Even though our world appears to be more saturated with data, there are still data gaps that can lead to insufficient understanding.One major omission is the fact that death registers in England or Wales don't contain information about ethnicity. However, an experimental analysis of the Office for National Statistics found that 2011 census records were linked to 88% death registrations between 2011-2014. The results were weighted to account for limitations in the records. You may be surprised to learn that the UK White and Mixed ethnic group had a lower life expectancy than other self-reported ethnicities. Black African women lived an average of 89 years (87-91 years) which is six years longer than White and mixed ethnic women. Black men lived around 84 years (83-85), which is more than any other group.This pattern is complicated. For example, cancer death rates were higher among White men than in Indian, Bangladeshi and Mixed-ethnic men. However, circulatory disease mortality was lower in these men.These are estimates of a hypothetical group of people who have lived their entire lives with current mortality rates. They do not reflect how long a newborn would live. They are a useful and intuitive way to compare: The estimated Black African female advantage over White women is comparable to living in Kensington or Chelsea, rather than Corby.While exact results should be treated with caution, they are consistent with published research and can partly be attributed to a healthy immigrant effect. Hispanic Americans in the US have a three-year longer life expectancy than nonHispanic Whites. The overall trend is reversed for Covid-19. Black and South Asian ethnicities have a higher mortality rate than non-Hispanic White people. However, a study of 17m records of general practice (DS was a coauthor) showed that non-White ethnicity was a better predictor of death from Covid-19 than any other factor. This is a measure of the likelihood that you will contract the virus through your occupation, living conditions, or behavior.
