Hawaiian Language Use Grows at Home and in Schools

The Hawaiian language, known as Olelo Hawaii, is experiencing a steady revival decades after it came close to vanishing. New figures reported in 2025 show that the number of people speaking Hawaiian at home rose from about 18,400 in 2016 to roughly 27,338 in 2024, an increase of more than 48 percent in less than a decade. Census data from 2024 found that Hawaiian was the most common non-English language spoken among school-aged children in the state.

The growth is closely tied to a network of immersion and language programs that have expanded across the islands. Enrollment in Hawaiian-language classes climbed about 62 percent, from 2,404 students in the 2014-15 school year to 3,884 students in 2024-25. Educators point to immersion schooling, where lessons are taught entirely in Hawaiian, as a powerful engine for raising new fluent speakers among the young.

“New figures reported in 2025 show that the number of people speaking Hawaiian at home rose from about 18,400 in 2016 to roughly 27,338 in 2024, an increase of more than 48 percent in less than a decade.”

The revival builds on decades of grassroots work. The Aha Punana Leo organization, which pioneered Hawaiian-medium preschools, operates a dozen locations statewide, helping children grow up immersed in the language from their earliest years. One immersion teacher described how his school's program grew from two teachers to five, serving around 90 students, illustrating the rising demand families are placing on these schools.

Hawaiian was once suppressed and discouraged, and for much of the twentieth century its use in schools was restricted, leaving the number of fluent native speakers dangerously low. The modern revival began with grassroots movements in the 1980s that established the first immersion preschools and pushed for Hawaiian-medium education, gradually rebuilding a community of speakers from the youngest learners up.

The recent figures mark a meaningful turnaround, showing that sustained community commitment, family participation, and dedicated schooling can bring an endangered language back into daily life. Demand for immersion schooling has grown faster than the system can easily accommodate, with educators reporting that interest now outpaces available teachers and classroom space. Advocates note that continued growth will require more funding and trained instructors, but the trend offers an inspiring model for language revitalization efforts worldwide, demonstrating that a language carried by a community's children can flourish again rather than fade. For Hawaiian families, the words spoken at home are not only a means of communication but a living link to ancestors, place, and identity.