Blood Type Distribution by Country
Updated May 2026
Reference summary
Comprehensive blood type distribution by country, drawn from national blood services where available and from peer-reviewed regional studies otherwise. Rows where the data is from estimates rather than national-service donor data are explicitly labelled. Within-country variation by region and ethnicity is substantial; national averages mask important local differences. This page is reference data, not medical advice.
The country table (32 countries)
Each row shows ABO and Rh-D distribution for the listed country. Percentages are rounded; sources are cited per row. Where a row reads Estimate (regional studies), the figure is compiled from peer-reviewed regional studies rather than from a single national-service donor survey, and should be treated with wider uncertainty.
| Country | Region | O+ | A+ | B+ | AB+ | O- | A- | B- | AB- | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | North America | 37% | 36% | 9% | 3% | 7% | 6% | 2% | 1% | American Red Cross |
| United Kingdom | Europe | 36% | 30% | 8% | 3% | 13% | 8% | 2% | 1% | NHSBT |
| Canada | North America | 39% | 36% | 8% | 3% | 7% | 6% | 1% | 1% | Canadian Blood Services |
| Mexico | North America | 59% | 23% | 9% | 3% | 4% | 1% | 1% | <1% | Estimate (regional studies) |
| Brazil | South America | 44% | 33% | 9% | 3% | 6% | 3% | 1% | <1% | Brazilian Society of Hematology |
| Argentina | South America | 45% | 37% | 8% | 3% | 5% | 1% | 1% | <1% | Estimate (regional studies) |
| Germany | Europe | 35% | 37% | 9% | 4% | 6% | 6% | 2% | 1% | DRK (German Red Cross) |
| France | Europe | 36% | 37% | 9% | 3% | 6% | 7% | 1% | 1% | EFS (Etablissement Francais du Sang) |
| Italy | Europe | 40% | 36% | 8% | 3% | 6% | 6% | 1% | <1% | Estimate (regional studies) |
| Spain | Europe | 36% | 36% | 8% | 3% | 9% | 7% | 1% | <1% | Estimate (regional studies) |
| Sweden | Europe | 32% | 37% | 10% | 5% | 6% | 7% | 2% | 1% | Estimate (Nordic studies) |
| Russia | Europe / Asia | 33% | 33% | 21% | 8% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 1% | Estimate (regional studies) |
| India | South Asia | 37% | 22% | 32% | 7% | 2% | 1% | 1% | <1% | Indian Journal of Medical Research |
| Pakistan | South Asia | 34% | 22% | 32% | 8% | 2% | 1% | 1% | <1% | Estimate (regional studies) |
| Bangladesh | South Asia | 33% | 23% | 32% | 9% | 2% | <1% | 1% | <1% | Estimate (regional studies) |
| China | East Asia | 34% | 31% | 28% | 7% | <1% | <1% | <1% | <1% | Chinese Society of Blood Transfusion |
| Japan | East Asia | 30% | 40% | 20% | 10% | <1% | <1% | <1% | <1% | Japanese Red Cross |
| South Korea | East Asia | 27% | 32% | 27% | 11% | <1% | <1% | <1% | <1% | Korean Red Cross |
| Taiwan | East Asia | 44% | 26% | 23% | 7% | <1% | <1% | <1% | <1% | Estimate (regional studies) |
| Vietnam | Southeast Asia | 42% | 21% | 30% | 6% | <1% | <1% | <1% | <1% | Estimate (regional studies) |
| Thailand | Southeast Asia | 37% | 22% | 33% | 8% | <1% | <1% | <1% | <1% | Thai Red Cross |
| Philippines | Southeast Asia | 44% | 22% | 27% | 6% | 1% | <1% | <1% | <1% | Estimate (regional studies) |
| Nigeria | Sub-Saharan Africa | 57% | 20% | 19% | 3% | 1% | <1% | <1% | <1% | Estimate (regional studies) |
| Kenya | Sub-Saharan Africa | 47% | 26% | 23% | 4% | <1% | <1% | <1% | <1% | Estimate (regional studies) |
| South Africa | Sub-Saharan Africa | 42% | 31% | 16% | 5% | 5% | 4% | 1% | <1% | SANBS (South African National Blood Service) |
| Egypt | North Africa / Middle East | 32% | 33% | 20% | 10% | 2% | 1% | 1% | <1% | Estimate (regional studies) |
| Saudi Arabia | Middle East | 48% | 24% | 17% | 4% | 4% | 2% | 1% | <1% | Estimate (regional studies) |
| Israel | Middle East | 32% | 34% | 17% | 7% | 3% | 4% | 2% | 1% | Magen David Adom |
| Iran | Middle East | 34% | 28% | 23% | 9% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% | Estimate (regional studies) |
| Turkey | Middle East / Europe | 30% | 37% | 13% | 6% | 5% | 6% | 2% | 1% | Estimate (regional studies) |
| Australia | Oceania | 40% | 31% | 8% | 2% | 9% | 7% | 2% | 1% | Australian Red Cross Lifeblood |
| New Zealand | Oceania | 38% | 32% | 9% | 3% | 9% | 6% | 2% | 1% | NZ Blood Service |
Percentages are rounded. Within-country regional variation is substantial; the figures are population averages.
Geographic patterns
Several broad patterns emerge from the country table. Sub-Saharan African populations tend to high O, low Rh-negative. South and Central Asian populations tend to high B (with India and Pakistan among the world's highest at around 32 percent B-positive). East Asian populations tend to high A and B with very low Rh-negative. Western European and US populations tend to high A and O with intermediate Rh-negative (around 15 percent). South American populations tend to very high O (often above 50 percent) and very low Rh-negative.
These patterns are remarkably stable across centuries and reflect ancient population history. Population genetic studies suggest the patterns date to before the major out-of-Africa migrations and have been maintained by combinations of founder effects, gene flow, and balancing selection. The Calafell et al. 2008 paper on ABO molecular evolution covers the inferred phylogeny.
The most striking single-trait pattern is the very low Rh-negative frequency outside Northwest Europe. Rh-negative is essentially a derived European trait that spread to other regions only through European migration in the past 500 years. Pre-Columbian Native American populations were essentially 100 percent Rh-positive.
Implications for transfusion services
National blood service inventory mixes reflect local population blood type frequencies. Where Rh-negative is rare (East Asia, much of Africa), the small Rh-negative donor pool is the supply pressure point. Where O is uncommon relative to demand, O-type stocks need particular attention. The trauma-and-emergency demand pattern (universal donor preference for unknown-type patients) interacts with population frequencies to produce the supply pressures specific to each country.
The migration of populations between countries also matters. Multi-ethnic countries (US, UK, France, Germany, Brazil) need to manage transfusion supplies that work for patients of multiple origin populations. This is particularly important for chronic transfusion patients (sickle cell disease, thalassaemia) who need antigen-matched blood beyond simple ABO and Rh-D. The American Red Cross Sickle Cell programme and similar UK programmes recruit specifically from ethnic groups with the relevant antigen profiles.
See our O-negative donation need page for the supply pressures in the US and UK, and our distribution by ethnicity page for the breakdown by ethnicity within the US.
Notes on data quality
Country-level figures vary in quality. Figures from major national blood services with large donor populations (American Red Cross, NHSBT, Japanese Red Cross, Canadian Blood Services, EFS in France, DRK in Germany, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood) are based on hundreds of thousands or millions of donor records and are reasonably reliable as donor-pool estimates. The donor pool is not exactly a population sample (it under-represents the very young, the very old, and people excluded by deferral criteria) but is the most reliable practical source for national-level figures.
Figures from countries without large unified national blood service donor data (compiled from regional peer-reviewed studies) carry wider uncertainty. The figures in this table are illustrative averages compiled from multiple sources; exact percentages should not be over-interpreted. Within-country variation by region, urban-rural location, and ethnic group is often larger than the variation between similar countries.
For country-specific questions, the relevant national blood service is the most reliable current source. The International Society of Blood Transfusion publishes the standard reference work on blood group nomenclature and population genetics.