A Community of Contrasts

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Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander Populations: 2020

United States is home to over 1.5 million Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHPIs), comprising 0.5% of the total population.
Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander Populations: 2020 feature image
Contributed by Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC): Attendees of EPIC's April 2024 civic engagement and voter awareness event in Sacramento, “Coming to the Fala” and guest speaker Jasmine Dellafosse, a community leader and activist.

By Lukia Li

February 7, 2025

NationalState
Population

As of 2020, the United States is home to over 1.5 million Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHPIs), comprising 0.5% of the total population.

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Hawaii has the largest proportion and total number of NHPIs of any state. Approximately 27% of its total population are NHPI.

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The largest NHPI groups in Hawaii are: Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Marshallese, Tongan and Chamorro.

Population by Top 5 NHPI Groups, Hawaii 2020

NHPI Ethnic Group Number
Native Hawaiian 317,497
Samoan 40,817
Marshallese 9,910
Tongan 9,499
Chamorro 6,843

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics File A, Table T01001. Check our Data Dashboard for the full list.

California has the second largest NHPI population with a total of 337,617 NHPIs. Native Hawaiian, Samoan, Chamorro, Fijian and Tongan are the largest NHPI ethnic groups in California.

Population by Top 5 NHPI Groups, California 2020

NHPI Ethnic Group Number
Native Hawaiian 95,165
Samoan 68,747
Chamorro 40,015
Fijian 38,170
Tongan 26,899

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics File A, Table T01001. Check our Data Dashboard for the full list.

Over the past decade, NHPI population increased by nearly 30%, making it the third fastest-growing racial group.

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North Dakota had the fastest growing NHPI population (167%), followed by Iowa (162%) and Arkansas (128%). The NHPI population more than doubled in these states between 2010 and 2020.

NHPI Population Growth by Top 10 States, 2010-2020

State Percent NHPI Population Change, 2010-2020
North Dakota 166.8%
Iowa 161.8%
Arkansas 127.7%
Indiana 88.2%
Oklahoma 83.1%
Idaho 82.4%
Montana 79.0%
South Dakota 78.5%
Alaska 67.4%
Kentucky 65.3%

 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics File A, Table T01001; 2010 Decennial Census Summary File 2, Table PCT1