How Countries Compare on Tax Revenue
Key Takeaways
- Denmark collects tax revenue equal to 45.3% of GDP, the highest globally, and more than twice the 19.5% collected in the U.S.
- Seven of the 10 countries with the highest tax-revenue shares are in Europe.
- Several oil-rich economies rank near the bottom, where resource revenues can reduce reliance on conventional taxes.
Tax revenue varies dramatically around the world, reflecting differences in tax systems, economic development, and other sources of government income.
Using the latest data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), this graphic compares tax revenue as a share of GDP across countries in 2024.
Compare your country with its peers in the final table on this page.
Where Governments Rely Most on Taxes
Among wealthy economies, the differences are substantial. Denmark collects tax revenue equal to 45.3% of GDP, versus roughly 29% in Canada and Australia and just 19.5% in the United States.
| Rank | Country | Tax Revenue as % of GDP (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denmark | 45.3% |
| 2 | Bulgaria | 38.8% |
| 3 | Sweden | 38.7% |
| 4 | Namibia | 35.3% |
| 5 | Iceland | 33.4% |
| 6 | New Zealand | 32.6% |
| 7 | Norway | 31.3% |
| 8 | Eswatini | 30.7% |
| 9 | Luxembourg | 30.7% |
| 10 | Finland | 30.4% |
| 11 | Italy | 29.6% |
| 12 | Belgium | 29.6% |
| 13 | Canada | 29.5% |
| 14 | Australia | 29.4% |
| 15 | Montenegro | 29.0% |
| 16 | France | 28.7% |
| 17 | UK | 28.5% |
| 18 | Austria | 28.3% |
| 19 | Greece | 27.8% |
| 20 | Barbados | 27.8% |
These differences partly reflect how countries structure their tax systems and fund public services.
Nordic countries generally have broad tax bases that help finance extensive public programs, while the U.S. relies more heavily on private spending in areas such as healthcare and retirement.
The World’s Least Taxed Countries
At the other end of the ranking, oil-rich economies sit alongside some of the world’s poorest countries. Both collect relatively little in taxes, but for very different reasons.
| Rank | Country | Tax Revenue as a % of GDP (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Libya | 1.2% |
| 2 | Kuwait | 1.4% |
| 3 | Iraq | 1.7% |
| 4 | Yemen | 2.0% |
| 5 | Sudan | 2.0% |
| 6 | Somalia | 2.2% |
| 7 | Nigeria | 3.4% |
| 8 | Qatar | 3.8% |
| 9 | Bahrain | 4.4% |
| 10 | Oman | 4.5% |
| 11 | South Sudan | 4.8% |
| 12 | Haiti | 5.0% |
| 13 | Iran | 5.2% |
| 14 | Equatorial Guinea | 5.5% |
| 15 | Angola | 5.6% |
| 16 | Myanmar | 5.6% |
| 17 | Brunei | 6.1% |
| 18 | Ethiopia | 6.2% |
| 19 | Sierra Leone | 6.4% |
| 20 | Panama | 6.7% |
For major oil producers, natural resources provide an alternative source of government revenue. Kuwait collects just 1.4% of GDP in taxes, while Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman are all below 5%.
In lower-income countries, low tax collections can instead reflect large informal economies and limited tax-collection capacity. Similar tax levels can therefore result from resource wealth in one country and difficulty raising revenue in another.
America’s Growing Tax and Spending Gap
The U.S. occupies an interesting position in the global comparison. Its tax take is lower than that of many other advanced economies, while federal spending is projected to remain substantially higher than federal revenues.
In 2026, federal spending is projected at 23.3% of GDP, versus revenues of 17.5%. By 2036, those figures are projected to reach 24.4% and 17.8%, respectively. Meanwhile, net interest is projected to more than double to $2.1 trillion, nearly matching all federal discretionary spending.
This leaves a persistent gap between what the federal government collects and what it spends, while a growing share of the budget goes toward servicing past borrowing.
Tax Revenue Around the World
Countries’ tax revenues vary based on development levels, institutional capacity, tax systems, and resource wealth. The table below lists countries worldwide by tax revenue as a percentage of GDP in 2024.
| Country | Tax Revenue as % of GDP (2024) |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | 10.9% |
| Albania | 19.8% |
| Algeria | 9.4% |
| Andorra | 15.8% |
| Angola | 5.6% |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 15.6% |
| Argentina | 22.8% |
| Armenia | 22.4% |
| Aruba | 21.0% |
| Australia | 29.4% |
| Austria | 28.3% |
| Azerbaijan | 17.8% |
| Bahrain | 4.4% |
| Bangladesh | 7.4% |
| Barbados | 27.8% |
| Belarus | 27.2% |
| Belgium | 29.6% |
| Belize | 23.2% |
| Benin | 13.2% |
| Bhutan | 10.8% |
| Bolivia | 17.8% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 22.6% |
| Botswana | 22.4% |
| Brazil | 25.6% |
| Brunei Darussalam | 6.1% |
| Bulgaria | 38.8% |
| Burkina Faso | 18.8% |
| Burundi | 12.1% |
| Cabo Verde | 19.4% |
| Cambodia | 12.5% |
| Cameroon | 12.7% |
| Canada | 29.5% |
| Central African Republic | 7.8% |
| Chad | 7.4% |
| Chile | 19.6% |
| China | 13.0% |
| Colombia | 23.0% |
| Comoros | 8.9% |
| Costa Rica | 13.2% |
| Cote d'Ivoire | 13.6% |
| Croatia | 27.2% |
| Cyprus | 25.3% |
| Czech Republic | 18.9% |
| DR Congo | 9.8% |
| Denmark | 45.3% |
| Djibouti | 11.0% |
| Dominica | 22.3% |
| Dominican Republic | 14.5% |
| Ecuador | 13.6% |
| Egypt | 11.7% |
| El Salvador | 21.6% |
| Equatorial Guinea | 5.5% |
| Estonia | 22.9% |
| Eswatini | 30.7% |
| Ethiopia | 6.2% |
| Fiji | 22.3% |
| Finland | 30.4% |
| France | 28.7% |
| Gabon | 13.3% |
| Georgia | 24.9% |
| Germany | 23.0% |
| Ghana | 13.3% |
| Greece | 27.8% |
| Grenada | 23.6% |
| Guatemala | 11.8% |
| Guinea | 12.3% |
| Guinea-Bissau | 8.8% |
| Guyana | 8.2% |
| Haiti | 5.0% |
| Honduras | 17.5% |
| Hong Kong SAR | 14.2% |
| Hungary | 24.7% |
| Iceland | 33.4% |
| India | 18.1% |
| Indonesia | 10.1% |
| Iran | 5.2% |
| Iraq | 1.7% |
| Ireland | 20.5% |
| Israel | 24.9% |
| Italy | 29.6% |
| Jamaica | 25.6% |
| Japan | 20.2% |
| Jordan | 15.4% |
| Kazakhstan | 16.0% |
| Kenya | 12.9% |
| Kiribati | 17.5% |
| Korea | 13.2% |
| Kosovo | 27.1% |
| Kuwait | 1.4% |
| Kyrgyz Republic | 21.8% |
| Lao P.D.R | 12.4% |
| Latvia | 22.8% |
| Lebanon | 10.3% |
| Lesotho | 23.5% |
| Liberia | 11.6% |
| Libya | 1.2% |
| Liechenstein | 14.5% |
| Lithuania | 22.3% |
| Luxembourg | 30.7% |
| Macao SAR | 25.9% |
| Madagascar | 11.4% |
| Malawi | 14.1% |
| Malaysia | 12.5% |
| Maldives | 24.3% |
| Mali | 15.8% |
| Malta | 23.1% |
| Marshall Islands | 13.9% |
| Mauritania | 15.3% |
| Mauritius | 23.1% |
| Mexico | 15.7% |
| Micronesia | 16.5% |
| Moldova | 21.2% |
| Mongolia | 23.9% |
| Montenegro | 29.0% |
| Morocco | 20.8% |
| Mozambique | 20.3% |
| Myanmar | 5.6% |
| Namibia | 35.3% |
| Nauru | 19.4% |
| Nepal | 16.4% |
| Netherlands | 26.5% |
| New Zealand | 32.6% |
| Nicaragua | 20.9% |
| Niger | 6.9% |
| Nigeria | 3.4% |
| North Macedonia | 18.9% |
| Norway | 31.3% |
| Oman | 4.5% |
| Pakistan | 9.9% |
| Palau | 21.7% |
| Panama | 6.7% |
| Papua New Guinea | 12.1% |
| Paraguay | 11.4% |
| Peru | 14.3% |
| Philippines | 15.4% |
| Poland | 22.2% |
| Portugal | 24.9% |
| Qatar | 3.8% |
| Republic of Congo | 10.6% |
| Romania | 16.4% |
| Russia | 19.2% |
| Rwanda | 13.8% |
| Samoa | 24.1% |
| San Marino | 17.6% |
| Sao Tome and Principe | 10.8% |
| Saudi Arabia | 7.2% |
| Senegal | 18.2% |
| Serbia | 23.5% |
| Seychelles | 27.4% |
| Sierra Leone | 6.4% |
| Singapore | 14.3% |
| Slovak Republic | 19.6% |
| Slovenia | 21.5% |
| Solomon Islands | 21.4% |
| Somalia | 2.2% |
| South Africa | 25.2% |
| South Sudan | 4.8% |
| Spain | 23.9% |
| Sri Lanka | 12.4% |
| St. Kitts and Nevis | 15.2% |
| St. Lucia | 19.7% |
| St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 23.6% |
| Sudan | 2.0% |
| Suriname | 18.9% |
| Sweden | 38.7% |
| Switzerland | 20.0% |
| Tajikistan | 17.1% |
| Tanzania | 11.9% |
| Thailand | 16.0% |
| The Bahamas | 17.3% |
| The Gambia | 11.1% |
| Timor-Leste | 9.1% |
| Togo | 14.9% |
| Tonga | 22.0% |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 21.9% |
| Tunisia | 25.3% |
| Turkmenistan | 11.9% |
| Tuvalu | 17.0% |
| Türkiye | 16.6% |
| UAE | 18.2% |
| Uganda | 12.9% |
| Ukraine | 27.4% |
| United Kingdom | 28.5% |
| United States | 19.5% |
| Uruguay | 18.2% |
| Uzbekistan | 13.6% |
| Vanuatu | 13.9% |
| Vietnam | 13.0% |
| West Bank and Gaza | 25.6% |
| Yemen | 2.0% |
| Zambia | 17.3% |
| Zimbabwe | 11.6% |
Learn More on the Voronoi App
To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic breaking down income tax revenue by wealth bracket in America.