Overview

• Chicago’s average life expectancy rose to 78.7 years in 2023, marking a third straight annual increase and closing in on the 2019 high of 78.8 years.
• The Black–white life-expectancy gap narrowed from 11.4 years in 2022 to 10.6 years in 2023, with 2023 estimates at 71.8 years for Black residents, 81.3 for white, 82.7 for Latino, and 86.8 for Asian and Pacific Islander Chicagoans.
• Neighborhood disparities remain stark, with the Loop at 87.3 years versus 66.6 years in West Garfield Park, as the city targets five high-need areas under its Healthy Chicago 2025 plan.
• CDPH attributes gains to fewer COVID-19 deaths and declines in heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and homicide; officials also cite a 38% drop in opioid overdose deaths from 2023 to 2024 and a 33% decrease in gun violence from 2024 to 2025.
• Leaders warn recent gains could be threatened by potential federal safety-net cuts and a projected 2026 city budget shortfall exceeding $1 billion, even as partnerships and community initiatives expand to sustain progress.