In 2020, revenue from taxes and social contributions decreased by €215 billion in the EU compared with 2019, to stand at €5 531 billion. This is the first time there has been a decrease since 2009.
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 41.3% in the EU in 2020, an increase compared with 2019 (41.1%). This is due to a decrease in the numerator (nominal GDP) as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source dataset: gov_10a_taxag
Highest tax-to-GDP ratio in Denmark, France and Belgium
The tax-to-GDP ratio varied significantly between Member States in 2020, with the highest share of taxes and social contributions in percentage of GDP being recorded in Denmark (47.6%), France (47.5%) and Belgium (46.2%).
At the opposite end of the scale, Ireland (20.8%) and Romania (27.2%) registered the lowest ratios.
Source dataset: gov_10a_taxag
For more information:
- Eurostat Statistics Explained article on tax revenue statistics
- Eurostat dedicated section to government finance statistics
- Eurostat database on government finance statistics
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