It should seem an easy question, though it’s not at all. Different resources give diverse information about the chinchillas’ lifespan. Some mention the 5 years, some states 7-10. And yet I know the cases when chinchillas lived up to 15 and even 20 years. The world record is from Germany. The chinchilla named Radar lived almost 30 years! So, I think that the secret as always in the quality of life, caring, and food.