Nitrous oxide emissions in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Nitrous oxide emissions was 28.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
28.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
22nd
of 201 countries
All-time high
45.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1979
All-time low
3.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1850
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Nitrous oxide 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
The most recent figure for nitrous oxide emissions in United Kingdom is 28.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 8.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, nitrous oxide emissions in United Kingdom peaked at 45.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1979 and was at its lowest, 3.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, in 1850.
United Kingdom ranks 22nd of 201 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 3.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 3.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 3.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1860s | 3.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 3.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 3.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1870s | 4.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 3.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1880s | 5.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1890s | 7.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5.51 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 8.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1900s | 8.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 7.86 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 8.24 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1910s | 8.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 7.88 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 8.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1920s | 9.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 8.51 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 9.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1930s | 10.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 9.82 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1940s | 16.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 22.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1950s | 24.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 23.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 25.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1960s | 29.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 26.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 31.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1970s | 38.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 30.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 45.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1980s | 43.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 41.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 44.93 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1990s | 37.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 36.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 39.55 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2000s | 32.53 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 29.22 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 35.66 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 29.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 30.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.79 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 28.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 29.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 19 Chad 30.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 20 Vietnam 30.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 21 Sudan 28.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 23 Poland 26.93 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 24 Tanzania 26.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 25 Colombia 23.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents 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 nitrous oxide emissions in United Kingdom?
- Nitrous oxide emissions in United Kingdom was 28.06 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 nitrous oxide emissions recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 45.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1979.
- What is the lowest nitrous oxide emissions recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1850.
- How does United Kingdom rank for nitrous oxide emissions?
- United Kingdom ranks 22nd out of 201 countries with data for 2024.
- Is nitrous oxide emissions rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 Nitrous oxide 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.