Share of global greenhouse gas emissions in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Share of global greenhouse gas emissions was 0.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
0.7%
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
23rd
of 199 countries
All-time high
7.1%
in 1869
All-time low
0.7%
in 2023
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Share of global greenhouse gas emissions in United Kingdom, 1850–2024
Source: Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 0.7% for share of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and down 29.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of global greenhouse gas emissions in United Kingdom peaked at 7.1% in 1869 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 2023.
United Kingdom ranks 23rd of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 175 years of available data.
Share of global greenhouse gas emissions in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 4.6% | — |
| 1851 | 4.2% | -7.0% |
| 1852 | 4.1% | -3.8% |
| 1853 | 4.0% | -1.2% |
| 1854 | 4.6% | +13.4% |
| 1855 | 4.2% | -7.0% |
| 1856 | 4.4% | +3.8% |
| 1857 | 4.3% | -3.0% |
| 1858 | 4.2% | -2.7% |
| 1859 | 4.4% | +6.6% |
| 1860 | 5.2% | +17.2% |
| 1861 | 5.6% | +6.9% |
| 1862 | 5.6% | +0.4% |
| 1863 | 5.9% | +6.4% |
| 1864 | 6.3% | +5.4% |
| 1865 | 6.6% | +6.2% |
| 1866 | 6.8% | +2.4% |
| 1867 | 7.0% | +3.0% |
| 1868 | 6.9% | -1.3% |
| 1869 | 7.1% | +2.8% |
| 1870 | 6.7% | -5.3% |
| 1871 | 6.8% | +1.3% |
| 1872 | 6.7% | -1.0% |
| 1873 | 6.8% | +1.5% |
| 1874 | 6.6% | -3.0% |
| 1875 | 6.8% | +2.4% |
| 1876 | 6.6% | -2.3% |
| 1877 | 6.6% | -0.5% |
| 1878 | 6.4% | -2.9% |
| 1879 | 6.3% | -1.8% |
| 1880 | 6.7% | +5.8% |
| 1881 | 6.9% | +2.7% |
| 1882 | 6.8% | -1.2% |
| 1883 | 6.9% | +1.5% |
| 1884 | 6.7% | -2.8% |
| 1885 | 6.6% | -1.8% |
| 1886 | 6.5% | -1.0% |
| 1887 | 6.5% | +0.4% |
| 1888 | 6.6% | +1.5% |
| 1889 | 6.7% | +1.8% |
| 1890 | 6.5% | -3.4% |
| 1891 | 6.5% | -0.6% |
| 1892 | 6.3% | -2.1% |
| 1893 | 5.8% | -8.8% |
| 1894 | 6.4% | +10.6% |
| 1895 | 6.4% | -0.6% |
| 1896 | 6.4% | +0.9% |
| 1897 | 6.4% | +0.4% |
| 1898 | 6.4% | -1.4% |
| 1899 | 6.6% | +3.3% |
| 1900 | 6.6% | -0.0% |
| 1901 | 6.3% | -4.5% |
| 1902 | 6.4% | +1.9% |
| 1903 | 6.2% | -2.4% |
| 1904 | 6.2% | -0.8% |
| 1905 | 6.1% | -0.7% |
| 1906 | 6.2% | +0.7% |
| 1907 | 6.1% | -0.6% |
| 1908 | 6.1% | -1.5% |
| 1909 | 6.0% | -1.4% |
| 1910 | 6.0% | +0.9% |
| 1911 | 6.2% | +2.3% |
| 1912 | 5.8% | -6.2% |
| 1913 | 6.1% | +5.5% |
| 1914 | 6.1% | +0.5% |
| 1915 | 6.3% | +2.2% |
| 1916 | 6.3% | +0.1% |
| 1917 | 6.1% | -2.2% |
| 1918 | 5.8% | -5.6% |
| 1919 | 6.0% | +3.0% |
| 1920 | 5.7% | -5.0% |
| 1921 | 4.2% | -25.6% |
| 1922 | 5.2% | +24.1% |
| 1923 | 5.2% | -0.1% |
| 1924 | 5.4% | +4.1% |
| 1925 | 5.1% | -6.3% |
| 1926 | 3.1% | -38.5% |
| 1927 | 5.1% | +63.4% |
| 1928 | 4.8% | -5.4% |
| 1929 | 4.9% | +1.6% |
| 1930 | 4.8% | -1.5% |
| 1931 | 4.7% | -3.1% |
| 1932 | 4.7% | -0.6% |
| 1933 | 4.6% | -1.6% |
| 1934 | 4.7% | +3.3% |
| 1935 | 4.7% | -0.2% |
| 1936 | 4.7% | +0.2% |
| 1937 | 4.8% | +0.4% |
| 1938 | 4.7% | -1.7% |
| 1939 | 4.6% | -1.6% |
| 1940 | 4.6% | +0.6% |
| 1941 | 4.5% | -2.1% |
| 1942 | 4.5% | -1.0% |
| 1943 | 4.4% | -1.6% |
| 1944 | 4.4% | -0.7% |
| 1945 | 4.4% | -0.4% |
| 1946 | 4.4% | -0.4% |
| 1947 | 4.4% | -0.1% |
| 1948 | 4.4% | +1.3% |
| 1949 | 4.5% | +2.6% |
| 1950 | 4.0% | -11.1% |
| 1951 | 4.1% | +0.9% |
| 1952 | 3.9% | -3.5% |
| 1953 | 3.9% | -0.2% |
| 1954 | 3.8% | -1.5% |
| 1955 | 3.8% | -1.2% |
| 1956 | 3.7% | -3.4% |
| 1957 | 3.6% | -3.2% |
| 1958 | 3.4% | -3.5% |
| 1959 | 3.2% | -5.9% |
| 1960 | 3.5% | +7.1% |
| 1961 | 3.5% | +2.3% |
| 1962 | 3.6% | +1.0% |
| 1963 | 3.5% | -2.0% |
| 1964 | 3.4% | -1.7% |
| 1965 | 3.4% | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 3.4% | -2.1% |
| 1967 | 3.1% | -6.8% |
| 1968 | 3.1% | -1.7% |
| 1969 | 3.0% | -3.9% |
| 1970 | 2.9% | -0.9% |
| 1971 | 3.0% | +0.8% |
| 1972 | 2.8% | -6.6% |
| 1973 | 2.8% | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 2.6% | -5.7% |
| 1975 | 2.6% | -0.4% |
| 1976 | 2.5% | -3.6% |
| 1977 | 2.4% | -3.4% |
| 1978 | 2.4% | -2.1% |
| 1979 | 2.5% | +5.6% |
| 1980 | 2.3% | -8.2% |
| 1981 | 2.3% | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 2.3% | -1.0% |
| 1983 | 2.2% | -2.1% |
| 1984 | 2.0% | -9.2% |
| 1985 | 2.1% | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 2.1% | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 2.1% | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 2.0% | -3.0% |
| 1989 | 2.1% | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 2.1% | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 2.1% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 2.0% | -2.7% |
| 1993 | 2.0% | -2.2% |
| 1994 | 1.9% | -4.3% |
| 1995 | 1.9% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 1.9% | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 1.8% | -7.9% |
| 1998 | 1.8% | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 1.7% | -2.9% |
| 2000 | 1.7% | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 1.8% | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 1.7% | -5.7% |
| 2003 | 1.6% | -5.2% |
| 2004 | 1.6% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 1.6% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 1.5% | -5.2% |
| 2007 | 1.4% | -3.7% |
| 2008 | 1.4% | -5.5% |
| 2009 | 1.2% | -8.9% |
| 2010 | 1.2% | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 1.1% | -9.5% |
| 2012 | 1.1% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 1.1% | -2.1% |
| 2014 | 1.0% | -7.9% |
| 2015 | 1.0% | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 1.0% | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 0.9% | -4.6% |
| 2018 | 0.9% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 0.9% | -5.3% |
| 2020 | 0.8% | -5.8% |
| 2021 | 0.8% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 0.7% | -9.4% |
| 2023 | 0.7% | -2.5% |
| 2024 | 0.7% | +0.3% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 0.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.1%, 8.2× the median. (67 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 0.7% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.1%, 7.7× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of global greenhouse gas 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 | +63.4% | 3.1% | 5.1% |
| 1926 | -38.5% | 5.1% | 3.1% |
| 1921 | -25.6% | 5.7% | 4.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 4.3% | 4.0% | 4.6% | 10 |
| 1860s | 6.3% | 5.2% | 7.1% | 10 |
| 1870s | 6.7% | 6.3% | 6.8% | 10 |
| 1880s | 6.7% | 6.5% | 6.9% | 10 |
| 1890s | 6.4% | 5.8% | 6.6% | 10 |
| 1900s | 6.2% | 6.0% | 6.6% | 10 |
| 1910s | 6.1% | 5.8% | 6.3% | 10 |
| 1920s | 4.9% | 3.1% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 1930s | 4.7% | 4.6% | 4.8% | 10 |
| 1940s | 4.5% | 4.4% | 4.6% | 10 |
| 1950s | 3.7% | 3.2% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.4% | 3.0% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.6% | 2.4% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.1% | 2.0% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.9% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.6% | 1.2% | 1.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
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 share of global greenhouse gas emissions in United Kingdom?
- Share of global greenhouse gas emissions in United Kingdom was 0.7% in 2024, according to Jones et al. (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of global greenhouse gas emissions recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 7.1% in 1869.
- What is the lowest share of global greenhouse gas emissions recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 2023.
- How does United Kingdom rank for share of global greenhouse gas emissions?
- United Kingdom ranks 23rd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of global greenhouse gas emissions rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Share of global greenhouse gas 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 as a percentage of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.