The homicide risk for black people in England and Wales has been more than five-and-a-half times higher than for white people on average during the 21st century, research suggests.

The study by Cambridge University’s Institute of Criminology also found those of Asian ethnicity are on average twice as likely as white people to be killed.

When taking ages into account the disparity is greater.

Black people aged between 16 to 24 are more than 10-and-a-half times (10.6) more likely than white people to be victims of homicide in England and Wales.

Researchers also noted that – per 100,000 people – the most recent data from 2018-19 puts the murder risk of young black people 24 times higher than that of young white people.

The team looked at annual data from the last 20 years, and claim it is the first time ethnic group trends in UK homicide victimisation rates per 100,000 have been compared in recent decades.

They found the risk of becoming a murder victim for Asian and white people remained somewhat consistent from the year 2000 onwards – around one in 100,000 for white people and slightly more than two in 100,000 for Asians, particularly those of south Asian descent.

The risk has changed significantly during the last 20 years for black people, with the homicide victim rate at its highest in the early noughties – almost 10 in 100,000 in 2001.

This fell by 69% between 2001 and 2012 to a low of three in 100,000 around 2013.

Rates have since climbed again to reach more than five in 100,000 last year.

Researchers are calling on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the police to analyse more “meaningful” crime data to help determine how forces allocate their resources.

Professor Lawrence Sherman, co-author of the study published in the Cambridge Journal of Evidence-Based Policing, said: “Through a series of straightforward calculations, we found substantial racial inequality in the risks of being murdered in England and Wales.

“Policing requires reliable evidence, and changing levels of risk are a vital part of preventative policing.

“We would encourage police forces to produce their own calculations of murder rates per 100,000.

“Simple statistics show us that the risks of becoming a murder victim are far from equal.”

He added: “We need more data analysis of this nature to inform police resource allocation, and promote a more fact-informed dialogue with communities across the country.”

Billy Gazard, crime statistician at the ONS, said: “We plan to carry out further analysis over the coming year, which will include looking at homicide victimisation rates by ethnicity.”

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