OECD members - Tax revenue (% of GDP)

Tax revenue (% of GDP) in OECD members was 15.48 as of 2019. Its highest value over the past 47 years was 16.73 in 2000, while its lowest value was 13.54 in 1973.

Definition: Tax revenue refers to compulsory transfers to the central government for public purposes. Certain compulsory transfers such as fines, penalties, and most social security contributions are excluded. Refunds and corrections of erroneously collected tax revenue are treated as negative revenue.

Source: International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, and World Bank and OECD GDP estimates.

See also:

Year Value
1972 13.83
1973 13.54
1974 13.99
1975 13.79
1976 13.90
1977 14.37
1978 14.30
1979 14.47
1980 14.71
1981 15.01
1982 14.89
1983 14.23
1984 14.08
1985 14.33
1986 14.35
1987 14.72
1988 14.49
1989 14.47
1990 14.39
1991 14.45
1992 14.08
1993 13.98
1994 14.54
1995 15.10
1996 15.41
1997 15.87
1998 16.13
1999 16.30
2000 16.73
2001 16.33
2002 15.18
2003 14.88
2004 14.94
2005 15.62
2006 16.05
2007 16.14
2008 15.49
2009 13.99
2010 14.37
2011 14.88
2012 15.04
2013 15.44
2014 15.61
2015 15.77
2016 15.71
2017 16.07
2018 15.44
2019 15.48

Limitations and Exceptions: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Despite IMF efforts to standardize data collection, statistics are often incomplete, untimely, and not comparable across countries.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: The IMF's Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014, harmonized with the 2008 SNA, recommends an accrual accounting method, focusing on all economic events affecting assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses, not just those represented by cash transactions. It accounts for all changes in stocks, so stock data at the end of an accounting period equal stock data at the beginning of the period plus flows over the period. The 1986 manual considered only debt stocks. Government finance statistics are reported in local currency. Many countries report government finance data by fiscal year; see country metadata for information on fiscal year end by country.

Aggregation method: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

Classification

Topic: Public Sector Indicators

Sub-Topic: Government finance