The overall tax-to-GDP ratio (the sum of taxes and net social contributions as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP)) in the EU stood at 40.7% in 2025, up from 40.2% in 2024. In the euro area (EA20), the tax-to-GDP ratio also increased from 40.7% in 2024 to 41.3% in 2025.
In absolute terms, in 2025, revenue from taxes and social contributions increased by €401 billion to €7 686 billion compared with 2024.
This information comes from data on taxation published by Eurostat today. This article presents some findings from the more detailed Statistics Explained article on tax revenue statistics.
Highest tax-to-GDP ratio in France, Belgium and Denmark
Source dataset: gov_10a_taxag
The tax-to-GDP ratio varied significantly between EU countries in 2025, with the highest shares of taxes and social contributions as a percentage of GDP recorded in France (46.0%), Belgium (44.7%), Denmark (44.3%) and Austria (43.9%).
At the opposite end of the scale, Ireland (22.7%), Romania (29.3%), Malta (30.3%) and Bulgaria (30.6%) registered the lowest ratios.
Largest increases of tax-to-GDP ratios in Germany, Malta and Spain
Source dataset: gov_10a_taxag
In 2025, compared with 2024, the tax-to-GDP ratio increased in 19 EU countries, with the largest increases observed in Germany (from 40.3% in 2024 to 41.4% in 2025), Malta ( from 29.3% to 30.3%) and Spain (from 37.2% to 38.1%).
In contrast, there were decreases in the tax-to-GDP ratio in 8 EU countries, with the largest decreases observed in Sweden (from 41.8% in 2024 to 41.2% in 2025) and Latvia (from 34.9% to 34.2%).
