Health statistics for Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders are limited, and patients can be categorized with all Asian Americans, leading to numbers that often do not portray existing health disparities for this population. In 2019, Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders (NHPI) alone made up 0.2 percent of the national population.
- The number of organ transplants performed on Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders in 2020 was about 25 percent of the number of Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders currently waiting for a transplant. The number of transplants performed on whites was 48.8 percent of the number currently waiting.
- While 0.6 percent of the total candidates currently waiting for transplants are Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, they comprised 0.3 percent of organ donors in 2020.
- The number of organs recovered in 2020 from deceased Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander donors was almost twice the number of living Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander donors.
- Native Hawaiians are more likely than whites living in Hawaii to be diagnosed with diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders have higher obesity rates and are seven times more likely to be diagnosed with chronic liver disease, as compared to whites. These conditions are known to put patients at risk for organ failures.
| U.S. Transplant Waiting List – Candidates by Race/Ethnicity | |||||
| Organ | All Candidates | # of NHPI Candidates | NHPI % of All Candidates | # of White Candidates | White % of All Candidates |
| All Organs | 106,666 | 608 | 0.6 | 43,054 | 40.4 |
| Kidney | 90,235 | 568 | 0.6 | 32,377 | 35.9 |
| Liver | 11,704 | 29 | 0.2 | 7,865 | 67.2 |
| Heart | 3,531 | 7 | 0.2 | 2,004 | 56.8 |
| Lung | 922 | 1 | 0.2 | 661 | 66.6 |
Source: HRSA. U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Based on OPTN data as of August 23, 2021.
https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/data/view-data-reports/national-data/*
| Transplants Performed in the U.S. by Recipient Ethnicity, 2020 | ||
| Number | Percentage of Total 2020 Transplants | |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 152 | 0.4 |
| White | 20,997 | 53.8 |
| Total Transplants | 39,036 | 100 |
Source: HRSA. U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Based on OPTN data as of August 23, 2021.
https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/data/view-data-reports/national-data/
| U.S. Organ Donors Recovered, 2020 | |||||
| Donor Type | # of All Donors | # of NHPI Donors | % of All NHPI Donors | # of White Donors | % of All White Donors |
| Living | 5,729 | 18 | 0.3 | 4,129 | 72.1 |
| Deceased | 12,588 | 35 | 0.3 | 8,249 | 65.5 |
| Total | 18,317 | 53 | 0.3 | 12,378 | 67.6 |
Source: HRSA. U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Based on OPTN data as of August 23, 2021.
https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/data/view-data-reports/national-data/
| U.S. Organ Donors Recovered, 2020 | ||||
| Donor Type | # of NHPI Donors | % of All NHPI Donors | # of White Donors | % of All White Donors |
| Living | 18 | 34.0 | 4,129 | 33.4 |
| Deceased | 35 | 66.4 | 8,249 | 66.6 |
| Total | 53 | 100 | 12,378 | 100 |
Source: HRSA. U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Based on OPTN data as of August 23, 2021.
https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/data/view-data-reports/national-data/
*OPTN data is updated monthly online. The data and statistics for this section will be updated annually.
Last Edited: 08/26/2021