Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

The tax-to-GDP ratio, i.e. the sum of net taxes and social contributions as a percentage of GDP, reached 40.0% in the European Union in 2023, a decrease compared to 2022 (40.7%). In the euro area, the tax-to-GDP ratio also decreased from 41.4% in 2022 to 40.6% in 2023.

In absolute terms, in 2023, revenues from taxes and social contributions increased by €308 billion in the European Union compared to 2022, reaching €6,883 billion.
This is according to tax data published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union in Brussels.
Highest tax-to-GDP ratio in France, Belgium and Denmark
The tax-to-GDP ratio varied significantly across EU countries in 2023, with the highest tax and social contribution ratios as a percentage of GDP recorded in France (45.6%), Belgium (44.8%) and Denmark (44.1%).
At the opposite end of the scale, Ireland (22.7%), Romania (27.0%) and Malta (27.1%) recorded the lowest ratios.
The largest increases in tax-to-GDP ratios in Cyprus and Luxembourg
In 2023, compared to 2022, the tax-to-GDP ratio increased in 11 EU countries, with the largest increases observed in Cyprus (from 35.9% in 2022 to 38.8% in 2023). and Luxembourg (40.2% in 2022 and 42.8% in 2023). In contrast, declines of more than 0.1 percentage points in GDP were recorded in 12 EU countries, with the largest declines observed in Greece (from 42.8% in 2022 to 40.7% in 2023) and France (from 47.6% in 2022 to 45.6% in 2023).