Mayor Adams Announces Administration’s Signature Health Initiative Surpasses 2030 Goal Early as Citywide Life Expectancy Jumps to 83.2 Years

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) Acting Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse today celebrated the two-year anniversary of the launch of the administration’s ambitious HealthyNYC Plan, and announced that New Yorkers’ provisional 2024 life expectancy rose to 83.2 years, exceeding the 2030 goal the administration set. HealthyNYC — first launched by Mayor Adams in 2023  — aims to build a healthier city that improves and extends the lives of all New Yorkers. The campaign set ambitious targets to address the greatest drivers of premature death, including chronic and diet-related diseases, screenable cancers, overdose, suicide, maternal mortality, violence, and COVID-19. While new data shows that New York City has now exceeded its original goal to extend the overall life expectancy of New Yorkers to 83 years by 2030, stark inequities still persist.

“As I have always said, it’s not just what’s in your DNA, it’s also what’s in your dinner. And, as someone who went from pre-diabetic to plant-based, I know that New Yorkers can improve their health, life expectancy, and quality of life if given the right tools,” said Mayor Adams. “When our administration came into office, the COVID-19 pandemic was still having major impacts on the health of our city, but we focused our energy on public health, and four years later, we are showing how our strategies and commitments are paying off. We are thrilled to have broken the record for the highest life expectancy in our city’s history at over 83 years old, five years ahead of our HealthyNYC schedule. Congratulations to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and all of our partners who are changing lives and making our city healthier.”

“HealthyNYC served as our North Star to equitably raise New Yorkers’ life expectancy to its highest level of 83 years. Today, the city has reached its goal of raising the life expectancy of New Yorkers to its highest-ever level of 83.2 years. This is an enormous victory,” said DOHMH Acting Commissioner Dr. Morse. “Although we have met this goal, our work is not done, as extreme racial inequities persist among other causes of death in our city. To address this, intentional and targeted public health investments are necessary to ensure longer, more equitable, and healthier futures for every New Yorker who calls our city home.”

Provisional 2024 Data

New Yorkers’ life expectancy rose from 80.7 in 2021 to 83.2 years in 2024 — an increase of 2.5 years. This has surpassed the high of 82.6 years from 2019 and 2023.

The overall increase of life expectancy is largely attributable to a sharp decline in COVID-19 death rates across all racial and ethnic groups, although major racial inequities persist among other leading causes of death. The decline in COVID-19 related deaths did not happen on its own; it was a result of a complete citywide government response to the pandemic, significant investments to reduce racial inequities, and a groundbreaking COVID-19 vaccination campaign, among other interventions.

Between 2021 and 2024:

• COVID-19 deaths declined by 93.1 percent.
• Screenable cancer deaths increased by 0.7 percent.
• Among females, screenable cancer death rates are highest among non-Hispanic Black individuals, followed by non-Hispanic white individuals.
• Among males, non-Hispanic Black screenable cancer death rates remain highest by a large margin.
• Heart-and diabetes-related deaths decreased by 3.4 percent. Rates remain highest among non-Hispanic Black individuals.
• Suicides decreased by 2.3 percent. The highest suicide rates are among non-Hispanic white individuals.
• Homicides decreased by 26.4 percent. Rates are highest among non-Hispanic Black individuals, followed by Hispanic individuals.
• Overdose deaths decreased by 18.2 percent. Rates are highest among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic individuals.

HealthyNYC is supported by Local Law 93-A, which ensures that HealthyNYC is a permanent feature of civic planning in New York City, with the HealthyNYC population health agenda required to be reported on and updated every five years. HealthyNYC’s goals extend beyond life expectancy and demonstrate New York City’s commitment to advancing the health of all New Yorkers. Addressing the key drivers of death not only increases life expectancy but highlights the core work accomplished daily to promote and protect the health for New Yorkers.

Delivering Results for New Yorkers

Today’s announcement builds on the work the Adams administration has done to keep New Yorkers healthy. Other achievements include:

• Created the DOHMH’s Public Health Corps, a community health worker-led initiative focused on vaccine outreach in priority neighborhoods to ensure that people of color received the information about and access to vaccines. Today, the Public Health Corps ensures community members are connected to services that reduce chronic disease. 
• Educated New Yorkers on staying safe from COVID-19 and flu through yearl­y citywide paid media vaccination campaigns and community outreach .
• Distributed more than 300,000 naloxone kits and more than 54,000 fentanyl test strips.
• Provided approximately 39,000 harm reduction services to more than 8,000 participants through syringe service programs that operate Overdose Prevention Centers — reducing the risk of overdose and infectious disease and providing referrals to treatment and other health and social services.
• Announced $4 million in annual funding for nine outpatient and opioid treatment programs citywide to increase access to methadone and buprenorphine. Also, contracted for the expansion of the number of hospitals participating in DOHMH’s emergency department-based, nonfatal opioid overdose response program called Relay.
• Provided more than 20,000 families with nurse-home visiting and doula support for pregnant and postpartum New Yorkers since 2021  . The Citywide Doula Initiative is also a key part of the Adams administration’s “ New Family Home Visits Initiative,” a $34 million initiative that offers support to pregnant and parenting families by having trained health workers — such as doulas, nurses, social workers, lactation consultants, and community health workers — make in-person or virtual visits to the homes of expectant and new parents.
• Released the citywide chronic disease report in collaboration with 22 city agencies and offices, which lays out a series of proposals for how to lower heart- and diabetes-related deaths, as well as screenable cancers, especially in communities with the highest burden of disease.
• Operated Neighborhood Health Action Centers, which are located in neighborhoods with the highest rates of premature death in the city and are a critical part of driving resources to areas with the highest need.

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