There are now more Native Hawaiians living in the continental United States than in the islands, according to the latest numbers from the 2020 U.S. Census.
Of the more than 680,000 Native Hawaiians in the U.S., 55% of the population is currently living outside Hawaiʻi.
Kūhiō Lewis, CEO of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, said it’s disappointing news — but not a surprise.
"I think it's a travesty what’s going on. It’s not something we didn’t expect to see in the Census data, it’s something we knew. That’s why we had our convention in Las Vegas. But I think it’s heartbreaking to see," Lewis said.
While the overall Native Hawaiian population has grown by 29% over the last decade, fewer than half of them live in Hawaiʻi.
The top three states aside from Hawaiʻi with the largest Native Hawaiian population include Nevada, California and Washington.
In 2019, Kamehameha Schools released a report outlining the reasons residents may be leaving. Hawaiʻi's high cost of living and lack of housing opportunities were believed to be the top reasons.
Researchers also found that almost 40% of the Native Hawaiians they surveyed have thought about or are planning to move from Hawaiʻi.
"We have to do something and change this trajectory. Everybody that leaves our islands, that means the fabric, the foundation of Hawaiʻi is changing too. We have to find ways so people can stay home — housing, economic development — all of these things," Lewis said.
"It’s up to our leadership now. We see what’s going on and we need to do something about it," he said.
The statistics also showed that Honolulu County had the nation’s largest Native Hawaiian population in 2020.
For the full report, click here.
