Emissions of air pollutants
Source: gov.uk (2025-03-13)

An annual publication covering the emissions of some important air pollutants.

This data was revised on March 13th 2025 to apply the latest, improved domestic combustion methodology across all sources. This correction has impacted domestic combustion emissions across the time series causing a substantial reduction to sulphur dioxide emissions and a minor increase to NMVOC emissions.

This publication provides estimates of UK emissions of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen oxides, ammonia, non-methane volatile organic compounds and sulphur dioxide.

These estimates are used to monitor progress against the UK’s emission reduction targets for air pollutants. Emission reductions in the UK, alongside a number of other factors such as the weather, contribute to improvements in air quality in the UK and other countries. For more information on air quality data and information please refer to the air quality and emissions statistics GOV.UK page. (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/air-quality-and-emissions-statistics)

The National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (https://naei.beis.gov.uk/) website contains information on anthropogenic UK emissions and compilation methods for a wide range of air pollutants; as well as hosting a number of reports including the Devolved Administrations’ Air Quality Pollutant Inventories.

The methodology to estimate emissions is continuously reviewed and developed to take account of new data sources, emission factors and modelling methods. This means the whole emissions time series from 1990 to the reporting year is revised annually.

Please note: Due to methodological updates and improvements which are routinely carried out each year, the data and trends discussed here are not directly comparable to those published in previous iterations of this Accredited Official Statistics release. More information can be found in the accompanying Methods Document. For year-on-year changes in emissions, the trends presented within this document and the accompanying statistical tables should be used.

If you do wish to see the impact of these methodological changes, you can access previous editions of this publication via The National Archives (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/*/https:/www.gov.uk/government/statistics/emissions-of-air-pollutants) or the links below. As it takes time to compile and analyse the data from many different sources, this statistic publication is produced with a 2-year delay from the reporting year, meaning that this year’s inventory represents the reporting year 2023.

Please email us (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) with your feedback to help us make the publication more valuable to you.

2024

Emissions of air pollutants in the UK, 1970 to 2022 (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20240315195515/https:/www.gov.uk/government/statistics/emissions-of-air-pollutants)

Published: 14 February 2024

2023

Emissions of air pollutants in the UK, 1970 to 2021 (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20221124144722/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/emissions-of-air-pollutants)

Published: 18 February 2023

2022

Emissions of air pollutants in the UK, 1970 to 2020 (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20221225221936/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/emissions-of-air-pollutants)

Published: 14 February 2022

2021

Emissions of air pollutants in the UK, 1970 to 2019 (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20210215184515/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/emissions-of-air-pollutants)

Published: 12 February 2021

2020

Emissions of air pollutants in the UK, 1970 to 2018 (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20201014182239/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/emissions-of-air-pollutants)

Published: 14 February 2020

2019

Emissions of air pollutants in the UK, 1970 to 2017 (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20200103213653/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/emissions-of-air-pollutants)

Published: 15 February 2019

2018

Emissions of air pollutants in the UK, 1970 to 2016 (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20190214034227tf_/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/emissions-of-air-pollutants)

Published: 15 February 2018

2016

Emissions of air pollutants in the UK, 1970 to 2015 (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20180104122231/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/emissions-of-air-pollutants)

Published: 21 December 2016

2015

Emissions of air pollutants in the UK, 1970 to 2014 (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20161210034644/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/emissions-of-air-pollutants)

Published: 17 December 2015

2014

Emissions of air pollutants in the UK, 1970 to 2013 (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20151205185124/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/emissions-of-air-pollutants)

Published: 18 December 2014

2013

Emissions of air pollutants in the UK, 1970 to 2012 (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20141213200219/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/emissions-of-air-pollutants)

Published: 18 December 2013

Emissions of air pollutants in the UK, 1970 to 2011 (original and revised versions) (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20131211004044/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emissions-of-air-pollutants)

Published: 1 August 2013

2012

Emissions of air pollutants in the UK, 1970 to 2010 – Supplementary results (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121204222203/http://www.defra.gov.uk/statistics/environment/air-quality/emissions-of-air-pollutants-in-the-uk-1970-to-2010-supplementary/)

Published: 13 February 2012

2011

Emissions of air pollutants in the UK, 1970 to 2010 (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121204222501/http://www.defra.gov.uk/statistics/environment/air-quality/air-pollutant-emissions-in-the-uk-1970-2010/)

Published: 15 December 2011

UK emissions of air pollutants: 2009 (first and additional results) (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20111108174802/http://www.defra.gov.uk/statistics/environment/air-quality/)

Published: 10 February 2011

2010

UK emissions of air pollutants: 2008 (first and additional results) (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20101109164157/http://www.defra.gov.uk/evidence/statistics/environment/airqual/index.htm)

Published: 11 February 2010

2009

UK emissions of air pollutants: 2007 (first and additional results) (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20091118124144/http://www.defra.gov.uk/evidence/statistics/environment/airqual/index.htm)

Published: 13 February 2009

2008

UK emissions of air pollutants: 2006 results (https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20081105181639/http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/airqual/index.htm)

Published: 13 March 2008

Defra statistics: Air Quality and Industrial Emissions

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