Black Americans make up 12.5% of the U.S. population but account for 22.4% of COVID-19 deaths: Shares of population vs. shares of COVID-19 deaths, by race
| Indicator | Black | White |
|---|---|---|
| Share of population (unweighted) | 12.5% | 60.4% |
| Share of population (weighted) | 18.2% | 41.4% |
| Share of COVID-19 deaths | 22.4% | 52.3% |
Notes: White refers to non-Hispanic whites, black refers to blacks alone. All shares are as of May 13, 2020. Shares of COVID-19 deaths are based on provisional death counts. Weighted population shares reflect the racial distribution of the geographic locations where COVID-19 outbreaks are occurring, and help to ascertain whether disproportionate deaths are occurring within certain racial groups.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Provisional Death Counts for Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19): Weekly State-Specific Data Updates.