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Emissions of air pollutants, UK

The UK's emissions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen oxides, ammonia, non-methane volatile organic compounds and sulphur dioxide each year since 1970, in thousand tonnes, from Defra's air pollutant emissions statistics.

PM2.5

53.0 thousand tonnes

2024 · emissions of fine particulate matter, PM2.5

Verified against source, 9 November 2026, 15:01 UTC
Emissions of air pollutants, UK
  • Ammonia
  • Nitrogen oxides as NO2
  • Non methane VOC
  • Sulphur dioxide
  • PM10
  • PM2.5
02,0004,0006,0008,0001970197919881997200620152024

Source: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Data table

55 periods, newest first

PeriodAmmoniaNitrogen oxides as NO2Non methane VOCSulphur dioxidePM10PM2.5
2024255.7 thousand tonnes538.2 thousand tonnes747.6 thousand tonnes84.0 thousand tonnes103.6 thousand tonnes53.0 thousand tonnes
2023263.6 thousand tonnes563.0 thousand tonnes761.5 thousand tonnes91.5 thousand tonnes107.2 thousand tonnes55.1 thousand tonnes
2022259.9 thousand tonnes601.3 thousand tonnes761.1 thousand tonnes96.5 thousand tonnes114.6 thousand tonnes58.2 thousand tonnes
2021267.1 thousand tonnes617.5 thousand tonnes793.4 thousand tonnes97.1 thousand tonnes116.2 thousand tonnes60.5 thousand tonnes
2020260.5 thousand tonnes620.0 thousand tonnes808.6 thousand tonnes105.0 thousand tonnes107.1 thousand tonnes58.4 thousand tonnes
2019271.6 thousand tonnes730.0 thousand tonnes839.9 thousand tonnes119.7 thousand tonnes122.1 thousand tonnes65.3 thousand tonnes
2018270.7 thousand tonnes787.4 thousand tonnes857.0 thousand tonnes142.9 thousand tonnes128.5 thousand tonnes68.7 thousand tonnes
2017277.4 thousand tonnes821.4 thousand tonnes837.6 thousand tonnes157.7 thousand tonnes129.8 thousand tonnes68.5 thousand tonnes
2016273.1 thousand tonnes866.3 thousand tonnes827.5 thousand tonnes165.1 thousand tonnes126.8 thousand tonnes68.3 thousand tonnes
2015271.0 thousand tonnes970.3 thousand tonnes842.2 thousand tonnes238.5 thousand tonnes128.0 thousand tonnes71.3 thousand tonnes
2014267.7 thousand tonnes1,011.1 thousand tonnes845.7 thousand tonnes300.9 thousand tonnes129.4 thousand tonnes72.9 thousand tonnes
2013256.0 thousand tonnes1,084.1 thousand tonnes867.5 thousand tonnes389.2 thousand tonnes133.3 thousand tonnes75.8 thousand tonnes
2012259.8 thousand tonnes1,123.2 thousand tonnes896.6 thousand tonnes441.3 thousand tonnes129.8 thousand tonnes75.9 thousand tonnes
2011262.3 thousand tonnes1,089.7 thousand tonnes911.9 thousand tonnes393.0 thousand tonnes134.2 thousand tonnes76.1 thousand tonnes
2010262.4 thousand tonnes1,160.3 thousand tonnes939.9 thousand tonnes414.9 thousand tonnes141.6 thousand tonnes80.0 thousand tonnes
2009260.3 thousand tonnes1,184.7 thousand tonnes967.9 thousand tonnes397.3 thousand tonnes134.8 thousand tonnes78.4 thousand tonnes
2008256.7 thousand tonnes1,357.2 thousand tonnes1,071.5 thousand tonnes481.3 thousand tonnes148.1 thousand tonnes87.0 thousand tonnes
2007273.6 thousand tonnes1,530.4 thousand tonnes1,159.2 thousand tonnes577.1 thousand tonnes160.6 thousand tonnes93.3 thousand tonnes
2006277.3 thousand tonnes1,608.9 thousand tonnes1,201.6 thousand tonnes692.1 thousand tonnes168.7 thousand tonnes99.1 thousand tonnes
2005281.1 thousand tonnes1,628.4 thousand tonnes1,255.6 thousand tonnes718.2 thousand tonnes169.0 thousand tonnes98.8 thousand tonnes
2004288.4 thousand tonnes1,629.5 thousand tonnes1,338.2 thousand tonnes831.2 thousand tonnes172.6 thousand tonnes100.2 thousand tonnes
2003283.1 thousand tonnes1,671.9 thousand tonnes1,440.5 thousand tonnes993.4 thousand tonnes181.9 thousand tonnes102.3 thousand tonnes
2002288.0 thousand tonnes1,668.7 thousand tonnes1,513.8 thousand tonnes1,010.8 thousand tonnes174.1 thousand tonnes102.9 thousand tonnes
2001292.7 thousand tonnes1,767.2 thousand tonnes1,627.2 thousand tonnes1,130.5 thousand tonnes200.2 thousand tonnes119.1 thousand tonnes
2000295.1 thousand tonnes1,812.0 thousand tonnes1,730.9 thousand tonnes1,197.7 thousand tonnes199.7 thousand tonnes122.4 thousand tonnes
1999302.0 thousand tonnes1,868.8 thousand tonnes1,862.8 thousand tonnes1,244.8 thousand tonnes213.2 thousand tonnes135.7 thousand tonnes
1998308.8 thousand tonnes1,984.6 thousand tonnes2,070.2 thousand tonnes1,643.4 thousand tonnes222.8 thousand tonnes141.8 thousand tonnes
1997309.5 thousand tonnes2,034.0 thousand tonnes2,166.0 thousand tonnes1,635.1 thousand tonnes232.6 thousand tonnes148.1 thousand tonnes
1996299.6 thousand tonnes2,191.7 thousand tonnes2,261.4 thousand tonnes2,031.7 thousand tonnes250.6 thousand tonnes158.5 thousand tonnes
1995293.4 thousand tonnes2,278.3 thousand tonnes2,320.5 thousand tonnes2,410.5 thousand tonnes253.9 thousand tonnes162.1 thousand tonnes
1994298.5 thousand tonnes2,378.9 thousand tonnes2,430.4 thousand tonnes2,701.0 thousand tonnes278.6 thousand tonnes181.2 thousand tonnes
1993293.5 thousand tonnes2,434.1 thousand tonnes2,549.6 thousand tonnes2,991.7 thousand tonnes293.6 thousand tonnes191.9 thousand tonnes
1992297.5 thousand tonnes2,570.0 thousand tonnes2,665.2 thousand tonnes3,308.4 thousand tonnes316.3 thousand tonnes206.7 thousand tonnes
1991311.6 thousand tonnes2,630.6 thousand tonnes2,760.0 thousand tonnes3,408.8 thousand tonnes332.5 thousand tonnes215.4 thousand tonnes
1990308.0 thousand tonnes2,696.0 thousand tonnes2,795.7 thousand tonnes3,462.5 thousand tonnes332.5 thousand tonnes215.0 thousand tonnes
1989309.3 thousand tonnes3,056.7 thousand tonnes2,758.9 thousand tonnes3,732.4 thousand tonnes399.6 thousand tonnes250.6 thousand tonnes
1988313.5 thousand tonnes3,003.4 thousand tonnes2,714.8 thousand tonnes3,847.7 thousand tonnes397.7 thousand tonnes253.9 thousand tonnes
1987319.7 thousand tonnes2,943.9 thousand tonnes2,653.5 thousand tonnes3,908.1 thousand tonnes405.5 thousand tonnes259.1 thousand tonnes
1986316.2 thousand tonnes2,870.3 thousand tonnes2,609.8 thousand tonnes3,924.0 thousand tonnes414.8 thousand tonnes281.8 thousand tonnes
1985317.6 thousand tonnes2,784.3 thousand tonnes2,514.5 thousand tonnes3,779.1 thousand tonnes403.3 thousand tonnes270.7 thousand tonnes
1984320.5 thousand tonnes2,690.3 thousand tonnes2,343.1 thousand tonnes3,757.6 thousand tonnes365.3 thousand tonnes245.8 thousand tonnes
1983317.4 thousand tonnes2,723.8 thousand tonnes2,502.0 thousand tonnes3,905.3 thousand tonnes408.6 thousand tonnes272.4 thousand tonnes
1982316.5 thousand tonnes2,756.2 thousand tonnes2,503.1 thousand tonnes4,231.0 thousand tonnes414.4 thousand tonnes282.0 thousand tonnes
1981308.7 thousand tonnes2,758.8 thousand tonnes2,485.1 thousand tonnes4,421.2 thousand tonnes423.6 thousand tonnes286.7 thousand tonnes
1980309.8 thousand tonnes2,869.0 thousand tonnes2,527.4 thousand tonnes4,868.5 thousand tonnes441.6 thousand tonnes301.1 thousand tonnes
1979–3,009.5 thousand tonnes2,599.4 thousand tonnes5,500.4 thousand tonnes479.7 thousand tonnes339.5 thousand tonnes
1978–2,905.0 thousand tonnes2,532.4 thousand tonnes5,176.7 thousand tonnes476.6 thousand tonnes331.9 thousand tonnes
1977–2,861.2 thousand tonnes2,491.7 thousand tonnes5,129.9 thousand tonnes486.6 thousand tonnes345.2 thousand tonnes
1976–2,844.5 thousand tonnes2,416.5 thousand tonnes5,136.8 thousand tonnes492.4 thousand tonnes347.7 thousand tonnes
1975–2,796.7 thousand tonnes2,360.5 thousand tonnes5,312.6 thousand tonnes504.0 thousand tonnes354.4 thousand tonnes
1974–2,879.4 thousand tonnes2,404.3 thousand tonnes5,592.7 thousand tonnes531.7 thousand tonnes401.0 thousand tonnes
1973–3,069.9 thousand tonnes2,498.8 thousand tonnes6,103.1 thousand tonnes584.9 thousand tonnes432.2 thousand tonnes
1972–2,898.0 thousand tonnes2,365.5 thousand tonnes5,939.1 thousand tonnes561.0 thousand tonnes424.8 thousand tonnes
1971–2,908.5 thousand tonnes2,419.4 thousand tonnes6,189.3 thousand tonnes634.2 thousand tonnes483.8 thousand tonnes
1970–2,919.9 thousand tonnes2,414.0 thousand tonnes6,533.1 thousand tonnes689.4 thousand tonnes545.8 thousand tonnes

Download CSVDownload JSON with full provenance

Source and licence

Publisher
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Check it yourself
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/env01-emissions-of-air-pollutants
Licence
Open Government Licence v3.0 – Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Retrieved
9 November 2026, 14:48 UTC
Raw files fetched

Verification

Verified against source, 9 November 2026, 15:01 UTC Run at 9 November 2026, 15:01 UTC; 330 of 330 figures matched the live source.

ResultCheckDetail
PassProvenance recordedDepartment for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs; Open Government Licence v3.0; retrieved 2026-11-09T14:48:50Z; 2 raw file(s)
PassRaw files match recorded SHA-2562 of 2 files intact
PassRe-parsing raw files reproduces figures330 of 330 figures and the headline reproduced; the meta's accreditation match
PassFigures are finite numbers330 figures, 0 invalid
PassLive source matches every figure330 of 330 figures match exactly after downloading 2 source file(s) again (2 byte-identical); the headline matches; the meta's accreditation match
PassGOV.UK table is currentlatest period 2024 ended 678 days before retrieval (limit 800), from Trends in UK sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, non-methane volatile organic compounds, ammonia and particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5) emissions
PassThe sector tables' national totals agree210 of 210 figures match the sector tables' national totals at seven significant figures
PassSource page answershttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/env01-emissions-of-air-pollutants – HTTP 200

Notes

  • The UK's emissions from the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory, in thousand tonnes; nitrogen oxides are given as nitrogen dioxide. Defra gives no ammonia figures before 1980.
  • The inventory revises the whole series each year as its methods improve, so earlier years change from one release to the next. These are emissions, not the concentrations in the air the hub's air quality pages show.
  • Defra publishes these as accredited official statistics.