Methane emissions in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Methane emissions was 43.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
43.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
40th
of 199 countries
All-time high
162.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1965
All-time low
43.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 2024
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Methane emissions in United Kingdom, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 43.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents for methane emissions in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 175 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and down 6.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, methane emissions in United Kingdom peaked at 162.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1965 and was at its lowest, 43.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, in 2024.
That places United Kingdom 40th out of 199 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 175 years of available data.
Methane emissions in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 57.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | — |
| 1851 | 56.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.3% |
| 1852 | 56.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.0% |
| 1853 | 56.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1854 | 60.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.2% |
| 1855 | 59.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.7% |
| 1856 | 61.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.2% |
| 1857 | 60.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 1858 | 60.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 1859 | 62.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.6% |
| 1860 | 66.15 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.2% |
| 1861 | 67.47 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.0% |
| 1862 | 66.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.6% |
| 1863 | 68.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.0% |
| 1864 | 70.86 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.6% |
| 1865 | 72.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.9% |
| 1866 | 73.95 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.4% |
| 1867 | 74.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.2% |
| 1868 | 73.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.2% |
| 1869 | 75.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.4% |
| 1870 | 76.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1871 | 78.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.2% |
| 1872 | 81.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.9% |
| 1873 | 82.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.1% |
| 1874 | 81.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.6% |
| 1875 | 84.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.2% |
| 1876 | 84.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.0% |
| 1877 | 84.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.1% |
| 1878 | 84.15 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.0% |
| 1879 | 84.47 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1880 | 88.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.2% |
| 1881 | 91.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.1% |
| 1882 | 92.11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1883 | 94.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1884 | 92.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.6% |
| 1885 | 92.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.7% |
| 1886 | 91.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.6% |
| 1887 | 93.11 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.5% |
| 1888 | 95.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.4% |
| 1889 | 97.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.2% |
| 1890 | 98.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.5% |
| 1891 | 100.28 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.4% |
| 1892 | 99.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.2% |
| 1893 | 92.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.5% |
| 1894 | 100.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.0% |
| 1895 | 101.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1896 | 103.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.9% |
| 1897 | 105.47 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.8% |
| 1898 | 105.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1899 | 110.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.7% |
| 1900 | 111.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1901 | 110.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.3% |
| 1902 | 113.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.7% |
| 1903 | 113.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1904 | 114.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1905 | 115.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.1% |
| 1906 | 118.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.6% |
| 1907 | 122.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.2% |
| 1908 | 120.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.5% |
| 1909 | 121.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1910 | 122.59 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1911 | 124.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.7% |
| 1912 | 120.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.7% |
| 1913 | 126.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.4% |
| 1914 | 123.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.2% |
| 1915 | 125.28 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.2% |
| 1916 | 128.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.8% |
| 1917 | 127.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.2% |
| 1918 | 120.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.4% |
| 1919 | 119.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1920 | 123.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.4% |
| 1921 | 96.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -22.0% |
| 1922 | 115.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +19.8% |
| 1923 | 123.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.0% |
| 1924 | 127.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.2% |
| 1925 | 122.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.6% |
| 1926 | 87.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -28.7% |
| 1927 | 125.86 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +43.9% |
| 1928 | 120.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.4% |
| 1929 | 124.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.6% |
| 1930 | 121.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.8% |
| 1931 | 116.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.1% |
| 1932 | 113.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.2% |
| 1933 | 113.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1934 | 118.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.8% |
| 1935 | 119.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.1% |
| 1936 | 124.15 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.7% |
| 1937 | 126.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.1% |
| 1938 | 123.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.0% |
| 1939 | 124.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.5% |
| 1940 | 129.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.3% |
| 1941 | 129.47 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 1942 | 131.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1943 | 129.99 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1944 | 129.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1945 | 126.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.3% |
| 1946 | 130.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.1% |
| 1947 | 135.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.2% |
| 1948 | 138.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 1949 | 141.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.8% |
| 1950 | 142.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1951 | 149.51 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.9% |
| 1952 | 148.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1953 | 151.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.0% |
| 1954 | 154.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.9% |
| 1955 | 158.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.7% |
| 1956 | 159.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1957 | 158.48 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.4% |
| 1958 | 156.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.4% |
| 1959 | 152.28 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.6% |
| 1960 | 157.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.7% |
| 1961 | 161.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.0% |
| 1962 | 160.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1963 | 161.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1964 | 160.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.7% |
| 1965 | 162.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1966 | 160.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.2% |
| 1967 | 155.55 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.8% |
| 1968 | 156.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1969 | 158.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1970 | 156.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 1971 | 156.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 145.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.8% |
| 1973 | 152.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.8% |
| 1974 | 145.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.0% |
| 1975 | 150.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.5% |
| 1976 | 146.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.4% |
| 1977 | 142.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.6% |
| 1978 | 142.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1979 | 144.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.4% |
| 1980 | 144.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 144.04 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1982 | 142.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.1% |
| 1983 | 140.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.0% |
| 1984 | 113.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -19.6% |
| 1985 | 129.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +14.2% |
| 1986 | 137.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.5% |
| 1987 | 134.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.3% |
| 1988 | 133.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.2% |
| 1989 | 130.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.2% |
| 1990 | 134.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.5% |
| 1991 | 137.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.0% |
| 1992 | 132.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.3% |
| 1993 | 128.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.4% |
| 1994 | 122.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.3% |
| 1995 | 126.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 124.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 122.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.8% |
| 1998 | 114.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.6% |
| 1999 | 106.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.0% |
| 2000 | 100.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.9% |
| 2001 | 97.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 92.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.9% |
| 2003 | 87.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.0% |
| 2004 | 83.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.1% |
| 2005 | 76.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.7% |
| 2006 | 71.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.4% |
| 2007 | 66.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.6% |
| 2008 | 61.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -7.6% |
| 2009 | 58.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.1% |
| 2010 | 53.28 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.4% |
| 2011 | 51.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.2% |
| 2012 | 49.96 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 47.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.3% |
| 2014 | 46.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 46.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 45.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 46.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 46.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 45.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 44.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.5% |
| 2021 | 44.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 44.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 44.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 43.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 43.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 5.2× the median. (67 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 43.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 8.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 5.0× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Methane 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | +43.9% | 87.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 125.86 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1926 | -28.7% | 122.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 87.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 59.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 56.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 62.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1860s | 71.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 66.15 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 75.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1870s | 82.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 76.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 84.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1880s | 92.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 88.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 97.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1890s | 101.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 92.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 110.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1900s | 116.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 110.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 122.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1910s | 123.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 119.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 128.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1920s | 116.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 87.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 127.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1930s | 120.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 113.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 126.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1940s | 132.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 126.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 141.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1950s | 153.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 142.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 159.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1960s | 159.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 155.55 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 162.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1970s | 148.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 142.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 156.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1980s | 135.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 113.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 144.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1990s | 125.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 106.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 137.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2000s | 79.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 58.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 100.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2010s | 47.98 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 45.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 53.28 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 43.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 44.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 37 Venezuela 47.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 38 Spain 44.59 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 39 Poland 44.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 41 Angola 43.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 42 Mongolia 42.42 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 43 Italy 40.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents 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 methane emissions in United Kingdom?
- Methane emissions in United Kingdom was 43.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024, according to Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest methane emissions recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 162.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1965.
- What is the lowest methane emissions recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024.
- How does United Kingdom rank for methane emissions?
- United Kingdom ranks 40th out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is methane emissions rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Methane emissions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 175 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.