Despite Hawaii’s overall strong health standing, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders face the widest differences in lifespan compared with the longest-living groups.
A new analysis from the University of Hawaii reports a striking 19-year spread in life expectancy among Hawaii’s largest ethnic communities. While the state consistently ranks among the nation’s healthiest, the findings show that Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders continue to bear the greatest inequities.
The study, authored by Yan Yan Wu, Michael M. Phillips, and Kathryn L. Braun of UH Mānoa’s Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health, in collaboration with Lance Ching and Claire Prieto from the Hawaii State Department of Health, appears in the Hawaii Journal of Health and Social Welfare. It builds on a 2017 UH report that traced life expectancy patterns from 1950 to 2010.
Compared with the current U.S. average of about 77 years, Hawaii residents live roughly 81.9 years on average. Beneath that overall figure, however, lifespans vary markedly across ethnic groups.
| Group | Average Life Expectancy (years) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Other Pacific Islanders | 69.9 | Lowest in this analysis |
| Native Hawaiians | 77.4 | About ten years shorter than the longest-living group |
| Japanese | 84.9 | |
| Chinese | 88.2 | Longest-living group |
“Life expectancy for Native Hawaiians continues to be 10 years less than the life expectancy for the longest-living group.”
Yan Yan Wu, University of Hawaii
“This is the first year we’ve included other Pacific Islanders in our estimates, and their life expectancy is even lower, nearly 19 years below the longest-living group.”
Yan Yan Wu, University of Hawaii
The authors note that these differences are likely linked to social and economic conditions that shape health over a lifetime.
“This study underscores the importance of disaggregating public health data so programs can be designed and tailored for communities most in need.”
Kathryn L. Braun, University of Hawaii
