Native Hawaiian Convention: Federal cuts, shutdown elicit a call for unity

The economic pressures of living in Hawaii are mounting, so much so that more than 50% of Native Hawaiians are now living outside of the state.

Population data from the U.S. Census indicates that in 2020 there were some 320,000 Native Hawaiians living in Hawaii, which was about 47% of those living in the United States. In contrast, 53% of Native Hawaiians living in the U.S., some 360,000, lived in other states. That’s up from 2010 when 55% of Native Hawaiians lived in Hawaii and 45% in other states. Native Hawaiians are now about 23% of Hawaii’s population.

The U.S. Census found that the continental Native Hawaiian population is growing five times faster than the Native Hawaiian population in Hawaii. The five states outside of Hawaii with the highest counts of Native Hawaiians are Califo