Illinois : State Data and Comparisons : Data-Z

Illinois

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Illinois owes more than it owns.

Illinois has a -$38,800 Taxpayer Burden.™

Illinois is a Sinkhole State without enough assets to cover its debt.

Elected officials have created a Taxpayer Burden™, which is each taxpayer's share of state bills after its available assets have been tapped.

TIA's Taxpayer Burden™ measurement incorporates both assets and liabilities, not just pension debt.

Illinois only has $51.5 billion of assets available to pay bills totaling $224.3 billion.

Because Illinois doesn't have enough money to pay its bills, it has a -$172.8 billion financial hole. To fill it, each Illinois taxpayer would have to send -$38,800 to the state.

Illinois's reported net position is understated by $22.9 billion, largely because the state delays recognizing gains resulting from decreases in retirement liabilities.

As of Aug 25, 2025, 421 days after the end of its June 30, 2024 fiscal year, the state had still not released its financial report for that year. This significant delay raises serious concerns about transparency and accountability in the state's financial reporting.