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 2005 illustrates the differences in age of death for major ethnic groups. Sixty-two percent of Japanese and Chinese deaths occur at age 80 or older, and only 2 to 5 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, the other key ethnic groups, the Hawaiian/part-Hawaiian population is dying at much younger ages, with only 25 percent of their deaths occurring at age 80 and older. Sixteen 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").