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

02.5M5.0M7.5M10.0M12.5M195019872024

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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 18 Congo 3.64 million tonnes compare
  2. 19 Poland 3.57 million tonnes compare
  3. 20 Spain 3.53 million tonnes compare
  4. 22 Indonesia 3.20 million tonnes compare
  5. 23 Ecuador 3.09 million tonnes compare
  6. 24 Egypt 3.06 million tonnes compare

See the full ranking of 215 places →

More climate change data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

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

Indicator
Annual CO₂ emissions from flaring
Unit
tonnes
Source
Global Carbon Budget (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
215 places, 12,483 data points, 1750–2024
Last refreshed

Annual emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from flaring, measured in tonnes.