air pollution improved but remains a concern, particularly in the London region; soil pollution from pesticides and heavy metals; decline in marine and coastal habitats brought on by pressures from housing, tourism, and industry
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
particulate matter emissions: 10.53 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 379.02 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 49.16 megatons (2020 est.)
municipal: 6.227 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
industrial: 1.01 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
agricultural: 1.183 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
147 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast
agricultural land: 71% (2018 est.)
arable land: 25.1% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 45.7% (2018 est.)
forest: 11.9% (2018 est.)
other: 17.1% (2018 est.)
forest revenues: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)
coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)
urban population: 84.2% of total population (2021)
rate of urbanization: 0.8% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
respiratory diseases: Covid-19 (see note) (2020)
note: widespread ongoing transmission of a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is occurring throughout the UK; as of 19 July 2021, the UK has reported a total of 5,473,481 cases of COVID-19 or 8,062.75 cumulative cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population with 189.62 cumulative deaths per 100,000 population; as of 19 July 2021, 66.22% of the population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine; the US Department of Homeland Security has issued instructions requiring US passengers who have been in the UK to travel through select airports where the US Government has implemented enhanced screening procedures
municipal solid waste generated annually: 31.567 million tons (2014 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 8,602,008 tons (2015 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 27.3% (2015 est.)
NOTE: The information regarding United Kingdom on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of United Kingdom 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about United Kingdom 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.
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