Black babies stillborn at almost twice rate of white babies, ONS figures show

Campaigners call for greater research into why there are such stark variations in England and Wales

The stillbirth rate of black babies in England and Wales is almost twice that of white babies, with families from mixed and multiple ethnic groups registering the highest increase in stillbirths, figures show.

The death rate of black babies before or during delivery continues to be the highest, with 6.9 stillbirths per 1,000 births registered in 2021, compared with 3.6 per 1,000 white babies, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).