Glossary
Tax-to-GDP Ratio

Tax-to-GDP Ratio

Tax-to-GDP Ratio is a factor that denotes a country's tax revenue in relation to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In essence, it denotes the amount of tax income the government brought in during a particular year.

If the tax-to-GDP ratio is larger when expressed as a percentage, it indicates that a country's financial position is better and sufficient, and vice versa. It indicates that a nation is able to pay its debts. Additionally, a high tax-to-GDP ratio indicates that the government is capable of casting a wide fiscal net, which ultimately reduces a country's dependence on borrowing.

Understanding Tax-to-GDP Ratio

Taxes are an important indicator of a country's progress and governance. How effectively a country's government manages its economic resources is assessed by looking at the tax-to-GDP ratio. The ability to invest more in infrastructure, health care, and education thanks to higher tax revenues is crucial for a nation's long-term economic and social prospects.

Economic Growth and Tax Policy

According to the World Bank, tax receipts that are greater than 15% of a nation's GDP are an essential component of economic growth and, ultimately, poverty reduction. With this level of revenue, nations are guaranteed the resources required to make investments in the future and achieve long-term economic growth. The ratio is often much larger in developed nations. 2019 saw a 33.8% average among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)members.

One hypothesis holds that as economies advance and wages increase, people will generally start to expect more services from the government, whether in the areas of healthcare, public transit, or education.In the Asia-Pacific, the tax-to-GDP ratio ranged from 11.9% in Indonesia to 35.4% in Nauru, with the majority of countries not having a ratio as high as the OECD average of 33.8%.This would assist to explain why the European Union's tax-to-GDP ratio, which was 41.4% on average in 2019, is so much higher than the region.

How To Calculate Tax-to-GDP Ratio

Tax-to-GDP Ratio = Tax revenue of the nation during the period / Gross Domestic Product of the nation

Where,

Total revenue received by a nation's government in the form of taxes over a specific time period is known as tax revenue. The total amount of finished goods and services produced in a nation during a specific time period is known as the gross domestic product (GDP).

When computing gross domestic product, any value of products and services provided through intermediaries as well as any value of those that cannot be bought or sold on the open market are omitted.

Key Takeaways

A country's tax revenue is measured in relation to the size of its economy using the tax-to-GDP ratio. The effectiveness of a country's government in allocating its economic resources through taxation is assessed using this ratio along with other measures.

Compared to underdeveloped countries, developed countries often have greater tax-to-GDP ratios. The ability to invest more in infrastructure, health care, and education thanks to higher tax revenues is crucial for a nation's long-term economic and social prospects.

According to the World Bank, tax receipts that are greater than 15% of a nation's GDP are an essential component of economic growth and, ultimately, poverty reduction.

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