BLACK men and women are more than four times more likely to die a Covid-19-related death than white people, new analysis by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggests.
Black males in England and Wales are 4.2 times more likely, while black women are 4.3 times more likely to die after contracting the virus, after accounting for age.
People of Bangladeshi and Pakistani, Indian, and mixed ethnicities also had an increased risk of death involving Covid-19 compared with those of white ethnicity, the ONS found.
The analysis looked at how coronavirus has affected different ethnic groups from March 2 to April 10, registered by 17 April.
As ethnicity is not recorded on death certificates, the ONS linked these to the 2011 Census which includes self-reported ethnicity.
The ONS said the results suggest that the difference is partly due to socio-economic disadvantage and other circumstances, but some of the reasons remain unexplained.
After taking account of other factors, such as health and disability, black men and women were 1.9 times more likely to die with Covid-19 than those of white ethnicity.
Bangladeshi and Pakistani males were 1.8 times more likely, and Bangladeshi and Pakistani females 1.6 times more likely, than white people when these factors were accounted for.
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The ONS found increased mortality rates due to Covid-19 for all ethnicities, except for in Chinese women.
Overall, 83.8% of the deaths occurred in people of white ethnicity, with black people making up the largest minority ethnic group, accounting for 6% of the overall deaths recorded within the date range, the ONS said.
Its findings are similar to NHS England data which, when ethnicity could be established, found 82.7% of deaths were in white people and 5.7% in black people.
The ONS said a "substantial part of the difference in Covid-19 mortality between ethnic groups is explained by the different circumstances in which members of those groups are known to live, such as areas with socio-economic deprivation".
It continued: "Geographic and socio-economic factors were accounting for over half of the difference in risk between males and females of black and white ethnicity.
"However, these factors do not explain all of the difference, suggesting that other causes are still to be identified."
It said some individuals may have different socio-economic characteristics that were not included in the ONS model, which could explain some of the difference.
It also suggested that some ethnic groups may be "over-represented in public-facing occupations" and therefore more likely to be infected.
The ONS plans to examine the link between occupation and risk.
Shadow justice secretary David Lammy said the figures showing black people were at greater risk of death from Covid were "appalling".
The Labour MP for Tottenham tweeted: "It is urgent the causes of this disproportionality are investigated. Action must be taken to protect black men and women – as well as people from all backgrounds – from the virus."
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