UK carbon emissions per person compared with the G20
World Bank figures put the UK's carbon dioxide emissions per person at 4.22 tonnes in 2024, the 13th-highest of the 19 G20 countries with a figure for that year. The range ran from 2.17 tonnes in India to 18.48 tonnes in Saudi Arabia. The simple average across the 19 was 7.91 tonnes, a difference of 3.69 tonnes from the UK's figure.
| Rank | Country | 2024 (tonnes per person) | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia UK v Saudi Arabia | 18.48 | 20.51 |
| 2 | Australia UK v Australia | 14.10 | 16.82 |
| 3 | Canada UK v Canada | 14.01 | 16.09 |
| 4 | Russia UK v Russia | 13.98 | 12.15 |
| 5 | United States UK v United States | 13.62 | 15.95 |
| 6 | South Korea UK v South Korea | 11.36 | 12.62 |
| 7 | China UK v China | 9.32 | 7.79 |
| 8 | Japan UK v Japan | 7.84 | 9.69 |
| 9 | Germany UK v Germany | 6.94 | 9.61 |
| 10 | South Africa UK v South Africa | 6.88 | 8.15 |
| 11 | Türkiye UK v Türkiye | 5.38 | 4.70 |
| 12 | Italy UK v Italy | 5.08 | 5.87 |
| 13 | United Kingdom | 4.22 | 6.39 |
| 14 | Argentina UK v Argentina | 4.01 | 4.51 |
| 15 | France UK v France | 4.00 | 4.99 |
| 16 | Mexico UK v Mexico | 3.64 | 4.05 |
| 17 | Indonesia UK v Indonesia | 2.87 | 1.96 |
| 18 | Brazil UK v Brazil | 2.32 | 2.57 |
| 19 | India UK v India | 2.17 | 1.72 |
The UK over ten years
From 2015 to 2024 the UK's figure was highest in 2015 (6.39 tonnes) and lowest in 2024 (4.22 tonnes).
The UK's figure was lower than the average in every year from 2015 to 2024.
In 2015 the UK ranked 11th of the 19 countries with a figure; in 2024 it ranked 13th of 19.
Two countries had a lower figure than the UK in 2015 and a higher one in 2024: Türkiye and Italy.
How the World Bank measures it
The World Bank's figure is carbon dioxide emitted within a country's territory in a year, excluding land use, land-use change and forestry, divided by population, in tonnes. The World Bank takes it from the European Commission's Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR). Other greenhouse gases such as methane are not included, and emissions from making goods that are imported count in the producing country.
Countries compared: The 19 G20 countries (the EU and African Union are also members but are not countries). The table uses the latest year for which the UK and at least three-quarters of the countries the World Bank covers have a figure, so every value is for the same period.
Why this differs from the UK's own figures
The UK's official greenhouse gas statistics come from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and cover all greenhouse gases emitted within the UK. The ONS also publishes emissions in its environmental accounts on a residence basis, which counts UK residents' emissions abroad, such as from international flights and shipping. The World Bank's figure covers carbon dioxide only and comes from the EU's EDGAR database, so it is not the same as either.
The UK's own latest figure, with its definition and release dates: UK greenhouse gas emissions.
Sources and receipts
Every value on this page was read from these addresses. The SHA-256 is the fingerprint of the file as downloaded, so a later change at the source can be detected.
- https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/all/indicator/EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5?format=json&date=2014:2026&per_page…
World Bank, World Development Indicators · read 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
39694f30ca4fca08… - World Bank: World Development IndicatorsThe publisher's page for this data, indicator EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5.
Common questions
Where does the UK rank for carbon dioxide emissions per person in the G20?
World Bank figures for 2024 put the UK 13th of 19, counting from the highest, at 4.22 tonnes.
Which G20 country has the highest carbon dioxide emissions per person?
Saudi Arabia, at 18.48 tonnes in 2024 (World Bank).
Which G20 country has the lowest carbon dioxide emissions per person?
India, at 2.17 tonnes in 2024 (World Bank).
What is the G20 average carbon dioxide emissions per person?
The simple average of the 19 countries with figures for 2024 is 7.91 tonnes. The UK's figure is 4.22 tonnes.
How has the UK's carbon dioxide emissions per person changed since 2015?
World Bank figures give 6.39 tonnes for 2015 and 4.22 tonnes for 2024; the ten-year chart above shows the years in between.
Is this the same as the UK's official figure?
The UK's official greenhouse gas statistics come from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and cover all greenhouse gases emitted within the UK. The ONS also publishes emissions in its environmental accounts on a residence basis, which counts UK residents' emissions abroad, such as from international flights and shipping.
Compare any two countries on GDP, inflation, unemployment, debt and life expectancy: country comparison tool.
These pages state each body's figures and the UK's position among them. They give no view on whether a figure is high or low. To report an error, send a correction request.