Illinois Public Pension Plans
10 plans tracked by the Public Plans Database
- Avg funded ratio
- 75.7%
- Total unfunded
- $63.44B
- Total members
- 1,461,318
- Plans tracked
- 10
According to the Public Plans Database, compiled by the Boston College Center for Retirement Research, Illinois’s 10 tracked plans carry a combined unfunded liability of $63.44B at an average funded ratio of 75.7%. Plan cards report FY2023 valuations; this site’s database copy was last loaded in July 2026. See our methodology for the full source and update cadence.
What the Data Says About Illinois Public Pensions
Illinois currently sponsors 10 public pension plans tracked by the Public Plans Database (PPD), covering a combined 1,461,318 active employees and retirees across teacher, police-and-fire, municipal, and general state systems. The weighted average funded ratio across these 10 plans is 75.7%, with a combined unfunded liability of $63.44B. These disclosures derive from each plan's CAFR and actuarial valuation, compiled by NASRA and Boston College's Center for Retirement Research.
Illinois's average funded ratio sits near or slightly below the national public-pension average of 75.5%, indicating moderate funding gaps that require sustained employer contributions and realistic assumption-setting to avoid erosion over the next economic cycle. The $63.44B unfunded liability represents the actuarial shortfall between projected obligations and current assets across all 10 plans, which flows through to state and local budgets over time as amortization payments.
Unlike private-sector pensions, which fall under ERISA and are backstopped by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), Illinois's public plans rely on the full faith and credit of the sponsoring government entity. That distinction matters for the 1,461,318 Illinois workers and retirees covered by these systems: funding shortfalls are addressed through state and local budget decisions rather than federal insurance. This information summarizes official Public Plans Database disclosures and is provided for research and educational purposes only. It is not financial, legal, or retirement-planning advice; active and retired members with questions about their specific benefits should consult their plan administrator directly.
| Plan | Funded Ratio | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Municipal Employees | 97.3% | B |
| Illinois State Retirement Systems | 97.2% | B |
| Illinois State Universities Retirement System | 96.6% | B |
| Chicago Police | 92.5% | B |
| Illinois Teachers Retirement System | 83.7% | B |
| Chicago Fire | 71.6% | C |
| Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund | 62.2% | C |
| Chicago Public School Teachers Pension and Retirement Fund | 47.2% | D |
| Chicago Laborers | 33.5% | F |
| Cook County Employees | N/A | F |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many public pension plans does Illinois have?
Illinois has 10 public pension plans tracked by the Public Plans Database (PPD), covering 1,461,318 total members. These plans include state-level and local government retirement systems for teachers, police, firefighters, and general employees.
Is Illinois's pension system in crisis?
Illinois's public pension plans have an average funded ratio of 75.7% and a total unfunded liability of $63.44B. An average funded ratio in the 60–80% range indicates moderate underfunding that requires attention but is not yet at crisis levels. Data is sourced from the Boston College Center for Retirement Research.
What is the average funded ratio in Illinois?
The average funded ratio across all 10 public pension plans in Illinois is 75.7%, based on the most recent Public Plans Database data. A funded ratio of 100% means a plan has sufficient assets to meet all projected obligations. The national average for public pensions is approximately 75.5%. Individual plan ratios in Illinois vary, browse the table above to compare specific plans.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Every figure on PlainPension is rendered directly from the Public Plans Database (Boston College Center for Retirement Research), no number is typed in by an editor. This page aggregates every tracked pension plan within this state, live from the dataset. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.