How racism affects health
This joint report with the Runnymede Trust highlights large and unacceptable variations in the experience of the building blocks of health according to ethnicity.
A healthy society depends on everyone having the building blocks of good health: secure and decent housing, a good job with enough pay, high-quality education and healthy neighbourhoods. These foundations give people a solid frame to withstand life’s shocks and challenges.
Right now, too many people do not have equal access to the building blocks of health largely because of where they live and their socioeconomic background. People living in the most deprived 10% of areas in England can expect to live between 7.7 (women) and 9.4 (men) fewer years than people in the least deprived.
This report finds large and unacceptable variations in people’s experience of the building blocks of health according to ethnicity. For example:
- Approximately 3 in 5 Bangladeshi and Pakistani children, and over half of Black children, live in poverty after housing costs, compared with a quarter of white children.
- People of colour on average have lower incomes, with 51% of Bangladeshi, 45% of Pakistani and 38% of Black households being in the lowest fifth of the income distribution, compared with 18% of White British households.
- People of colour are more likely to live in poor-quality, overcrowded, unaffordable homes, particularly in the private rental market, and are more likely to experience homelessness.
- Communities of colour do not have equal access to a healthy external living environment, such as access to green space and clear air, and are at particular risk of community displacement.
The reasons for these differences are complex and there is no one story of advantage or disadvantage, with socioeconomic background, migration and history, and geography all having the ability to compound disadvantage.
Racism can act in several forms: interpersonal, institutional and structural. It can have both direct and indirect negative impacts on physical and mental health. The report identifies ways racism operates within the everyday structures of our society – the labour market, housing systems and lived environment – and limits people’s opportunity to be healthy.
A credible agenda for improving health must address the impact of unequal access to the building blocks of health on different communities and recognise racism as a key health determinant. Tackling these deep-rooted inequalities is crucial for a fairer, healthier society.
