Hawaii island has the highest percentage in the state of children living in poverty.

According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, 10,022, or 24.5 percent, of Hawaii County’s children lived in poverty last year, a 6 percentage point increase over five years ago.

The bureau estimated Tuesday that 18.3 percent of all county residents lived in poverty, compared with 11.1 percent statewide.

The numbers for children living in poverty were 25,409 (12.3 percent) for Oahu, 5,804 (16.6 percent) for Maui County and 2,360 (15.7 percent) for Kauai.

Eugene Tian, with the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, told West Hawaii Today the estimates reflect the island’s high number of Native Hawaiians, who tend to be younger, have larger families and have the highest poverty rates of all ethnic groups.