New Hawaii statistical data book available online

The State of Hawaii Data Book 2008, the most comprehensive and up-to-date statistical book about Hawaii, is now available at http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt. This is the data book's 41st edition; it contains 801 tables in 24 subjects.

The 2008 edition contains historical and current statistical information from a variety of sources over a broad range of areas such as population, education, labor, energy, government, tourism and transportation. The Data Book was compiled by the Research and Economic Analysis Division of the state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism.

Besides being the definitive source of population information about Hawaii communities for use in grant proposals, feasibility studies and other nonprofit work, the Data Book is packed with curious and interesting information.

Want to know who was the richest person living in Hawaii in 2008? The Data Book says it's Pierre Omidyar, who launched eBay in 1995 and had a net worth of $6.3 billion. Barbara Cox Anthony held the record for several years with $12.6 billion in 2006 before she died in May 2007. There were no Hawaii residents on the Forbes 400 list in 2007. A few more facts revealed in the newest edition:

• The top private industry based on employment on Oahu last year was the restaurant and bar industry.

• 53 percent of legal permanent residents admitted to Hawaii in 2008 were from the Philippines.

• The cost of residential use electricity rose 34.7 percent last year over the previous year.
• On April 15 Hawaii had 12,837 active real estate licenses, a drop of 2,003 from the same day last year.
• Between 2003 and 2008, people served by state homeless programs doubled from 11,676 to 23,426.
• In 2008 motor vehicle registrations decreased statewide by nearly 7,000 vehicles.