United Kingdom's total greenhouse gas emissions including LULUCF (Mt CO2e) was 394.57 in 2023, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 31.87% from 579.12 in 2013 (3.76% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 394.57 | 2023 |
| Five years earlier | 475.76 | 2018 |
| Ten years earlier | 579.12 | 2013 |
| Highest | 722.25 | 2001 |
| Lowest | 394.57 | 2023 |
| Average since 2014 | 462.93 | 2014–2023 |
| First recorded | 716.61 | 2000 |
What the numbers say
In 2023, United Kingdom's total greenhouse gas emissions including LULUCF (Mt CO2e) fell 5.3% on 2022 (from 416.81 to 394.57).
Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2022), the average change was −2.4% and a typical year strayed about 3.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 3.9% in 2021 and the biggest yearly fall was 9.4% in 2020. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is downward, about 15.55 a year. A straight line explains 96% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2023, United Kingdom had the 21st highest value of the 176 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 394.57 | 2023 |
| World | 54,077 | 2024 |
| Europe & Central Asia | 6,357 | 2023 |
| High income | 14,212 | 2023 |
Closest to United Kingdom in the 2023 ranking
What this measures
A measure of annual emissions of the six greenhouse gases (GHG) covered by the Kyoto Protocol (carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)) from the energy, industry, waste, agriculture, and land use, land use changes, and forestry (LULUCF) sectors, standardized to carbon dioxide equivalent values. The measure is standardized to carbon dioxide equivalent values using the Global Warming Potential (GWP) factors of IPCC's 5th Assessment Report (AR5).
Limitations: Global GHG emissions are currently not directly measurable, but approaches for their estimation exist, and numerous sources exist to supply data for this indicator. Reputable scientific organizations produce these data for use for research, policy analysis, climate negotiations, and broader public communications. The estimated accuracy from fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes are quite high, as quantities of fossil fuels and other emissive materials (such as cement and steel) produced are well known. For these sectors, emissions estimates are roughly accurate to within 10% when aggregated to the global level and between 4% and 35% at the country level (Crippa et al., 2023).
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.
All 24 values
| Year | Total greenhouse gas emissions including LULUCF (Mt CO2e) |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 394.57 |
| 2022 | 416.81 |
| 2021 | 431.02 |
| 2020 | 414.86 |
| 2019 | 458.14 |
| 2018 | 475.76 |
| 2017 | 483.83 |
| 2016 | 495.74 |
| 2015 | 520.82 |
| 2014 | 537.78 |
| 2013 |
Total greenhouse gas emissions including LULUCF (Mt CO2e) in nearby economies
- Albania — 8.61 (2023)
- Armenia — 10.26 (2023)
- Austria — 78.92 (2023)
- Azerbaijan — 55.78 (2023)
- Belarus — 45.62 (2023)
- Belgium — 106.86 (2023)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina — 21.8 (2023)
- Bulgaria — 40.92 (2023)
- Croatia — 21.13 (2023)
More environment data for United Kingdom
- Population in largest city — 9.84 million (2025)
- Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 17% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 19.05 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 27.42% (2025)
- Rural population — 11.59 million (2025)
- Rural population (% of total population) — 16.68% (2025)
- Urban population — 57.9 million (2025)
- Urban population (% of total population) — 83.32% (2025)
- Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 226,006 (2024)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is United Kingdom's total greenhouse gas emissions including LULUCF (Mt CO2e)?
- 394.57 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 2000?
- It is down 44.94% from 716.61 in 2000 (2.56% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 722.25 in 2001 and the lowest 394.57 in 2023.
- How does United Kingdom rank?
- 21st highest of 176 economies with data for 2023.
- Is the latest change in total greenhouse gas emissions including LULUCF (Mt CO2e) unusual for United Kingdom?
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator EN.GHG.ALL.LU.MT.CE.AR5, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: EDGAR (Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research) Community GHG Database, , uri: https://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/dataset_ghg2024, publisher: JRC European Commission, date published: 2024; European Forest Observatory, uri: https://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/dataset_ghg2024, publisher: European Co… Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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