Ethnic minorities in England at higher risk of heat-related deaths, says study

Research links poor housing, access to cooling and other economic factors to higher mortality rates during heatwaves.

Ethnic minorities and people living in the most deprived areas of England are at increased risk of dying due to excess heat, according to research.

A study, published in BMJ Public Health, is the first of its kind to assess the role of socio-environmental factors in the risk of heat-related deaths.

Previous figures from the University College London (UCL) found almost 600 people were expected to die in the heatwave that took place in early June across England, with more than 10,000 people having died prematurely in summer heatwaves between 2020 and 2024.

The report analysed the records of more than 430,000 patients across England who died between 2016 and 2020, and used relative effect modification, or REM, which indicates whether a risk, such as dying due to extreme heat, affects some groups more than others.

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