There are marked differences among ethnic groups in terms of age of death. Japanese have the highest crude death rates due to a large elderly population and small youth population. Hawaiians/part-Hawaiians, by contrast, have relatively low crude death rates because their population is comparatively young. Information from 2006 illustrates the differences in age of death for major ethnic groups. Sixty-four percent of Japanese deaths occur at age 80 or older, and only 2 percent occur below 45 years of age. Compare this with Caucasians, Filipinos, and "All Others," for whom 42 to 44 percent of deaths occur at age 80 and older.

In comparision to the other key ethnic groups, the Hawaiian/part-Hawaiian population is dying at much younger ages, with only 23 percent of their deaths occurring at age 80 and older. Fourteen percent of deaths among the Hawaiian/part-Hawaiian population occur before age 45, which is at least 2 times higher than any other group (excluding "all others").