CO₂ emissions by sector in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: CO₂ emissions by sector was 70.59 million tonnes in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
70.59 million tonnes
Change on year
down 5.9%
World rank
8th
of 187 countries
All-time high
112.49 million tonnes
in 1996
All-time low
70.59 million tonnes
in 2023
Years of data
34
1990–2023
CO₂ emissions by sector in United Kingdom, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes.
Analysis
The most recent figure for co₂ emissions by sector in United Kingdom is 70.59 million tonnes, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
The figure is down 5.9% on the previous year and down 23.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions by sector in United Kingdom peaked at 112.49 million tonnes in 1996 and was at its lowest, 70.59 million tonnes, in 2023.
United Kingdom ranks 8th of 187 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
CO₂ emissions by sector in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | tonnes | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 95.66 million tonnes | — |
| 1991 | 104.02 million tonnes | +8.7% |
| 1992 | 101.33 million tonnes | -2.6% |
| 1993 | 103.60 million tonnes | +2.2% |
| 1994 | 105.41 million tonnes | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 101.37 million tonnes | -3.8% |
| 1996 | 112.49 million tonnes | +11.0% |
| 1997 | 104.24 million tonnes | -7.3% |
| 1998 | 105.92 million tonnes | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 102.04 million tonnes | -3.7% |
| 2000 | 101.92 million tonnes | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 105.18 million tonnes | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 100.62 million tonnes | -4.3% |
| 2003 | 100.99 million tonnes | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 104.09 million tonnes | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 99.74 million tonnes | -4.2% |
| 2006 | 95.49 million tonnes | -4.3% |
| 2007 | 91.27 million tonnes | -4.4% |
| 2008 | 95.96 million tonnes | +5.1% |
| 2009 | 91.08 million tonnes | -5.1% |
| 2010 | 101.86 million tonnes | +11.8% |
| 2011 | 82.31 million tonnes | -19.2% |
| 2012 | 90.46 million tonnes | +9.9% |
| 2013 | 91.76 million tonnes | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 77.70 million tonnes | -15.3% |
| 2015 | 81.54 million tonnes | +4.9% |
| 2016 | 79.02 million tonnes | -3.1% |
| 2017 | 77.61 million tonnes | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 79.44 million tonnes | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 76.97 million tonnes | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 83.42 million tonnes | +8.4% |
| 2021 | 89.14 million tonnes | +6.9% |
| 2022 | 75.03 million tonnes | -15.8% |
| 2023 | 70.59 million tonnes | -5.9% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 70.59 million tonnes is above the median for high income countries, which is 2.00 million tonnes, 35.2× the median. (60 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 70.59 million tonnes is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.03 million tonnes, 17.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 103.61 million tonnes | 95.66 million tonnes | 112.49 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2000s | 98.63 million tonnes | 91.08 million tonnes | 105.18 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2010s | 83.87 million tonnes | 76.97 million tonnes | 101.86 million tonnes | 10 |
| 2020s | 79.55 million tonnes | 70.59 million tonnes | 89.14 million tonnes | 4 |
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 co₂ emissions by sector in United Kingdom?
- Co₂ emissions by sector in United Kingdom was 70.59 million tonnes in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions by sector recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 112.49 million tonnes in 1996.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions by sector recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 70.59 million tonnes in 2023.
- How does United Kingdom rank for co₂ emissions by sector?
- United Kingdom ranks 8th out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
- Is co₂ emissions by sector rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of CO₂ emissions by sector. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Emissions are measured in tonnes.