Total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry was 334.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
334.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
19th
of 198 countries
All-time high
788.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1971
All-time low
158.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents
in 1853
Years of data
175
1850–2024
Total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry 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
In 2024, total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in United Kingdom stood at 334.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.5% on the previous year and down 27.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in United Kingdom peaked at 788.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1971 and was at its lowest, 158.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, in 1853.
That places United Kingdom 19th out of 198 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 175 years of available data.
Total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 166.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | — |
| 1851 | 159.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.4% |
| 1852 | 158.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.3% |
| 1853 | 158.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1854 | 186.19 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +17.8% |
| 1855 | 175.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.7% |
| 1856 | 187.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.7% |
| 1857 | 184.15 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.7% |
| 1858 | 180.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.9% |
| 1859 | 198.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +9.7% |
| 1860 | 219.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +10.8% |
| 1861 | 227.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.8% |
| 1862 | 221.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.0% |
| 1863 | 233.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.7% |
| 1864 | 249.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.8% |
| 1865 | 263.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.4% |
| 1866 | 270.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.7% |
| 1867 | 276.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.4% |
| 1868 | 271.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.9% |
| 1869 | 283.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.4% |
| 1870 | 288.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.9% |
| 1871 | 304.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.5% |
| 1872 | 319.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.9% |
| 1873 | 330.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.5% |
| 1874 | 321.74 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.7% |
| 1875 | 338.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.2% |
| 1876 | 337.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.2% |
| 1877 | 343.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.7% |
| 1878 | 337.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.7% |
| 1879 | 339.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1880 | 367.93 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.5% |
| 1881 | 385.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.8% |
| 1882 | 388.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1883 | 403.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.8% |
| 1884 | 393.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.6% |
| 1885 | 388.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.2% |
| 1886 | 384.86 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 1887 | 394.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.4% |
| 1888 | 408.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.7% |
| 1889 | 422.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.4% |
| 1890 | 431.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.2% |
| 1891 | 440.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.0% |
| 1892 | 431.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.0% |
| 1893 | 388.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -10.1% |
| 1894 | 442.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +13.9% |
| 1895 | 446.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1896 | 458.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.7% |
| 1897 | 470.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 1898 | 470.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.2% |
| 1899 | 503.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.9% |
| 1900 | 509.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.2% |
| 1901 | 498.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.1% |
| 1902 | 517.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.7% |
| 1903 | 521.28 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1904 | 523.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.4% |
| 1905 | 530.32 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1906 | 548.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.5% |
| 1907 | 572.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.4% |
| 1908 | 559.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.4% |
| 1909 | 563.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1910 | 568.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1911 | 581.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.4% |
| 1912 | 551.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.2% |
| 1913 | 600.58 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.8% |
| 1914 | 582.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.0% |
| 1915 | 590.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1916 | 611.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.6% |
| 1917 | 603.68 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.2% |
| 1918 | 562.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.8% |
| 1919 | 550.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.1% |
| 1920 | 578.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.1% |
| 1921 | 403.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -30.3% |
| 1922 | 529.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +31.3% |
| 1923 | 564.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.5% |
| 1924 | 590.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.6% |
| 1925 | 558.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.4% |
| 1926 | 323.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -42.1% |
| 1927 | 581.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +80.0% |
| 1928 | 549.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.6% |
| 1929 | 577.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.1% |
| 1930 | 556.15 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.6% |
| 1931 | 521.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.3% |
| 1932 | 502.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.7% |
| 1933 | 499.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.6% |
| 1934 | 537.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.7% |
| 1935 | 544.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.3% |
| 1936 | 574.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.4% |
| 1937 | 592.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.1% |
| 1938 | 569.26 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.9% |
| 1939 | 572.59 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.6% |
| 1940 | 602.39 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.2% |
| 1941 | 602.48 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 597.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.9% |
| 1943 | 593.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.7% |
| 1944 | 592.09 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.2% |
| 1945 | 552.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.7% |
| 1946 | 567.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.8% |
| 1947 | 594.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.6% |
| 1948 | 615.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.6% |
| 1949 | 621.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.1% |
| 1950 | 614.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.2% |
| 1951 | 666.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +8.4% |
| 1952 | 648.71 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.6% |
| 1953 | 663.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 1954 | 679.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.4% |
| 1955 | 707.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.2% |
| 1956 | 706.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.2% |
| 1957 | 701.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.6% |
| 1958 | 685.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.3% |
| 1959 | 671.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.0% |
| 1960 | 714.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +6.4% |
| 1961 | 720.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.7% |
| 1962 | 725.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.8% |
| 1963 | 737.93 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.7% |
| 1964 | 741.59 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.5% |
| 1965 | 756.80 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.1% |
| 1966 | 750.77 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1967 | 720.43 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -4.0% |
| 1968 | 736.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.3% |
| 1969 | 759.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.1% |
| 1970 | 781.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.9% |
| 1971 | 788.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.9% |
| 1972 | 764.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.1% |
| 1973 | 780.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.2% |
| 1974 | 733.33 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.1% |
| 1975 | 729.57 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 726.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1977 | 730.30 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.6% |
| 1978 | 729.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 771.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +5.8% |
| 1980 | 705.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.5% |
| 1981 | 686.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.7% |
| 1982 | 671.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.1% |
| 1983 | 666.78 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.8% |
| 1984 | 621.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -6.7% |
| 1985 | 668.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +7.5% |
| 1986 | 683.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 682.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 678.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 685.91 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 709.41 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 720.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 699.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.8% |
| 1993 | 681.13 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.7% |
| 1994 | 668.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 665.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 684.08 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 658.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 655.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 642.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.0% |
| 2000 | 644.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 651.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 629.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.4% |
| 2003 | 636.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 633.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 623.27 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 615.31 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 603.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 583.45 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.3% |
| 2009 | 529.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -9.2% |
| 2010 | 542.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 498.40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.2% |
| 2012 | 515.29 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 503.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 462.87 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.0% |
| 2015 | 445.94 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.7% |
| 2016 | 422.05 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -5.4% |
| 2017 | 410.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 403.01 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 387.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 348.03 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -10.2% |
| 2021 | 364.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +4.8% |
| 2022 | 333.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -8.7% |
| 2023 | 329.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 334.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | +1.5% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 334.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is above the median for high income countries, which is 39.18 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 8.5× the median. (67 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 334.16 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 40.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents, 8.2× the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry 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 | +80.0% | 323.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 581.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1926 | -42.1% | 558.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 323.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1921 | -30.3% | 578.90 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 403.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
| 1922 | +31.3% | 403.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 529.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 175.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 158.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 198.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1860s | 251.63 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 219.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 283.38 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1870s | 326.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 288.70 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 343.37 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1880s | 393.76 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 367.93 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 422.61 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1890s | 448.35 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 388.21 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 503.36 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1900s | 534.52 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 498.67 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 572.73 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1910s | 580.34 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 550.62 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 611.23 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1920s | 525.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 323.07 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 590.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1930s | 546.93 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 499.20 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 592.06 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1940s | 593.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 552.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 621.97 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1950s | 674.46 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 614.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 707.49 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1960s | 736.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 714.85 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 759.84 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1970s | 753.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 726.12 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 788.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1980s | 675.17 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 621.92 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 705.89 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 1990s | 678.50 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 642.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 720.10 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2000s | 615.00 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 529.54 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 651.64 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2010s | 459.14 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 387.60 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 542.75 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 10 |
| 2020s | 341.83 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 329.25 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 364.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 16 Australia 455.56 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 17 Vietnam 423.65 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 18 Iraq 389.44 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 20 Italy 325.69 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 21 Kazakhstan 323.81 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents compare
- 22 Malaysia 317.19 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 total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in United Kingdom?
- Total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry in United Kingdom was 334.16 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 total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 788.72 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1971.
- What is the lowest total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 158.02 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents in 1853.
- How does United Kingdom rank for total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry?
- United Kingdom ranks 19th out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.8%. 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 Total greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use and forestry. 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
Greenhouse gas emissions are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalents over a 100-year timescale.