Facts and figures from around the EU
- In 2015, tax revenue (including social contributions) in the EU countries stood at 40 % of Gross Domestic Product, and accounted for around 89 % of total government revenue.
- In Europe the ratio of 2015 tax revenue to GDP was highest in France (47.9 % of GDP), Denmark (47.6 %) and Belgium (47.5 %).The lowest shares were in Ireland (24.4 %), Romania (28.0 %), Bulgaria (29.0 %), Lithuania (29.4 %), Latvia (29.5 %) and Switzerland (28.1 %).
- Tax revenues vary from year to year. The main reasons are changes in economic activity (levels of employment, sales of goods and services, etc.) and in tax legislation (tax rates, the tax base, thresholds, exemptions, etc.). This has consequences for the government’s spending budget.