Although every single person in America bleeds the same, not all of us bleed the same blood type.

In fact, while all of our blood may be made up of the same vital components, there are significant differences in our red livelihood that lends to some eight distinctive common blood types among humankind.

Yet, while most of us are aware that there are in fact several different blood types, most of us do not have any idea what those types are or even which one of them is the most common.

So, what is the most widespread blood type running through the old veins of the great American population?

It appears as if type O-positive is the most common followed by type A-positive. AB-negative has the distinction of being the least common.

However, the distribution of blood types among those living in the United States seem to vary depending on racial and ethnic brackets. For example, while approximately 38 percent of Caucasians have type O-positive blood, nearly half of the African American population has it at 47 percent. More than half of the Hispanic population -- 53 percent -- can claim it.

Blood donors with type O-negative blood, which makes up about seven percent of the population, are considered universal donors since their blood is compatible with any blood type, while the three percent of those with AB-positive are referred to as universal recipients because they can receive blood of any type.

The Approximate Distribution of Blood Types in America

O-positive: 38 percent

O-negative: 7 percent

A-positive: 34 percent

A-negative: 6 percent

B-positive: 9 percent

B-negative: 2 percent

AB-positive: 3 percent

AB-negative: 1 percent

 

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