B negative blood type

Your blood type is determined by genes inherited from your parents.

Whether your blood type is rare, common or somewhere in between, your donations are vital in helping save and improve lives.

How rare is B negative blood?

1 in 50 donors is B negative

B negative blood is one of the rarest blood types as just 2% of our blood donors have it.

In comparison, 36% of donors have O positive blood which is the most common type.

Who can receive B negative blood?

Group B and AB people

Around 1 in 8 people can receive red blood cells from B negative donors.

B negative blood can help people who are:

  • B negative
  • B positive
  • AB negative
  • AB positive

Diagram showing which blood groups can receive B negative blood

What blood can B negative people receive?

B negative and O negative blood

B negative people can receive red blood cells from:

  • B negative donors
  • O negative donors

Why is B negative blood important?

It’s one of the rarest blood types

B negative donors are immensely important to our lifesaving work.

As B negative is one of the rarest blood types, it is hard to find new donors and to ensure we always collect enough blood.

We always need more B negative donors and rely heavily on the support and commitment of existing donors to ensure patients receive the blood they need.