Disparities in 2020 Life Expectancy by Race and Ethnicity in Hawai‘i

Life expectancy in Hawai'i is the longest among US states. However, Hawai'i is a multi-ethnic state, and significant disparities exist across racial and ethnic groups. From 1950 to 2010, disparities have been reflected in life expectancy, with a 10-year gap between the longest living racial and ethnic groups in Hawai'i (Japanese and Chinese) and Native Hawaiians. The current study estimated life expectancy in Hawai'i for 2020 across 7 racial and ethnic groups: Native Hawaiian, other Pacific Islanders, White, Filipino, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese. In 2020, life expectancy in Hawai'i was 81.9 years for the total population, 78.9 for males, and 85.2 for females. Disparities were observed across racial and ethnic groups, with life expectancy of 69.6 years for other Pacific Islanders, 77.4 years for Native Hawaiians, 81.8 years for Whites, 83.4 years for Filipinos, 84.3 years for Koreans, 84.9 years for Japanese, and 88.2 years for Chinese. The difference in life expectancy between sexes was 6.3 years, with variations ranging from 3.4 years among Chinese to 7.2 years among other Pacific Islanders. These findings highlight persistent disparities in life expectancy among Hawai'i's racial and ethnic groups, with much shorter life expectancy for Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders compared to other groups. The results emphasize the need for targeted health interventions, enhanced access to health care, and culturally appropriate preventive measures to address these inequities.