This report seeks to understand why the Covid-19 pandemic has affected some sections of the population more than others. It also delves into the growing concerns that the UK’s minority ethnic groups are being disproportionately affected.
Key findings include:
- The impacts of the Covid-19 crisis are not uniform across ethnic groups, and aggregating all minorities together misses important differences.
- Per-capita Covid–19 hospital deaths are highest among the black Caribbean population and three times those of the white British majority.
- Once you take account of age and geography, most minority groups ‘should’ have fewer deaths per capita than the white British majority.
- Occupational exposure may partially explain disproportionate deaths for some groups.
- Bangladeshis, black Caribbeans and black Africans also have the most limited savings to provide a financial buffer if laid off.
