Health Equity Research and Statistics Section

Demographic Report on Health and Mental Health Equity in California

Background

The Office of Health Equity produces the biannual demographic report on health and mental health inequities for the state legislature and the people of California. Since August 2015 with the inaugural Portrait of Promise (PDF, 10.7MB), this report has been continuously updated to provide background and evidence into the factors in society that can positively and negatively influence health, which are known as the social determinants of health. Through these social determinants of health, we document the various health and mental health disparities that are created by underlying social, economic, geographic, political and physical environmental factors that affect the health of the diverse communities of California.

Current Demographic Report

The Demographic Report of Health and Mental Health in California (2025) (PDF, 2.2 MB) is the latest edition of OHE's biennial legislative report, which started with the “Portrait of Promise", using data available as of July 2024. This comprehensive report reveals important trends and variations in various domains of the social determinants of health that affect the health and well-bring of Californians across the state. In this release, we include updated sections examining how wildfires and extreme-weather events have impacted communities, while expanding the analysis of discrimination patterns across racial and ethnic groups in healthcare access, hate crimes, and police violence. The report maintains its crucial focus on violence against members of indigenous populations and provides detailed breakdowns by racial and ethnic groups where possible. For the first time, each social determinant of health section features key takeaways that highlight findings and points to consider for policy and practice. These updates make this report an essential resource for researchers, policymakers, and the broader community dedicated to improving health outcomes and reducing health inequities in California.

Technical Report (Coming Soon)