Asthma and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

  • National data for this population is limited.
  • In 2024, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adults had asthma at a rate that was 55% higher than the total population.1
  • In 2021, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders died from asthma at a rate that was 34% lower than the total population.2

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Prevalence

Adults ages 18 and over with asthma, percentage, 2024
  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander onlyTotal PopulationNative Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Total Population Ratio
13.38.61.55
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). National Center for Health Statistics. Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults. Percentage of current asthma for adults aged 18 and over, United States, 2024.
Current asthma among adults ages 18 and over, percentage, 2021–2023
  Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderTotal PopulationNon-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Total Population Ratio
11.08.61.28
Source: CDC. National Center for Health Statistics. Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults, by Detailed Race and Ethnicity. Percentage of current asthma for adults aged 18 and over, United States, 2022–2024.
Adults ages 18 and over who have ever been told they have asthma, percentage, 2015
Native Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderTotal PopulationNative Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Total Population Ratio
Not reported13.6Not Reported
Source: CDC, 2018. Summary Health Statistics: National Health Interview Survey: 2015. Table A-2a.
Adults ages 18 and over who have ever been told they have asthma, by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander single race subgroup, age-adjusted percentage, 2014
PopulationPopulation /
Total Population Ratio
Total US12.81.00
All NHPI17.41.36
Native Hawaiian20.81.63
Pacific Islander15.31.20
Samoan15.01.17
Guamanian or Chamorro22.61.77
Other Pacific Islander15.21.19
Source: CDC, 2017. National Center for Health Statistics. Health Conditions and Behaviors of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Persons in the United States, 2014. Table 6.
Adults ages 18 and over who still have asthma, by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander single race subgroup, age-adjusted percentage, 2014
PopulationPopulation /
Total Population Ratio
Total US7.41.00
All NHPI8.11.09
Native Hawaiian12.21.65
Pacific Islander5.90.80
Samoan4.20.57
Guamanian or Chamorro5.90.80
Other Pacific Islander10.01.35
Source: CDC, 2017. National Center for Health Statistics. Health Conditions and Behaviors of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Persons in the United States, 2014. Table 6.

Death rates

Asthma mortality, age-adjusted rate per 100,000 population, 2021
Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander*Total PopulationNon-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Total Population Ratio
8.613.10.66
*included with Asian
Source: CDC, 2022. Data, Statistics, and Surveillance. Most Recent Asthma Data | Asthma Data | CDC

Treatment

Hospital admissions for asthma among adults ages 18–39, rate per 100,000 population, 2020
Native Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderTotal PopulationNative Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Total Population Ratio
Not ReportedNot ReportedNot Reported
Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report. Data Query.
People with current asthma who are now taking preventive medicine daily or almost daily, percentage, 2020
Native Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderTotal PopulationNative Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Total Population Ratio
Not ReportedNot ReportedNot Reported
Source: AHRQ. National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports. Data Query.

Children

Children under 18 years of age who were ever told they had asthma, age-adjusted percentage, 2018
Native Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderTotal PopulationNative Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Total Population Ratio
Not ReportedNot ReportedNot Reported
Source: CDC, 2019. Summary Health Statistics: National Health Interview Survey: 2018. Table C-1a.
Children under 18 years of age who were ever told they had asthma, by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander single race subgroup, age-adjusted percentage, 2014
PopulationPopulation /
All NHPI Ratio
Total13.50.92
All NHPI14.61.00
Native Hawaiian23.11.58
Pacific Islander10.10.69
Samoan11.90.82
Guamanian or Chamorro6.10.42
Other Pacific Islander10.60.73
Source: CDC, 2017. National Center for Health Statistics. Health Conditions and Behaviors of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Persons in the United States, 2014. Table 7.
Children under 18 years of age who still have asthma, age-adjusted percentage, 2018
Native Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderTotal PopulationNative Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Non-Hispanic White Ratio
Not Reported7.5Not Reported
Source: CDC, 2019. Summary Health Statistics: National Health Interview Survey: 2018. Table C-1a.
Children under 18 years of age who still have asthma by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander single race subgroup, age-adjusted percentage, 2014
PopulationPopulation /
Total Population Ratio
Total8.61.00
All NHPI8.30.97
Native Hawaiian15.51.80
Pacific Islander4.50.52
SamoanNot ReportedNot Reported
Guamanian or Chamorro2.20.26
Other Pacific IslanderNot ReportedNot Reported
Source: CDC, 2017. National Center for Health Statistics. Health Conditions and Behaviors of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Persons in the United States, 2014. Table 7.
Asthma mortality among children ages 0–17, rate per million, 2021
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander*Total PopulationNative Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Total Population Ratio
Not Reported2.0Not Reported
Source: CDC, 2022. Data, Statistics, and Surveillance. Most Recent National Asthma Data.
Asthma prevalence among children ages 0–17, percentage, 2021
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander*Total PopulationNative Hawaiian/Pacific Islander /
Total Population Ratio
Not Reported6.5Not Reported
Source: CDC, 2022. Data, Statistics, and Surveillance. Most Recent National Asthma Data.

1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). National Center for Health Statistics. Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults (Back to top)

2 CDC, 2022. Data, Statistics, and Surveillance. Most Recent Asthma Data | Asthma Data | CDC (Back to top)


Date Last Reviewed: September 2025