The Black and Black British ethnic groups have been the ones with the lowest COVID-19 mortality rate in England over the year from June 2020, according to Public Health England.

Since the start of the pandemic, it has been widely reported in the UK that those two ethnic groups, as well as people categorized as Asian and Asian British people, had been the hardest hit.

However, Public Health England says a "misclassification of two subgroups" within those ethnic categories distorted figures, meaning "mortality rates reported for these ethnic groups in reports containing data between December 2020 and June 2021 were incorrect."

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The report added: "The impact of the correction specifically affect[s] the mortality rates presented for those of Asian and Asian British and/or Black and Black British ethnic categories, no other ethnic groups were affected by this error."

The figures have now been updated and mean that the age-adjusted annualized mortality rate of Black and Black British people has been revised down to 152.2 per 100,000 people, while the rate for Asian and Asian British people has been revised up to 411.4. The rate for White and White British people is 158.9 and the figure for the entire population, including all ethnic groups, was 163.

The figures mean that the mortality rate among those who are classified as Asian or Asian British was more than two-and-a-half times higher than for White or White British people over the year to June 2021.

Medics and researchers have been investigating why the rates have been higher among non-white populations in the UK during the pandemic, with a range of factors cited.

Manish Pareek led a study of 18 million people from ethnic minority backgrounds, which was published in EClinicalMedicine at the end of 2020, to try to find answers.

Pareek dismissed suggestions of a genetic link and suggested societal factors could be responsible.

The study found that Asian and Asian British people were more likely to live and work in urban areas, where transmission rates were highest, or be employed as key workers, who have faced consistent exposure to the virus.

The Public Health England figures include people who died within 60 days of a positive COVID-19 test in England, or died more than 60 days later, but where COVID-19 was mentioned on their death certificate. It does not include people where COVID-19 was suspected but not tested for.

The data are reported from June 29, 2020, to June 30, 2021, with the relative mortality rates calculated using 2019 Office for National Statistics population estimates figures.

During the period covered by the analysis there were 3,974,558 cases of COVID-19 detected in England, with 92,011 deaths.