Saturday, 1 November 2025
Reports suggesting that tax revenues across the European Union and the euro area rose in 2024 have not yet been confirmed by official data. According to the latest verified information from Eurostat, the most recent figures available cover the year 2023, when the overall tax-to-GDP ratio declined slightly after several years of steady growth.
In 2023, taxes and social contributions accounted for around 40% of the EU’s gross domestic product, with the euro area recording a similar figure. This represented a modest drop from 2022, when the ratio was above 40.5% for both groups. The decline reflected slower economic growth and targeted tax relief measures introduced in several member states in response to high inflation and energy costs.
No new data for 2024 have yet been released through Eurostat’s official channels. While some national finance ministries have issued their own projections, these are not harmonised across countries and have not been validated by the EU’s statistical office. As a result, any reported increase in the tax-to-GDP ratio remains unverified.
The ratio, which measures the share of taxes and social contributions in the economy, tends to move gradually rather than sharply from year to year. Structural differences across the bloc remain significant: Northern and Western European countries such as Denmark, France, and Belgium maintain the highest revenue shares, while Ireland, Romania, and Malta sit at the lower end.
Eurostat’s next comprehensive update on EU tax revenue is expected in autumn 2025. Until then, the 2023 data remain the benchmark for comparing fiscal capacity and government funding trends across the European Union.
Source: Eurostat
