Annual CO₂ emissions from flaring in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Annual CO₂ emissions from flaring was 3.42 million tonnes in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
3.42 million tonnes
Change on year
up 2.8%
World rank
21st
of 215 countries
All-time high
12.49 million tonnes
in 1979
All-time low
0 tonnes
in 1950
Years of data
75
1950–2024
Annual CO₂ emissions from flaring in United Kingdom, 1950–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
In 2024, annual co₂ emissions from flaring in United Kingdom stood at 3.42 million tonnes.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.8% on the previous year and down 22.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual co₂ emissions from flaring in United Kingdom peaked at 12.49 million tonnes in 1979 and was at its lowest, 0 tonnes, in 1950.
That places United Kingdom 21st out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual CO₂ emissions from flaring in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1951 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1952 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1953 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1954 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1955 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1956 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1957 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1958 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1959 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1960 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1961 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1962 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1963 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1964 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1965 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1966 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1967 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1968 | 245,489 tonnes | — |
| 1969 | 1.48 million tonnes | +503.0% |
| 1970 | 2.96 million tonnes | +99.8% |
| 1971 | 3.45 million tonnes | +16.7% |
| 1972 | 3.94 million tonnes | +14.2% |
| 1973 | 4.93 million tonnes | +25.0% |
| 1974 | 5.42 million tonnes | +10.0% |
| 1975 | 5.91 million tonnes | +9.1% |
| 1976 | 5.91 million tonnes | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 6.37 million tonnes | +7.7% |
| 1978 | 8.60 million tonnes | +34.9% |
| 1979 | 12.49 million tonnes | +45.3% |
| 1980 | 8.03 million tonnes | -35.7% |
| 1981 | 7.98 million tonnes | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 7.51 million tonnes | -5.9% |
| 1983 | 7.16 million tonnes | -4.6% |
| 1984 | 6.46 million tonnes | -9.8% |
| 1985 | 5.03 million tonnes | -22.0% |
| 1986 | 3.84 million tonnes | -23.8% |
| 1987 | 4.04 million tonnes | +5.3% |
| 1988 | 0 tonnes | -100.0% |
| 1989 | 0 tonnes | — |
| 1990 | 6.79 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 6.26 million tonnes | -7.8% |
| 1992 | 6.44 million tonnes | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 6.64 million tonnes | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 7.43 million tonnes | +11.9% |
| 1995 | 8.34 million tonnes | +12.3% |
| 1996 | 8.71 million tonnes | +4.4% |
| 1997 | 7.21 million tonnes | -17.2% |
| 1998 | 7.45 million tonnes | +3.3% |
| 1999 | 6.17 million tonnes | -17.2% |
| 2000 | 6.45 million tonnes | +4.5% |
| 2001 | 6.49 million tonnes | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 6.18 million tonnes | -4.8% |
| 2003 | 5.56 million tonnes | -10.0% |
| 2004 | 5.62 million tonnes | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 5.99 million tonnes | +6.6% |
| 2006 | 5.27 million tonnes | -12.0% |
| 2007 | 5.42 million tonnes | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 4.75 million tonnes | -12.3% |
| 2009 | 4.88 million tonnes | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 4.74 million tonnes | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 4.45 million tonnes | -6.0% |
| 2012 | 3.65 million tonnes | -18.1% |
| 2013 | 4.22 million tonnes | +15.6% |
| 2014 | 4.44 million tonnes | +5.2% |
| 2015 | 4.64 million tonnes | +4.6% |
| 2016 | 4.56 million tonnes | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 4.30 million tonnes | -5.6% |
| 2018 | 4.48 million tonnes | +4.1% |
| 2019 | 4.28 million tonnes | -4.3% |
| 2020 | 3.44 million tonnes | -19.6% |
| 2021 | 3.50 million tonnes | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 3.20 million tonnes | -8.8% |
| 2023 | 3.33 million tonnes | +4.1% |
| 2024 | 3.42 million tonnes | +2.8% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 3.42 million tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 48,004 tonnes, 71.3× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 3.42 million tonnes is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 77,834 tonnes, 43.9× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Annual CO₂ emissions from flaring in United Kingdom changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | +503.0% | 245,489 tonnes | 1.48 million tonnes |
| 1988 | -100.0% | 4.04 million tonnes | 0 tonnes |
| 1970 | +99.8% | 1.48 million tonnes | 2.96 million tonnes |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 10 |
| 1960s | 172,574 tonnes | 0 tonnes | 1.48 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.00 million tonnes | 2.96 million tonnes | 12.49 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.00 million tonnes | 0 tonnes | 8.03 million tonnes | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.14 million tonnes | 6.17 million tonnes | 8.71 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.66 million tonnes | 4.75 million tonnes | 6.49 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.37 million tonnes | 3.65 million tonnes | 4.74 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.38 million tonnes | 3.20 million tonnes | 3.50 million tonnes | 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 annual co₂ emissions from flaring in United Kingdom?
- Annual co₂ emissions from flaring in United Kingdom was 3.42 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 flaring recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 12.49 million tonnes in 1979.
- What is the lowest annual co₂ emissions from flaring recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 tonnes in 1950.
- How does United Kingdom rank for annual co₂ emissions from flaring?
- United Kingdom ranks 21st out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is annual co₂ emissions from flaring rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.9%. 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 flaring. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 75 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from flaring, measured in tonnes.