A new report reveals Black men in Philadelphia have the lowest life expectancy.
On Thursday, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health released its updated Health of the City report and found that life expectancy increased slightly in 2021 to 74 years but remained lower than it had been before the pandemic.
However, the report found that the life expectancy for a black man living in Philadelphia is 65.
The report noted that life expectancy is the lowest in North and Southwest Philadelphia, areas where residents are predominantly black.
Overdose deaths are on the rise and deaths from homicides continue to have an impact on Black and Latino men in the city, according to the report.
City leaders have recently put a focus on safety after Philadelphia hit over 400 homicides this year.
“This report makes health disparities and their links to poverty and other social determinants of health easy to see, but it also highlights the areas in which Philadelphia has been able to improve health by addressing environmental factors including air quality, lead exposure, and access to healthcare,” Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole said in a news release.
The full report can be found here.