A comprehensive new analysis of state health data reveals that life expectancy in Hawaiʻi, while among the highest in the nation, varies by as much as 19 years between the state’s longest- and shortest-living ethnic groups. The research, which updates a previous study tracking longevity trends, highlights profound and persistent health disparities that affect some of the state’s most vulnerable populations, even as overall life expectancy has climbed over the past seven decades.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in collaboration with the state’s Department of Health, underscores that averages mask deep inequities. While Hawaiʻi residents live an average of 81.9 years, significantly longer than the U.S. national average of 77.0 years, the benefits of this longevity are not shared equally across its diverse communities. The findings, published in the Hawaiʻi Journal of Health and Social Welfare, point to socioeconomic conditions as the primary drivers of the gap, renewing calls for targeted public health interventions and policies aimed at closing the divide.
A Stark Contrast in Longevity
The updated data, which extends through 2020, presents a detailed portrait of life expectancy across Hawaiʻi’s major ethnic groups. The analysis found that residents of Chinese descent have the longest life expectancy at 88.2 years. Following closely are other East Asian groups, with Koreans living to an average of 84.3 years and Japanese residents to 84.9 years. Filipinos in the state have an average life expectancy of 83.4 years, and white residents live to 81.8 years, both surpassing the state average.
In sharp contrast, Native Hawaiians have an average life expectancy of just 77.4 years. This represents a gap of more than a decade compared to the state’s longest-living group. The disparity is even more pronounced for Other Pacific Islanders, a group included in this specific analysis for the first time. Their average life expectancy is 69.6 years, which is 18.6 years less than that of Chinese residents. This striking difference reveals a severe health crisis within a community that has often been grouped with others in public health data.
New Groups Added to Analysis
This latest report is notable for its more granular approach. For the first time, researchers were able to calculate life expectancy estimates for Koreans and Other Pacific Islanders, providing a more complete picture of health across the state. The inclusion of Other Pacific Islanders, in particular, brought the starkest disparities to light. Lead researcher Yan Yan Wu, from the Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health at UH Mānoa, commented on the significance of these findings. “This is the first year we included Other Pacific Islanders in our estimates, and their life expectancy is even lower—almost 19 years less than for the longest-living group,” Wu stated.
Socioeconomic Factors Drive Disparities
Researchers were clear that the vast differences in lifespan are not rooted in biology but are instead closely linked to social and economic conditions. The study’s authors noted that ethnic groups with longer life expectancies, such as East Asians and whites, have higher proportions of individuals with college degrees, adequate incomes, and homeownership. Conversely, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders are more likely to face systemic barriers to education, stable employment, and housing.
Kathryn L. Braun, another key researcher on the study, emphasized that these socioeconomic determinants are central to health outcomes. “Differences in life expectancy are determined by many things but primarily by socioeconomic status,” Braun has previously stated in relation to health gaps in the state. Issues like housing instability directly impact health. “It’s very hard to stay healthy if you’re houseless or living in your car,” Braun noted, adding that providing adequate housing, education, and healthcare for all residents would significantly diminish the life expectancy gaps.
The report suggests that addressing these foundational inequities is crucial. “The data also suggest that increasing the standard of living for the groups with lower life expectancies may go a long way to improving their health status and longevity,” Braun said. This points toward policy solutions that extend beyond the healthcare system, encompassing economic opportunity, education reform, and affordable housing initiatives.
A Persistent, Decades-Long Problem
While the 19-year gap is a new and alarming figure, the underlying problem of health inequity in Hawaiʻi is not. The 2025 report builds on a previous study that tracked life expectancy from 1950 to 2010. That earlier work had already established a persistent 10-year gap between Native Hawaiians and the longest-living groups at any given time over those six decades. Despite overall gains in longevity for every group since the mid-20th century, the relative disparity for Native Hawaiians has remained stubbornly in place.
Past research has also highlighted differences in “healthy life expectancy,” or the number of years a person can expect to live in good health. A 2019 study, also involving Braun, found that Native Hawaiians have approximately 14 fewer years of healthy life compared to other groups in the state. They experience higher rates of chronic conditions such as coronary heart disease, obesity, and diabetes, which contribute to a lower quality of life and earlier mortality. These chronic diseases are often linked to diet, lifestyle, and access to preventative care, all of which are influenced by socioeconomic factors.
Pathways to Health Equity
The researchers hope their findings will spur more effective and equitable public health action. A key recommendation emerging from the study is the importance of disaggregating data to identify the specific communities most in need of support. By separating Other Pacific Islanders from broader categories, for instance, their unique and severe health challenges become visible to policymakers and health organizations. “This study underscores the importance of disaggregating public health data so that programs can be developed and tailored for populations most in need of assistance,” Braun explained.
This detailed data allows for the creation of culturally grounded programs that can effectively address the specific needs of different communities. The UH Mānoa researchers are involved in ongoing statewide efforts to promote such health data equity. The goal is to move beyond one-size-fits-all solutions and instead implement interventions that acknowledge and respect the cultural contexts and lived realities of the people they are meant to serve. The ultimate aim is to ensure that the state’s celebrated longevity is a reality for all of its residents, not just a select few.