A Closer Look: Health Disparities Among California's Asian Communities

This report examines health disparities among some of California's diverse Asian communities, highlighting differences in health outcomes, access to care, and social drivers of health.

This study used data from the 2021 California Health Interview Survey.

Findings: The study underscores the importance of disaggregating data for Asian subgroups to better understand and address health disparities. Policymakers, health care providers, and community organizations can use this information to develop interventions and improve health equity for all Asian Californians. Selected findings include:

• Roughly five million Californians identified as Asian and reported an ethnic subgroup in 2021. Within this population, Chinese (30%) and Filipino (22%) Californians made up the largest ethnic subgroups, followed by South Asian (16%) and Vietnamese (12%).
• In 2021, 22% of Korean Californians reported having no usual source of care, and 23% reported difficulty accessing specialist care compared to 14% and 17%, respectively, of Californians overall. 
• Thirty-one percent of Korean, South Asian, and Vietnamese Californians delayed care due to cost or a lack of insurance.
• Chronic condition prevalence exceeded statewide averages among several Asian subgroups in California. Seventeen percent of Filipino and Japanese Californians reported being diagnosed with asthma, 16% of Filipino Californians and 14% of Vietnamese Californians reported being diagnosed with diabetes, 9% of Vietnamese Californians reported being diagnosed with heart disease, and 32% of Filipino Californians and 29% of Japanese Californians reported being diagnosed with hypertension.