Blood Type Distribution by Country (A, B, O, AB and Rh-)
Updated 2026-11-07T00:00:00.000Z
Blood type frequencies differ a lot between populations. Type O is the most common group worldwide, type A is the largest group in Japan and Korea, and type B is especially common in South Asia.
ABO group by country (approximate %)
| Country / region | O | A | B | AB | Rh− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 44 | 42 | 11 | 4 | ~15 |
| United Kingdom | 48 | 38 | 10 | 3 | ~15 |
| South Korea | 28 | 34 | 27 | 11 | <1 |
| Japan | 30 | 40 | 20 | 10 | <1 |
| India | 37 | 23 | 33 | 7 | ~5 |
| World (estimate) | ~44 | ~30 | ~22 | ~4 | ~7 |
Figures are rounded from national blood services and published surveys and vary between studies and regions. Treat them as a rough guide.
What stands out
- Type O is the most common group in most of the world, especially in the Americas and Western Europe.
- Type A is the largest group in Japan and Korea, which helps explain why the A stereotype is so central to blood type culture there.
- Type B is far more common in South and Central Asia than in Europe.
- Type AB is rare almost everywhere, but East Asia has about twice the global share.
- Rh-negative blood is around 15% in people of European descent but well under 1% in East Asia.
Why do populations differ?
Blood group genes have been shaped over thousands of years by migration, population bottlenecks and possibly disease. Some research suggests that certain blood groups offer slightly different protection against infections such as cholera or malaria, which could have nudged frequencies in different directions. The details are still debated.
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