In 2021, revenue from taxes and social contributions increased by €520 billion in the EU compared with 2020, to stand at €6 058 billion.
This information comes from data on taxation published by Eurostat today. This article presents some findings from the more detailed Statistics Explained article.
Source dataset: gov_10a_taxag
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 41.7% in the EU in 2021, an increase compared with 2020 (41.1%).
Highest tax-to-GDP ratio in Denmark, France and Belgium
The tax-to-GDP ratio varied significantly between Member States in 2021, with the highest shares of taxes and social contributions as a percentage of GDP being recorded in Denmark (48.8%), France (47.0%) and Belgium (46.0%).
Source dataset: gov_10a_taxag
At the opposite end of the scale, Ireland (21.9%) and Romania (27.3%) registered the lowest ratios.
Largest increase of tax-to-GDP ratio in Cyprus, largest decrease in Hungary
Compared with 2020, the tax-to-GDP ratio increased in twenty EU Member States in 2021, with the largest rise being observed in Cyprus (from 34.0% in 2020 to 36.0% in 2021).
Source dataset: gov_10a_taxag
In contrast, decreases were recorded in five Member States, notably in Hungary (from 36.1% in 2020 to 34.0% in 2021) and Croatia (from 36.9% to 35.8%).
For more information:
- Statistics Explained article on tax revenue statistics
- Dedicated section on government finance statistics
- Database on government finance statistics
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