Tax as a percentage of GDP

Last updated: 2025-04-29

In 2024, Sweden had the seventh-highest tax-to-GDP:GDP ratio among OECD:OECD countries. Taxes accounted for over 41 percent of GDP, compared with an OECD average of approximately 34 percent.

Tax-to-GDP Trends in Sweden

Beginning in the 1960s and 1970s, Sweden experienced a sharp rise in tax levels, which peaked in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During the 2000s, the tax-to-GDP:GDP ratio generally declined, largely due to income tax cuts. In recent years, however, this Trend:trend has slightly reversed. Following the 2008 financial crisis in Europe and the subsequent pandemic, many OECD:OECD countries increased their tax-to-GDP ratios to address emerging challenges, surpassing Sweden in the rankings.