Tax to GDP ratios

Sweden is the second ranked OECD country in terms of tax to GDP ratios with a measure 45.4% in 2010, 11 percentage points above the OECD average of 33.8%.   Though the ratio has been well above the OECD average for a long period, it has been on a gradual downward trend for several years from a level of 51.4% in 2000 to 44.5% in 2011.

Figure 1: Tax revenue as percentage of GDP 2000 to latest available data

Tax structures

The main observations for Sweden are:

• Revenue from personal and corporate income taxes declined from 21.0% of GDP in 2000 to 15.7% in 2011.  The 2010 figure was 16.2%, well above the OECD average of 11.3%.

• The tax ratio for Social security contributions was 15.8% of GDP in 2000 and 14.6% in both 2010 and 2011. The 2010 figure was well above the OECD average of 9.5%.

• The tax ratio for Taxes on goods and services was 12.7% in 2000 and 12.9% of GDP in 2011.  The 2010 figure of 13.4% was above the OECD average of 11.0%.

• Property tax revenues were 1.1% of GDP in 2010, two thirds of the OECD average of 1.9%.

Figure 2: Tax revenue main headings as percentage of GDP, 2000, 2007, 2010, 2011 

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• OECD averages are not available for 2011 as 5 OECD countries have not provided data for that year.
• More comparative information about OECD member countries is contained in the tables linked within the following webpages:
  • Tax revenue trends: tax ratios changes between 2007 and 2011
  • Tax revenue trends: tax ratios changes between 1965 and 2010
  • Tax structures: latest position (2010)
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