CO₂ emissions per capita in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: CO₂ emissions per capita was 4.53 tonnes per person in 2024. ▲ Rising
CO₂ emissions per capita in United Kingdom, 1800–2024
Source: Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes per person.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 4.53 tonnes per person for co₂ emissions per capita in 2024.
The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and down 33.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, co₂ emissions per capita in United Kingdom peaked at 11.82 tonnes per person in 1971 and was at its lowest, 2.04 tonnes per person, in 1821.
That places United Kingdom 77th out of 213 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 225 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800s | 2.74 tonnes per person | 2.48 tonnes per person | 2.92 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1810s | 2.51 tonnes per person | 2.17 tonnes per person | 2.87 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1820s | 2.15 tonnes per person | 2.04 tonnes per person | 2.24 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1830s | 2.76 tonnes per person | 2.49 tonnes per person | 3.06 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1840s | 3.54 tonnes per person | 3.04 tonnes per person | 4.32 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1850s | 4.65 tonnes per person | 4.17 tonnes per person | 5.21 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1860s | 6.52 tonnes per person | 5.77 tonnes per person | 7.19 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1870s | 7.95 tonnes per person | 7.27 tonnes per person | 8.24 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1880s | 8.92 tonnes per person | 8.6 tonnes per person | 9.28 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1890s | 9.4 tonnes per person | 8.21 tonnes per person | 10.18 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1900s | 10.31 tonnes per person | 9.91 tonnes per person | 10.84 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1910s | 10.53 tonnes per person | 9.81 tonnes per person | 11.03 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1920s | 9.38 tonnes per person | 5.66 tonnes per person | 10.53 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1930s | 9.66 tonnes per person | 8.87 tonnes per person | 10.37 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1940s | 9.98 tonnes per person | 9.23 tonnes per person | 10.39 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1950s | 10.73 tonnes per person | 9.96 tonnes per person | 11.26 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1960s | 11.17 tonnes per person | 10.77 tonnes per person | 11.44 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 11.22 tonnes per person | 10.65 tonnes per person | 11.82 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.92 tonnes per person | 9.37 tonnes per person | 10.29 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 10 tonnes per person | 9.55 tonnes per person | 10.59 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.24 tonnes per person | 7.9 tonnes per person | 9.75 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.68 tonnes per person | 5.44 tonnes per person | 8.12 tonnes per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.69 tonnes per person | 4.48 tonnes per person | 5.06 tonnes per person | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
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 co₂ emissions per capita in United Kingdom?
- Co₂ emissions per capita in United Kingdom was 4.53 tonnes per person in 2024, according to Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest co₂ emissions per capita recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 11.82 tonnes per person in 1971.
- What is the lowest co₂ emissions per capita recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.04 tonnes per person in 1821.
- How does United Kingdom rank for co₂ emissions per capita?
- United Kingdom ranks 77th out of 213 countries with data for 2024.
- Is co₂ emissions per capita rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 33.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Global Carbon Budget (2025); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of CO₂ emissions per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 225 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from burning fossil fuels and industrial processes. This includes emissions from transport, electricity generation, and heating, but not land-use change.