Tax to GDP Ratio by Country, 19 Major Economies in 2022

Key figures from the chart

France has the highest tax to GDP ratio of the 19 economies shown, at 46%, followed by Italy (43%) and Germany (39%).
The UK collects 34% of GDP in tax; Canada, Brazil and Japan are on 33%.
The U.S. ratio is 28%, below Australia and Argentina (30%) and above South Africa (27%).
Saudi Arabia is lowest at 8%, with India and Indonesia at 12%.

All figures are from the graphic by Visual Capitalist, which cites OECD Revenue Statistics 2023, the World Bank and Investopedia, with data as of 2022.

Tax revenue as a share of GDP in 19 economies

Title: Tax Revenue vs GDP. Each country is a bar with its flag, sorted from highest to lowest ratio. The chart has no colour key; the colours appear to group countries by region.

Position	Country	Tax revenue as a share of GDP
1	France	46%
2	Italy	43%
3	Germany	39%
4	UK	34%
5	Canada	33%
6	Brazil	33%
7	Japan	33%
8	South Korea	32%
9	Argentina	30%
10	Australia	30%
11	U.S.	28%
12	South Africa	27%
13	Russia	23%
14	Türkiye	21%
15	China	20%
16	Mexico	17%
17	India	12%
18	Indonesia	12%
19	Saudi Arabia	8%

Annotations: Higher ratio indicates stronger government revenues and higher spending capacity. Lower ratio suggests the government collects relatively little taxes. Info box: The tax-to-GDP ratio measures a nation’s tax revenue relative to the size of its economy. Footer: Figures rounded. Data as of 2022. Sources: OECD Revenue Statistics 2023, World Bank, Investopedia.

What the tax to GDP ratio measures

The ratio compares the tax a country collects with the size of its economy, measured by gross domestic product. It gives a view of the overall direction of a country’s tax policy and allows comparisons between countries [3]. In the OECD’s definition, taxes are compulsory payments to government for which taxpayers do not receive benefits in proportion to what they pay, and the figures cover all levels of government [1]. Social security contributions are counted as part of tax revenue in the OECD data [1].

The World Bank treats tax revenue above 15% of GDP as a key ingredient for economic growth and poverty reduction, according to Investopedia [3]. Visual Capitalist’s notes on the chart add that some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, have a low ratio because they do not need to fund government spending through tax [4].

How the ratios have moved since 2022

The chart uses 2022 data. In the OECD’s Revenue Statistics 2024, France’s ratio fell from 45.8% in 2022 to 43.8% in 2023, and France ranked first of the 38 OECD countries in both years [2]. The US ratio fell from 27.6% to 25.2%, ranking 32nd of 38 in 2023, while the OECD average was 33.9% [1]. The rounded 2022 figures on the chart, 46% for France and 28% for the U.S., match the OECD’s 2022 numbers.

Notes on this infographic

Data date: 2022, rounded to whole percentages. Later OECD figures are lower for both France and the United States [1][2].
Non-OECD countries on the chart (Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa) come from other sources such as the World Bank and may not be measured the same way; we have checked only France and the United States against the OECD.
The chart carries a small icon but no name; the credit to Visual Capitalist comes from its Voronoi post, published on 2 August 2024 [4].

Questions about the tax to GDP ratio

What does tax to GDP ratio mean?

It is a country’s total tax revenue divided by its gross domestic product, showing how much of the economy’s output government collects in tax [3].

What country has the highest tax-to-GDP ratio?

On the chart, France, at 46% in 2022. The OECD ranked France first of its 38 members in 2022 and 2023, at 43.8% in 2023 [2].

What is America’s tax-to-GDP ratio?

The OECD puts it at 27.6% in 2022, shown as 28% on the chart, and 25.2% in 2023, against an OECD average of 33.9% [1].

What is the recommended tax-to-GDP ratio?

There is no single target. The World Bank describes tax revenue above 15% of GDP as a key ingredient for growth and poverty reduction [3]; OECD members averaged 33.9% in 2023 [1].