The objective of this study is to construct a new distribution known as the weighted Burr–Hatke distribution (WBHD). The PDF and CDF of the WBHD are derived in a closed form. Moments, incomplete moments, and the quantile function of the proposed distribution are derived mathematically. Eleven estimate techniques for estimating the distribution parameters are discussed, and numerical simulations are utilised to evaluate the various approaches using partial and overall rankings. According to the findings of this study, it is recommended that the maximum product of spacing (MPSE) estimator of the WBHD is the best estimator according to overall rank table. The actuarial measurements were derived to the suggested distribution. By contrasting the WBHD with other competitive distributions using two different actual data sets collected from the COVID-19 mortality rates, we show the importance and flexibility of the WBHD.