Air emissions - Air pollutants Inventories — Total man-made emissions in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Air emissions - Air pollutants Inventories — Total man-made emissions was 24.61 Index in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Air emissions - Air pollutants Inventories — Total man-made emissions in United Kingdom, 1990–2024
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Index.
Analysis
The most recent figure for air emissions - air pollutants inventories — total man-made emissions in United Kingdom is 24.61 Index, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.1% on the previous year and down 33.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, air emissions - air pollutants inventories — total man-made emissions in United Kingdom peaked at 160.13 Index in 1991 and was at its lowest, 24.61 Index, in 2024.
That places United Kingdom 42nd out of 44 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Air emissions - Air pollutants Inventories — Total man-made emissions in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Index | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 157.84 Index | — |
| 1991 | 160.13 Index | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 152.09 Index | -5.0% |
| 1993 | 145.41 Index | -4.4% |
| 1994 | 140.44 Index | -3.4% |
| 1995 | 134.59 Index | -4.2% |
| 1996 | 132.66 Index | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 125.05 Index | -5.7% |
| 1998 | 119.81 Index | -4.2% |
| 1999 | 110.84 Index | -7.5% |
| 2000 | 100 Index | -9.8% |
| 2001 | 92.43 Index | -7.6% |
| 2002 | 80.39 Index | -13.0% |
| 2003 | 74.3 Index | -7.6% |
| 2004 | 69.73 Index | -6.2% |
| 2005 | 67 Index | -3.9% |
| 2006 | 65.22 Index | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 64.47 Index | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 53.72 Index | -16.7% |
| 2009 | 44.83 Index | -16.6% |
| 2010 | 43.56 Index | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 40.36 Index | -7.3% |
| 2012 | 39.85 Index | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 39.02 Index | -2.1% |
| 2014 | 37.19 Index | -4.7% |
| 2015 | 35.65 Index | -4.1% |
| 2016 | 31.81 Index | -10.8% |
| 2017 | 31.94 Index | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 31.73 Index | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 29.77 Index | -6.2% |
| 2020 | 27.15 Index | -8.8% |
| 2021 | 27.91 Index | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 26.49 Index | -5.1% |
| 2023 | 25.67 Index | -3.1% |
| 2024 | 24.61 Index | -4.1% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 24.61 Index is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 40.2 Index, 61% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 24.61 Index is below the median for high income countries, which is 37.9 Index, 65% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 137.89 Index | 110.84 Index | 160.13 Index | 10 |
| 2000s | 71.21 Index | 44.83 Index | 100 Index | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.09 Index | 29.77 Index | 43.56 Index | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.37 Index | 24.61 Index | 27.91 Index | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More climate change data for United Kingdom
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 37,706 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 8,697 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 29,008 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 32.82 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,036 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 7,083 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 7,027 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 55.89 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 26.52 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is air emissions - air pollutants inventories — total man-made emissions in United Kingdom?
- Air emissions - air pollutants inventories — total man-made emissions in United Kingdom was 24.61 Index in 2024, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest air emissions - air pollutants inventories — total man-made emissions recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 160.13 Index in 1991.
- What is the lowest air emissions - air pollutants inventories — total man-made emissions recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.61 Index in 2024.
- How does United Kingdom rank for air emissions - air pollutants inventories — total man-made emissions?
- United Kingdom ranks 42nd out of 44 countries with data for 2024.
- Is air emissions - air pollutants inventories — total man-made emissions rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Air emissions - Air pollutants Inventories — Total man-made emissions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required).
About this data
This dataset provides selected information on national emissions of air pollutants: man-made emissions of sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). Categories presented are based on the NFR (nomenclature for reporting) 2014 classification. Details of regroupings can be found in the table of correspondence. Data exclude non man-made emissions and international aviation and maritime transports emissions. For some countries residential mobile emissions (e.g. mowers) are included into “Other combustion” instead of “Other mobile”. Data source(s): (1) The Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP Convention), UNECE-EMEP emissions Database, WebDab. EMEP Official; (2) Common Reporting Tables CRT to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC, CRT tables); (3) Replies to the OECD Questionnaire on the State of the Environment and comments from member countries. Contact: ENV.Stat@oecd.org Dataset release date: August 2026 Database documentation