According to the OECD, the tax ratio, measured as total income from taxes and social security contributions divided by the gross domestic product, was 45.8 percent in Sweden in 2010. Compared with the other OECD member states, only Denmark displays a higher tax ratio.
The tax burden in Sweden increased heavily during primarily the 1960s and 1970s. The tax ratio then peaked at well over 55 percent in the late 1980s. However, over the last couple of years the tax ratio has tended to decrease somewhat, much due to tax cuts on work income.