Change air pollutant emissions in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Change air pollutant emissions was 1.21 million in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
1.21 million
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
48th
of 220 countries
All-time high
13.85 million
in 1956
All-time low
1.21 million
in 2022
Years of data
273
1750–2022

Change air pollutant emissions in United Kingdom, 1750–2022

05.0M10.0M15.0M175018862022

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2022, change air pollutant emissions in United Kingdom stood at 1.21 million. That is the lowest value across all 273 years on record.

That represents a change of down 1.6% on the previous year and down 29.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, change air pollutant emissions in United Kingdom peaked at 13.85 million in 1956 and was at its lowest, 1.21 million, in 2022.

United Kingdom ranks 48th of 220 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Change air pollutant emissions in United Kingdom, year by year

Annual values for Change air pollutant emissions in United Kingdom, 1750 to 2022.
Year Value Change
1750 1.28 million —
1751 1.28 million +0.2%
1752 1.28 million +0.2%
1753 1.28 million +0.2%
1754 1.29 million +0.2%
1755 1.29 million +0.2%
1756 1.31 million +1.8%
1757 1.32 million +0.2%
1758 1.32 million +0.2%
1759 1.32 million +0.2%
1760 1.32 million +0.2%
1761 1.35 million +2.5%
1762 1.36 million +0.2%
1763 1.36 million +0.2%
1764 1.36 million +0.2%
1765 1.36 million +0.2%
1766 1.41 million +3.1%
1767 1.41 million +0.1%
1768 1.41 million +0.1%
1769 1.41 million +0.1%
1770 1.41 million +0.1%
1771 1.46 million +3.2%
1772 1.46 million +0.1%
1773 1.46 million +0.1%
1774 1.46 million +0.1%
1775 1.47 million +0.1%
1776 1.51 million +3.2%
1777 1.52 million +0.1%
1778 1.52 million +0.1%
1779 1.52 million +0.1%
1780 1.52 million +0.1%
1781 1.58 million +3.9%
1782 1.58 million +0.1%
1783 1.58 million +0.1%
1784 1.58 million +0.1%
1785 1.59 million +0.1%
1786 1.66 million +4.7%
1787 1.66 million +0.1%
1788 1.66 million +0.1%
1789 1.67 million +0.1%
1790 1.67 million +0.1%
1791 1.74 million +4.4%
1792 1.74 million +0.1%
1793 1.74 million +0.1%
1794 1.74 million +0.1%
1795 1.75 million +0.1%
1796 1.78 million +1.8%
1797 1.81 million +2.1%
1798 1.85 million +1.8%
1799 1.89 million +2.3%
1800 1.92 million +1.5%
1801 1.91 million -0.1%
1802 1.92 million +0.0%
1803 2.02 million +5.3%
1804 2.02 million +0.0%
1805 2.05 million +1.6%
1806 2.10 million +2.6%
1807 2.10 million -0.2%
1808 2.10 million -0.2%
1809 2.09 million -0.2%
1810 2.09 million -0.2%
1811 2.18 million +4.6%
1812 2.25 million +3.0%
1813 2.29 million +1.6%
1814 2.33 million +2.0%
1815 2.38 million +2.1%
1816 2.48 million +4.3%
1817 2.52 million +1.5%
1818 2.54 million +1.0%
1819 2.57 million +1.2%
1820 2.60 million +1.1%
1821 2.63 million +0.9%
1822 2.69 million +2.5%
1823 2.78 million +3.2%
1824 2.86 million +3.0%
1825 2.89 million +1.0%
1826 2.92 million +1.0%
1827 3.00 million +2.7%
1828 3.02 million +0.8%
1829 3.06 million +1.2%
1830 3.53 million +15.4%
1831 3.48 million -1.3%
1832 3.50 million +0.5%
1833 3.52 million +0.5%
1834 3.54 million +0.6%
1835 3.55 million +0.4%
1836 3.93 million +10.5%
1837 3.86 million -1.6%
1838 3.95 million +2.2%
1839 4.03 million +2.1%
1840 4.15 million +3.0%
1841 4.18 million +0.7%
1842 4.29 million +2.7%
1843 4.41 million +2.7%
1844 4.54 million +3.1%
1845 4.75 million +4.5%
1846 4.61 million -2.8%
1847 4.86 million +5.4%
1848 5.04 million +3.7%
1849 5.25 million +4.2%
1850 5.47 million +4.2%
1851 5.25 million -4.1%
1852 5.22 million -0.6%
1853 5.18 million -0.7%
1854 5.90 million +13.9%
1855 5.61 million -5.0%
1856 5.78 million +3.1%
1857 5.57 million -3.6%
1858 5.36 million -3.8%
1859 5.64 million +5.2%
1860 5.97 million +6.0%
1861 6.06 million +1.5%
1862 5.82 million -4.0%
1863 5.99 million +3.0%
1864 6.22 million +3.9%
1865 6.39 million +2.7%
1866 6.33 million -1.0%
1867 6.24 million -1.4%
1868 5.93 million -5.0%
1869 5.93 million -0.0%
1870 5.79 million -2.3%
1871 5.98 million +3.2%
1872 6.14 million +2.8%
1873 6.24 million +1.6%
1874 6.02 million -3.6%
1875 6.20 million +3.0%
1876 6.17 million -0.5%
1877 6.24 million +1.1%
1878 6.13 million -1.8%
1879 6.14 million +0.2%
1880 6.56 million +7.0%
1881 6.84 million +4.2%
1882 6.89 million +0.7%
1883 7.12 million +3.4%
1884 6.96 million -2.3%
1885 6.89 million -1.0%
1886 6.77 million -1.7%
1887 6.86 million +1.3%
1888 7.03 million +2.5%
1889 7.18 million +2.2%
1890 7.26 million +1.1%
1891 7.42 million +2.2%
1892 7.31 million -1.5%
1893 6.67 million -8.8%
1894 7.54 million +13.0%
1895 7.63 million +1.2%
1896 7.75 million +1.6%
1897 7.86 million +1.4%
1898 7.81 million -0.7%
1899 8.23 million +5.4%
1900 8.24 million +0.2%
1901 8.17 million -0.8%
1902 8.55 million +4.6%
1903 8.71 million +1.8%
1904 8.83 million +1.5%
1905 9.03 million +2.2%
1906 9.33 million +3.4%
1907 9.73 million +4.2%
1908 9.52 million -2.1%
1909 9.61 million +1.0%
1910 9.69 million +0.9%
1911 9.83 million +1.4%
1912 9.27 million -5.7%
1913 9.07 million -2.1%
1914 8.83 million -2.7%
1915 9.06 million +2.7%
1916 9.38 million +3.5%
1917 9.36 million -0.2%
1918 8.77 million -6.3%
1919 8.41 million -4.2%
1920 8.88 million +5.6%
1921 6.25 million -29.5%
1922 8.10 million +29.4%
1923 12.50 million +54.4%
1924 13.08 million +4.7%
1925 12.59 million -3.8%
1926 9.58 million -23.9%
1927 13.08 million +36.5%
1928 12.14 million -7.2%
1929 12.65 million +4.2%
1930 12.08 million -4.4%
1931 11.42 million -5.5%
1932 11.18 million -2.1%
1933 11.10 million -0.7%
1934 11.66 million +5.1%
1935 11.91 million +2.2%
1936 12.39 million +4.0%
1937 12.67 million +2.2%
1938 12.01 million -5.2%
1939 12.43 million +3.5%
1940 12.66 million +1.8%
1941 12.67 million +0.1%
1942 12.66 million -0.1%
1943 12.10 million -4.4%
1944 11.62 million -4.0%
1945 11.10 million -4.5%
1946 11.29 million +1.7%
1947 11.32 million +0.2%
1948 11.93 million +5.4%
1949 12.05 million +1.1%
1950 12.93 million +7.2%
1951 13.35 million +3.3%
1952 13.31 million -0.3%
1953 13.32 million +0.0%
1954 13.68 million +2.7%
1955 13.77 million +0.7%
1956 13.85 million +0.6%
1957 13.53 million -2.4%
1958 13.46 million -0.5%
1959 13.15 million -2.3%
1960 13.80 million +5.0%
1961 13.21 million -4.3%
1962 13.27 million +0.5%
1963 13.22 million -0.4%
1964 12.45 million -5.8%
1965 12.18 million -2.2%
1966 11.01 million -9.6%
1967 10.39 million -5.6%
1968 10.35 million -0.4%
1969 10.22 million -1.2%
1970 10.02 million -2.0%
1971 9.46 million -5.6%
1972 9.03 million -4.5%
1973 9.11 million +0.9%
1974 8.67 million -4.8%
1975 8.00 million -7.7%
1976 7.89 million -1.4%
1977 7.96 million +0.9%
1978 7.87 million -1.1%
1979 7.95 million +0.9%
1980 7.52 million -5.4%
1981 7.51 million -0.1%
1982 7.55 million +0.5%
1983 7.41 million -1.8%
1984 7.28 million -1.8%
1985 7.99 million +9.9%
1986 8.20 million +2.6%
1987 8.31 million +1.3%
1988 8.34 million +0.4%
1989 8.59 million +3.0%
1990 8.28 million -3.5%
1991 8.42 million +1.7%
1992 8.17 million -3.0%
1993 8.02 million -1.8%
1994 7.39 million -7.8%
1995 6.79 million -8.1%
1996 6.86 million +1.0%
1997 6.42 million -6.4%
1998 6.07 million -5.4%
1999 5.66 million -6.7%
2000 5.12 million -9.6%
2001 4.70 million -8.1%
2002 4.15 million -11.7%
2003 3.76 million -9.3%
2004 3.52 million -6.6%
2005 3.31 million -5.9%
2006 3.11 million -6.1%
2007 3.05 million -1.8%
2008 2.55 million -16.5%
2009 2.03 million -20.5%
2010 1.91 million -5.8%
2011 1.77 million -7.6%
2012 1.73 million -2.1%
2013 1.68 million -2.7%
2014 1.60 million -4.9%
2015 1.53 million -4.1%
2016 1.37 million -10.7%
2017 1.40 million +1.9%
2018 1.39 million -0.4%
2019 1.30 million -6.3%
2020 1.22 million -6.6%
2021 1.23 million +1.4%
2022 1.21 million -1.6%

United Kingdom compared with similar countries

  • United Kingdom's 1.21 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 150,374, 8.1× the median. (78 countries reporting)
  • United Kingdom's 1.21 million is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 280,480, 4.3× the median. (52 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Change air pollutant emissions 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.

YearChange FromTo
1923 +54.4% 8.10 million 12.50 million
1927 +36.5% 9.58 million 13.08 million
1921 -29.5% 8.88 million 6.25 million
1922 +29.4% 6.25 million 8.10 million

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1750s 1.30 million 1.28 million 1.32 million 10
1760s 1.38 million 1.32 million 1.41 million 10
1770s 1.48 million 1.41 million 1.52 million 10
1780s 1.61 million 1.52 million 1.67 million 10
1790s 1.77 million 1.67 million 1.89 million 10
1800s 2.02 million 1.91 million 2.10 million 10
1810s 2.36 million 2.09 million 2.57 million 10
1820s 2.84 million 2.60 million 3.06 million 10
1830s 3.69 million 3.48 million 4.03 million 10
1840s 4.61 million 4.15 million 5.25 million 10
1850s 5.50 million 5.18 million 5.90 million 10
1860s 6.09 million 5.82 million 6.39 million 10
1870s 6.10 million 5.79 million 6.24 million 10
1880s 6.91 million 6.56 million 7.18 million 10
1890s 7.55 million 6.67 million 8.23 million 10
1900s 8.97 million 8.17 million 9.73 million 10
1910s 9.17 million 8.41 million 9.83 million 10
1920s 10.88 million 6.25 million 13.08 million 10
1930s 11.89 million 11.10 million 12.67 million 10
1940s 11.94 million 11.10 million 12.67 million 10
1950s 13.44 million 12.93 million 13.85 million 10
1960s 12.01 million 10.22 million 13.80 million 10
1970s 8.59 million 7.87 million 10.02 million 10
1980s 7.87 million 7.28 million 8.59 million 10
1990s 7.21 million 5.66 million 8.42 million 10
2000s 3.53 million 2.03 million 5.12 million 10
2010s 1.57 million 1.30 million 1.91 million 10
2020s 1.22 million 1.21 million 1.23 million 3

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 45 Turkey 1.28 million compare
  2. 46 Iran 1.25 million compare
  3. 47 Cameroon 1.25 million compare
  4. 49 Ukraine 1.20 million compare
  5. 50 Somalia 1.16 million compare
  6. 51 Afghanistan 1.10 million compare

See the full ranking of 220 places →

More climate change data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is change air pollutant emissions in United Kingdom?
Change air pollutant emissions in United Kingdom was 1.21 million in 2022, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest change air pollutant emissions recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 13.85 million in 1956.
What is the lowest change air pollutant emissions recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 1.21 million in 2022.
How does United Kingdom rank for change air pollutant emissions?
United Kingdom ranks 48th out of 220 countries with data for 2022.
Is change air pollutant emissions rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is down 29.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Change air pollutant emissions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Change air pollutant emissions in United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 14 November 2026, from https://climate.statizoid.com/stat/change-air-pollutant-emissions/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Change air pollutant emissions
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
220 places, 60,060 data points, 1750–2022
Last refreshed