Overview

• Citywide life expectancy reached 78.7 years in 2023, up about 1.5 years from 2022 and nearly matching the 2019 peak of 78.8.
• The gap between Black and white Chicagoans narrowed to about 10.6 years in 2023, with the broader Black–non-Black gap around 11 years as Latino life expectancy rose roughly 4.5 years since 2020.
• Neighborhood disparities remain stark, with residents in the Loop averaging 87.3 years versus 66.6 years in West Garfield Park, a difference of more than 20 years.
• Officials cite fewer deaths from COVID-19, homicide and chronic diseases, along with better cancer screening and survival, though homicide, heart disease, opioid overdoses and cancer still drive gaps.
• City and health leaders warn that proposed federal safety-net cuts, a projected 2026 city budget shortfall exceeding $1 billion and falling vaccination rates could stall gains, even as gun violence fell 33% from 2024 to 2025 and opioid deaths dropped 38% from 2023 to 2024.