EU and euro area tax-to-GDP ratio up in 2024

The overall tax-to-GDP ratio, meaning the sum of taxes and net social contributions as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), stood at 40.4% in the EU in 2024, an increase from 39.9% in 2023. In the euro area, the tax-to-GDP ratio also increased from 40.5% in 2023 to 40.9% in 2024.

In absolute terms, in 2024, revenue from taxes and social contributions increased by €387 billion in the EU compared with 2023, to stand at €7 281 billion.

This information comes from data on taxation published by Eurostat today. This article presents some findings from the more detailed Statistics Explained article on tax revenue statistics.

Highest tax-to-GDP ratio in Denmark, France and Belgium

The tax-to-GDP ratio varied significantly between EU countries in 2024, with the highest shares of taxes and social contributions as a percentage of GDP being recorded in Denmark (45.8%), France (45.3%) and Belgium (45.1%).

At the opposite end of the scale, Ireland (22.4%), Romania (28.8%) and Malta (29.3%) registered the lowest ratios. 

Source dataset: gov_10a_taxag

Largest increases of tax-to-GDP ratios in Malta, Latvia and Slovenia

In 2024, compared with 2023, the tax-to-GDP ratio increased in 22 EU countries, with the largest increases observed in Malta (from 26.7% in 2023 to 29.3% in 2024), Latvia (33.0% in 2023 and 35.5% in 2024) and Slovenia (from 36.8% in 2023 to 38.8% in 2024).

In contrast, there were decreases in the tax-to-GDP ratio in 5 EU countries, ranging between -0.5 and -0.1 percentage points.

Source dataset: gov_10a_taxag