Tax revenue in the EU

European Commission Eurostat

Description

Economy and finance
Target audience: Specialised/Technical

Sujets

• Revenue
• Tax
• Produit intérieur brut
• Public finance

Informations

• Publié par: EUROPEAN-COMMISSION-EUROSTAT
• Nombre de lectures: 27
• Langue: English

Extrait

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Economy and finance

Author:

Alessandro LUPI

47/2008

Tax revenue in the EU

EU27 tax revenue-to-GDP ratio moved back up to its 2001 level,

reaching 41.2% in 2006

EU27 tax revenue (including social

contributions) of general government

1

increased in 2006 to 41.2% of GDP, accounting

for over 90% of total government revenue. In

the euro area (EA13) there was a similar

increase of tax revenue reaching 41.8% of GDP

in 2006.

Denmark and Sweden registered the highest

levels of tax revenue, amounting to around half

of their GDP in 2006 while lower levels were

generally observed in the new EU Member

States (those that joined the EU since 2004).

Tax revenue in the EU27 reached its highest

level relative to GDP over the last six years,

after a low of 40.2% of GDP in 2004 (see Figure

1). Over the years 1999-2006, the Member

States experienced different movements in the

level of tax revenue. Overall, countries where the

tax revenue-to-GDP ratio changed most tended

to be those with lower levels of tax revenue.

EU27 tax revenue in 2006 was almost equally

split between taxes on production and imports

(33.9%), social contributions (33.5%) and current

taxes on income, wealth, etc. (32.3%). In the new

EU Member States there is generally less

reliance on direct taxes as a form of government

revenue than in the EU27 as a whole.

1

For detailed information on the definitions of tax revenue and

government see the methodological notes at the end of this

document.

Figure 1: Total tax revenue in the EU27 and euro area as a percentage of GDP, 1999-2006

40.0

40.5

41.0

41.5

42.0

42.5

43.0

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

EU27

EA13