Annual CO₂ emissions from coal in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Annual CO₂ emissions from coal was 16.95 million tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
16.95 million tonnes
Change on year
down 5.4%
World rank
34th
of 179 countries
All-time high
501.66 million tonnes
in 1916
All-time low
9.31 million tonnes
in 1750
Years of data
275
1750–2024
Annual CO₂ emissions from coal in United Kingdom, 1750–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual co₂ emissions from coal in United Kingdom is 16.95 million tonnes, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 5.4% on the previous year and down 85.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual co₂ emissions from coal in United Kingdom peaked at 501.66 million tonnes in 1916 and was at its lowest, 9.31 million tonnes, in 1750.
United Kingdom ranks 34th of 179 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1750s | 9.79 million tonnes | 9.31 million tonnes | 10.34 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1760s | 11.57 million tonnes | 10.51 million tonnes | 12.78 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1770s | 14.26 million tonnes | 13.10 million tonnes | 15.54 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1780s | 17.76 million tonnes | 15.88 million tonnes | 19.86 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1790s | 22.10 million tonnes | 20.39 million tonnes | 26.86 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1800s | 30.95 million tonnes | 27.79 million tonnes | 34.52 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1810s | 39.10 million tonnes | 35.40 million tonnes | 43.77 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1820s | 48.35 million tonnes | 42.57 million tonnes | 53.24 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1830s | 69.79 million tonnes | 61.92 million tonnes | 78.54 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1840s | 95.33 million tonnes | 80.79 million tonnes | 117.35 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1850s | 130.15 million tonnes | 115.36 million tonnes | 149.70 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1860s | 195.76 million tonnes | 167.95 million tonnes | 223.64 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1870s | 260.68 million tonnes | 228.41 million tonnes | 275.49 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1880s | 318.92 million tonnes | 296.66 million tonnes | 343.79 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1890s | 365.34 million tonnes | 314.35 million tonnes | 411.68 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1900s | 437.59 million tonnes | 407.66 million tonnes | 469.92 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1910s | 473.53 million tonnes | 447.58 million tonnes | 501.66 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1920s | 417.36 million tonnes | 241.53 million tonnes | 472.14 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1930s | 425.14 million tonnes | 386.65 million tonnes | 460.32 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1940s | 449.71 million tonnes | 412.93 million tonnes | 470.89 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1950s | 472.51 million tonnes | 425.32 million tonnes | 499.10 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 412.60 million tonnes | 367.95 million tonnes | 447.94 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 290.98 million tonnes | 259.16 million tonnes | 352.92 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 242.94 million tonnes | 177.55 million tonnes | 261.41 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 194.90 million tonnes | 138.31 million tonnes | 253.62 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 145.32 million tonnes | 113.82 million tonnes | 160.84 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 87.74 million tonnes | 24.51 million tonnes | 148.00 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.28 million tonnes | 16.95 million tonnes | 23.76 million tonnes | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 31 Uzbekistan 19.76 million tonnes compare
- 32 France 19.47 million tonnes compare
- 33 Netherlands 18.61 million tonnes compare
- 35 Laos 16.68 million tonnes compare
- 36 Bosnia and Herzegovina 13.87 million tonnes compare
- 37 Egypt 12.12 million tonnes compare
More climate change data for United Kingdom
- Share of global CO₂ emissions and population 0.7% (2100)
- Population growth 0.3% (2025)
- Population, total 69.49 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 0.4% (2025)
- Urban population 57.90 million (2025)
- Urban population 83.3% (2025)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita 4.53 tonnes per person (2024)
- Cumulative CO₂ emissions 80.08 billion tonnes (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita 4.53 tonnes per person (2024)
- CO₂ emissions per capita vs. share of electricity generation from renewables 4.53 tonnes per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual co₂ emissions from coal in United Kingdom?
- Annual co₂ emissions from coal in United Kingdom was 16.95 million tonnes in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual co₂ emissions from coal recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 501.66 million tonnes in 1916.
- What is the lowest annual co₂ emissions from coal recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.31 million tonnes in 1750.
- How does United Kingdom rank for annual co₂ emissions from coal?
- United Kingdom ranks 34th out of 179 countries with data for 2024.
- Is annual co₂ emissions from coal rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 85.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual CO₂ emissions from coal. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 275 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from coal, measured in tonnes.