ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS For their contributions to the preparation of this report, we thank:

Abstract

Chicago is getting healthier. How do we know this? Because Chicago residents are living longer. Life expectancy has long been one of the most commonly used measures of a population’s general health as it is a reflection of a number of overall indicators which include quality of care, access to care, health behaviors and the environment. This report shows a dramatic increase in our City’s life expectancy over the past two decades. A Chicago resident born today can expect to live to 77.8 years of age, a new high for our City and more than seven years longer than a resident born in 1990. Not only are Chicagoans living longer, but we are outpacing the nation. Since 1990, our life expectancy has grown twice as fast as the U.S. rate overall. True, the U.S. rate is still slightly higher, but that gap is closing quickly. Furthermore, as this report demonstrates, the improvements in life expectancy are being felt across our great city. In fact, we have seen significant increases in life expectancy in every neighborhood, among both males and females and among every ethnic group in the City over the past twenty years. Over this same period, we have moved toward greater health equity, as we have helped close some long standing gaps between Chicago’s major ethnic groups. For example