This is a prime example for why we need to be cautious in terms of where data provided originates. Looking at the updated version of Wikipedia’s chart, the new number of Rh- frequencies for the UK has been listed as 13%, 8%, 2% and 1% for blood types O, A, B and AB (all negative) respectively.
This is the source given:
https://www.blood.co.uk/why-give-blood/blood-types/
What are the rarest blood types?
There are eight main blood types but some are rarer than others. The list below shows the percentage of donors with each blood type:
- O positive: 35%
- O negative: 13%
- A positive: 30%
- A negative: 8%
- B positive: 8%
- B negative: 2%
- AB positive: 2%
- AB negative: 1%
Data accurate at December 2018. Percentage figures have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
As you can see, the list shows percentage of DONORS with each blood type.
Blood drives are often responsible for high Rh- frequencies among donors, especially O- ones.
Looking at a previous chart, here is what the actual numbers may much more likely look like:
https://rhesusnegative.net/themission/bloodtypefrequencies/unitedkingdom/northernireland/
Of course, exclude Northern Ireland for now where Rh- frequencies appear to be huge. Past 27%. Look also at the sample sizes and see how all O- frequencies apart from NI are shown to be less than 10%. Definitely not 13%.
As for London: Only around 13% appear to be Rh- (Rh-, not O- which is at only 5.9%).
Why?
London has remained the region with both the largest proportion of people born outside the UK and the largest proportion of people with non-UK passports. In 2021, more than 4 in 10 (40.6%) usual residents in London were non-UK born, and more than 1 in 5 (23.3%) had a non-UK passport.
Similar to them: