Carbon intensity: CO₂ emissions per dollar of GDP in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Carbon intensity: CO₂ emissions per dollar of GDP was 0.119 kilograms per international-$ in 2022. ▼ Falling
Latest (2022)
0.119 kilograms per international-$
Change on year
down 12.7%
World rank
135th
of 164 countries
All-time high
1.48 kilograms per international-$
in 1883
All-time low
0.119 kilograms per international-$
in 2022
Years of data
203
1820–2022
Carbon intensity: CO₂ emissions per dollar of GDP in United Kingdom, 1820–2022
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025); Bolt and van Zanden – Maddison Project Database 2023 – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms per international-$.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 0.119 kilograms per international-$ for carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 203 years on record.
The figure is down 12.7% on the previous year and down 45.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp in United Kingdom peaked at 1.48 kilograms per international-$ in 1883 and was at its lowest, 0.119 kilograms per international-$, in 2022.
That places United Kingdom 135th out of 164 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 203 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 0.6298 kilograms per international-$ | 0.6062 kilograms per international-$ | 0.6622 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1830s | 0.7351 kilograms per international-$ | 0.69 kilograms per international-$ | 0.7903 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1840s | 0.8273 kilograms per international-$ | 0.7518 kilograms per international-$ | 0.9675 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1850s | 0.9828 kilograms per international-$ | 0.8943 kilograms per international-$ | 1.04 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1860s | 1.23 kilograms per international-$ | 1.14 kilograms per international-$ | 1.31 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1870s | 1.36 kilograms per international-$ | 1.25 kilograms per international-$ | 1.41 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1880s | 1.41 kilograms per international-$ | 1.35 kilograms per international-$ | 1.48 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1890s | 1.34 kilograms per international-$ | 1.27 kilograms per international-$ | 1.41 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1900s | 1.36 kilograms per international-$ | 1.32 kilograms per international-$ | 1.4 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1910s | 1.28 kilograms per international-$ | 1.16 kilograms per international-$ | 1.36 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1920s | 1.23 kilograms per international-$ | 0.7336 kilograms per international-$ | 1.46 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1930s | 1.06 kilograms per international-$ | 0.9901 kilograms per international-$ | 1.16 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.8789 kilograms per international-$ | 0.814 kilograms per international-$ | 0.9489 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.8888 kilograms per international-$ | 0.8007 kilograms per international-$ | 0.9524 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.7358 kilograms per international-$ | 0.662 kilograms per international-$ | 0.8091 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.5933 kilograms per international-$ | 0.5265 kilograms per international-$ | 0.6835 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.439 kilograms per international-$ | 0.3877 kilograms per international-$ | 0.4989 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3608 kilograms per international-$ | 0.308 kilograms per international-$ | 0.4095 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2672 kilograms per international-$ | 0.2297 kilograms per international-$ | 0.3011 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1828 kilograms per international-$ | 0.139 kilograms per international-$ | 0.2336 kilograms per international-$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1317 kilograms per international-$ | 0.119 kilograms per international-$ | 0.1397 kilograms per international-$ | 3 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 132 Colombia 0.1204 kilograms per international-$ compare
- 133 Cote d'Ivoire 0.1194 kilograms per international-$ compare
- 134 Bangladesh 0.119 kilograms per international-$ compare
- 137 Cameroon 0.1184 kilograms per international-$ compare
- 138 Chad 0.1161 kilograms per international-$ 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 carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp in United Kingdom?
- Carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp in United Kingdom was 0.119 kilograms per international-$ in 2022, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025); Bolt and van Zanden – Maddison Project Database 2023 – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 1.48 kilograms per international-$ in 1883.
- What is the lowest carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.119 kilograms per international-$ in 2022.
- How does United Kingdom rank for carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp?
- United Kingdom ranks 135th out of 164 countries with data for 2022.
- Is carbon intensity: co₂ emissions per dollar of gdp rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 45.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025); Bolt and van Zanden – Maddison Project Database 2023 – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Carbon intensity: CO₂ emissions per dollar of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 203 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), excluding land-use change, measured in kilograms per dollar of GDP (2011 international-$).