Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism

For Immediate Release: August 15, 2019

HONOLULU—The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) today released the 2018 edition of the “State of Hawaii Data Book.”

The book is in electronic form and is available on the DBEDT website at: dbedt.hawaii.gov/economic/databook. The data may be downloaded in whole or in part as either PDF or Excel files.

The Hawaii State Data Book is the most comprehensive statistical book about Hawaii in a single compilation. Classified into 24 sections with more than 800 data tables, it covers a broad range of information in areas such as population, education, environment, economics, energy, business enterprises, government, tourism, and transportation.

“The Data Book is valuable for anyone who wants to open a business in Hawaii or just wants to know general information about the state,” said DBEDT Director Mike McCartney. “DBEDT researchers have been collecting and compiling the data more than 50 years. The information in the book will help us understand where we came from, identify and track trends and assist us in planning for the future.”

“We update the data book year-round when data becomes available then compile the information around mid-August every year. Due to the size limit of the book, we did not include all the available historical data in many of the tables. For those who are interested in historical time-series data in the book, we have extracted and extended those tables with historical data and put them in a separate product called the Data Book Time Series, which can be found on the DBEDT website. Location of the website is provided at the end of this press release,” said State Economist Dr. Eugene Tian.

Interesting data in this newest edition:

• In 2018, the U.S. Postal Service delivered 527 million pieces of mail in Hawaii, 10 million pieces or 1.9 percent less than it delivered in 2017. (Table 16.05)
• According to the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife, 30,593 acres of forest and brushland were burned by 13 fires in 2018. (Table 20.03)
• In 2018, 6.9 percent of the employed in Hawaii were multiple jobholders, showing an increase from 6.5 percent in 2017. By comparison, 5.0 percent of the employed in the United States were multiple jobholders in 2018. Hawaii’s rank among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, where one is the highest percentage of multiple jobholders, rose from 14 in 2017 to 10 in 2018. (Table 12.24)
• Since the SAT was redesigned in 2016, Hawaii’s average scores have been higher than U.S. averages. In 2018, the average SAT score in Hawaii was 1099 (out of 1600). The average SAT score for the U.S. was 1067. (Table 3.21)
• In March 2018, education, as a share of state & local employment (full-time and part-time), measured at 56.1 percent while its share of total payroll was 47.4 percent. Counting state government only, education was 71.1 percent of total state government employment and 63.7 percent of state government payroll. (Table 9.64)
• The median age for Hawaii’s residents was 39.2 in July 2018. There were 66 dependent people (defined as persons under 18 years and persons 65 years and over) for every 100 working-age people (defined as persons between the ages of 18 and 64 years old). (Table 1.30)

DBEDT’s Research and Economic Analysis Division (READ) also maintains the time series of tables and updates the data continuously throughout the year. The time series and the update can also be found on the DBEDT website at dbedt.hawaii.gov/economic/databook.

About the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT)
DBEDT is Hawaii’s resource center for economic and statistical data, business development opportunities, energy and conservation information, and foreign trade advantages. DBEDT’s mission is to achieve a Hawaii economy that embraces innovation and is globally competitive, dynamic and productive, providing opportunities for all Hawaii’s citizens. Through its attached agencies, the department fosters planned community development, creates affordable workforce housing units in high-quality living environments, and promotes innovation sector job growth.

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Media Contact:
Charlene Chan
Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism
Phone: (808) 587-9006
Website: dbedt.hawaii.gov