 | $370,160,468,649.00 | 3.79% |
| 2017 | $379,458,616,677.44 | 2.51% |
| 2018 | $386,950,966,386.55 | 1.97% |
| 2019 | $397,892,976,729.15 | 2.83% |
| 2020 | $414,228,371,040.72 | 4.11% |
| 2021 | $419,338,290,239.17 | 1.23% |
| 2022 | $436,324,253,393.67 | 4.05% |
| 2023 | $438,344,615,384.62 | 0.46% |
| 2024 | $450,125,168,067.23 | 2.69% |
| 2025 | $461,419,091,386.55 | 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 |