emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre was 5.01 tonnes per square kilometre in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
5.01 tonnes per square kilometre
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
80th
of 207 countries
All-time high
54.86 tonnes per square kilometre
in 1962
All-time low
5.01 tonnes per square kilometre
in 2022
Years of data
62
1961–2022
emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in United Kingdom, 1961–2022
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in tonnes per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in United Kingdom is 5.01 tonnes per square kilometre, measured in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 62 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, emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in United Kingdom peaked at 54.86 tonnes per square kilometre in 1962 and was at its lowest, 5.01 tonnes per square kilometre, in 2022.
That places United Kingdom 80th out of 207 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | tonnes per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 54.6 tonnes per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 54.86 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1963 | 54.66 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1964 | 51.48 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.8% |
| 1965 | 50.33 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 1966 | 45.49 tonnes per square kilometre | -9.6% |
| 1967 | 42.95 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.6% |
| 1968 | 42.76 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 42.25 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1970 | 41.4 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.0% |
| 1971 | 39.09 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.6% |
| 1972 | 37.32 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.5% |
| 1973 | 37.64 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1974 | 35.83 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.8% |
| 1975 | 33.06 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.7% |
| 1976 | 32.59 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 1977 | 32.9 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1978 | 32.55 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 1979 | 32.85 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 31.08 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.4% |
| 1981 | 31.06 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 31.2 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 30.62 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 1984 | 30.07 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 1985 | 33.04 tonnes per square kilometre | +9.9% |
| 1986 | 33.89 tonnes per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1987 | 34.33 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 34.48 tonnes per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 35.5 tonnes per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1990 | 34.24 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.5% |
| 1991 | 34.82 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 33.76 tonnes per square kilometre | -3.0% |
| 1993 | 33.14 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 1994 | 30.55 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.8% |
| 1995 | 28.06 tonnes per square kilometre | -8.1% |
| 1996 | 28.35 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 26.52 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.4% |
| 1998 | 25.08 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.4% |
| 1999 | 23.4 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.7% |
| 2000 | 21.15 tonnes per square kilometre | -9.6% |
| 2001 | 19.43 tonnes per square kilometre | -8.1% |
| 2002 | 17.16 tonnes per square kilometre | -11.7% |
| 2003 | 15.56 tonnes per square kilometre | -9.3% |
| 2004 | 14.54 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.6% |
| 2005 | 13.68 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.9% |
| 2006 | 12.85 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.1% |
| 2007 | 12.63 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 10.55 tonnes per square kilometre | -16.5% |
| 2009 | 8.39 tonnes per square kilometre | -20.5% |
| 2010 | 7.9 tonnes per square kilometre | -5.8% |
| 2011 | 7.3 tonnes per square kilometre | -7.6% |
| 2012 | 7.15 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 6.95 tonnes per square kilometre | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 6.61 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.9% |
| 2015 | 6.34 tonnes per square kilometre | -4.1% |
| 2016 | 5.66 tonnes per square kilometre | -10.7% |
| 2017 | 5.77 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 5.74 tonnes per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 5.38 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.3% |
| 2020 | 5.02 tonnes per square kilometre | -6.6% |
| 2021 | 5.09 tonnes per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 5.01 tonnes per square kilometre | -1.6% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 5.01 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.78 tonnes per square kilometre, 1.3× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 5.01 tonnes per square kilometre is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2.19 tonnes per square kilometre, 2.3× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 48.82 tonnes per square kilometre | 42.25 tonnes per square kilometre | 54.86 tonnes per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 35.52 tonnes per square kilometre | 32.55 tonnes per square kilometre | 41.4 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 32.53 tonnes per square kilometre | 30.07 tonnes per square kilometre | 35.5 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 29.79 tonnes per square kilometre | 23.4 tonnes per square kilometre | 34.82 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.59 tonnes per square kilometre | 8.39 tonnes per square kilometre | 21.15 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.48 tonnes per square kilometre | 5.38 tonnes per square kilometre | 7.9 tonnes per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.04 tonnes per square kilometre | 5.01 tonnes per square kilometre | 5.09 tonnes per square kilometre | 3 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 77 Lesotho 5.42 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 78 Liberia 5.41 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 79 Cote d'Ivoire 5.19 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 81 Bosnia and Herzegovina 4.84 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 82 Ghana 4.78 tonnes per square kilometre compare
- 83 France 4.74 tonnes per square kilometre compare
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 emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in United Kingdom?
- Emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre in United Kingdom was 5.01 tonnes per square kilometre in 2022, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 54.86 tonnes per square kilometre in 1962.
- What is the lowest emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.01 tonnes per square kilometre in 2022.
- How does United Kingdom rank for emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre?
- United Kingdom ranks 80th out of 207 countries with data for 2022.
- Is emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre 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 Statizoid (derived), published as part of emissions of air pollutants, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 62 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
emissions of air pollutants divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
emissions of air pollutants ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- emissions of air pollutants Hoesly et al. (2024) – Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
emissions of air pollutants divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.