Tax to GDP ratios

The tax to GDP ratio in Greece declined from 34.3% in 2000 to 30.4% in 2009 before rising again to 31.2% in 2011.  It was lower than the OECD average over the whole period and in 2010 it was 30.9% compared with the OECD figure of 33.8%.  

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

Tax structures

The main observations for Greece are:

• Revenue from personal and corporate income taxes declined from 9.4% of GDP in 2000 to 6.9% in 2011 and was 6.8% of GDP in 2010, below the OECD average of 11.3%.

• The tax ratio for Social security contributions was 10.6% in 2000 and 10.3% in 2011 and was above the OECD average of 9.5% in 2010.

• Taxes on goods and services were very stable over the period and at 12.0% of GDP in 2010 were above the OECD average of 11.0%.

• Property tax revenues were 1.0% of GDP in 2010, half the OECD average.

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

• 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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