Countries Collecting the Most Tax Revenue as a Share of GDP
This chart ranks countries by central government tax revenue as a share of GDP. It measures how much of the economy the state actually collects in tax, which is different from headline tax rates that are often reduced by exemptions and avoi...
About This Dataset
Countries Collecting the Most Tax Revenue as a Share of GDPLesotho leads with tax revenue at 40% of GDP, well ahead of Namibia on 32.7% and Nauru on 32.1%, a result that overturns the assumption that only rich welfare states tax heavily. Lesotho and Namibia both draw large revenues through the Southern African Customs Union, which pools and redistributes customs duties. Denmark on 32% is the highest-ranked Nordic country and the first that matches expectations. The measure captures collection rather than rates, which is why nations famous for high headline tax rates do not automatically appear: what matters is how much is actually gathered. Europe still supplies six of the top ten through Denmark, Sweden, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Greece and Norway.
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Countries Collecting the Most Tax Revenue as a Share of GDP
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