Belgium vs United Kingdom: Emissions of air pollutants
Belgium
750,371 tonnes
in 2022
United Kingdom
833,456 tonnes
in 2022
Belgium rank
33rd
United Kingdom rank
31st
Emissions of air pollutants over time
- Belgium
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 833,456 tonnes against 750,371 tonnes in Belgium, a difference of 83,085 tonnes.
That makes United Kingdom's figure about 1.1 times Belgium's.
Across all 273 years both countries report, United Kingdom has been ahead every year.
Belgium ranks 33rd and United Kingdom ranks 31st of 220 countries.
United Kingdom has averaged higher in every one of the 28 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1750s | 2,773 tonnes | 13,973 tonnes | 11,200 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1760s | 2,879 tonnes | 16,134 tonnes | 13,256 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1770s | 2,980 tonnes | 19,288 tonnes | 16,308 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1780s | 3,078 tonnes | 23,475 tonnes | 20,398 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1790s | 3,172 tonnes | 29,109 tonnes | 25,938 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1800s | 4,174 tonnes | 38,759 tonnes | 34,585 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1810s | 3,362 tonnes | 48,707 tonnes | 45,345 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1820s | 3,527 tonnes | 60,869 tonnes | 57,342 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1830s | 11,548 tonnes | 86,872 tonnes | 75,324 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1840s | 15,673 tonnes | 117,932 tonnes | 102,259 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1850s | 21,431 tonnes | 159,049 tonnes | 137,618 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1860s | 29,119 tonnes | 280,207 tonnes | 251,088 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1870s | 40,020 tonnes | 430,153 tonnes | 390,133 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1880s | 48,641 tonnes | 564,677 tonnes | 516,037 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1890s | 57,592 tonnes | 673,612 tonnes | 616,021 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1900s | 70,812 tonnes | 823,740 tonnes | 752,928 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1910s | 68,395 tonnes | 907,414 tonnes | 839,019 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1920s | 109,489 tonnes | 692,720 tonnes | 583,230 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1930s | 123,578 tonnes | 716,698 tonnes | 593,120 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1940s | 95,205 tonnes | 863,735 tonnes | 768,530 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1950s | 170,619 tonnes | 1.44 million tonnes | 1.27 million tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1960s | 443,798 tonnes | 2.70 million tonnes | 2.26 million tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 674,481 tonnes | 3.18 million tonnes | 2.51 million tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 685,473 tonnes | 2.95 million tonnes | 2.27 million tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 879,193 tonnes | 2.81 million tonnes | 1.94 million tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 1.04 million tonnes | 1.97 million tonnes | 924,378 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 755,425 tonnes | 1.28 million tonnes | 521,177 tonnes | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 694,920 tonnes | 822,824 tonnes | 127,904 tonnes | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher emissions of air pollutants, Belgium or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 833,456 tonnes against 750,371 tonnes in Belgium as of 2022.
- What is the difference in emissions of air pollutants between Belgium and United Kingdom?
- 83,085 tonnes, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and United Kingdom?
- 273 years are reported by both, from 1750 to 2022.
- How do Belgium and United Kingdom rank globally for emissions of air pollutants?
- Belgium ranks 33rd and United Kingdom ranks 31st of 220 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Hoesly et al. (2024) - Community Emissions Data System (CEDS) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Emissions of air pollutants. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) are gases that are mainly formed during the burning of fossil fuels. Exposure to NOₓ gases can have negative impacts on respiratory health. NOₓ gases can also lead to the formation of ozone – another air pollutant.