Rising to a series high
Italy Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP moved from 24.84 Percentage in 2015 to 25.60 Percentage in 2024 (+3.1%), an average of +0.3% a year. The series high was 25.60 Percentage in 2024 and the low 24.24 Percentage in 2018.
What Italy Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP shows
Italy Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP was 25.60 Percentage in 2024, up 3.5% on 2023. The Tax Revenue as a Percentage of GDP dataset for Italy provides a comprehensive assessment of the country's tax collection performance relative to the size of its economy, offering valuable insights into fiscal capacity, government revenue generation, and public finance sustainability.
A 5.3% peak-to-trough swing
The gap between the series high (2024) and low (2018) is 1.36 Percentage. The sharpest single-year move was +3.5% in 2024.
Ranks 5 of 27 countries covered
Among the 27 countries in this dataset, Italy ranks 5 for 2024, behind Denmark (33.36 Percentage) and Sweden (27.23 Percentage). It accounts for 185.3% of the global total in 2024.
Full series
Italy Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP by year
Complete annual series with year-on-year change. Values are reported in Percentage.
Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.
| Year | Percentage | Change vs prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2024Peak | 25.60 | +3.5% |
| 2023 | 24.74 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 24.61 | −1.1% |
| 2021 | 24.88 | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 24.85 | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 24.66 | +1.7% |
| 2018 Trough | 24.24 | −1.8% |
| 2017 | 24.70 | −1.5% |
| 2016 | 25.08 | +1% |
| 2015 | 24.84 | — |
Regional context
How Italy compares in Europe & Central Asia
Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP by country, 2024, Percentage. Italy is highlighted.
1Denmark33.36
2Sweden27.23
3UK26.89
4Italy25.60
5Finland25.33
6Netherlands25.28
7France22.78
8Turkey17.62
Data definition
Inclusions and exclusions
Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP — – Tax Revenue (% of GDP) refers to the total tax revenue collected by the central government, expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Tax revenue consists of compulsory, unrequited payments made by individuals and businesses to the government for public purposes. The indicator measures the relative size of tax collections compared with the overall economy and is widely used to assess a government's revenue-generating capacity, fiscal performance, and tax effort.
The data includes compulsory tax payments collected by the central government, such as taxes on income, profits and capital gains, payroll taxes, property taxes, taxes on goods and services (including VAT, GST, and excise duties), taxes on international trade, customs duties, and other taxes recorded under the IMF Government Finance Statistics (GFS) framework. The indicator is expressed as a percentage of GDP using standardized national accounts and government finance statistics.
The data excludes non-tax government revenue such as grants, fees, licenses, administrative charges, dividends from state-owned enterprises, and income from government assets. It also excludes fines, penalties, most social security contributions, refunds treated as negative revenue, and informal or unrecorded tax collections not captured in official government finance statistics. For many countries, the indicator reflects central government tax revenue only and may not include taxes collected by state, provincial, or local governments.
About this indicator
Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP — – Tax Revenue (% of GDP) refers to the total tax revenue collected by the central government, expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Tax revenue consists of compulsory, unrequited payments made by individuals and businesses to the government for public purposes. The indicator measures the relative size of tax collections compared with the overall economy and is widely used to assess a government's revenue-generating capacity, fiscal performance, and tax effort.
Measured as a Percentage, the dataset covers the period 2015–2024 and indicates that Italy maintained a consistently high tax-to-GDP ratio throughout the decade. Tax revenue stood at 24.84% of GDP in 2015, increased to 25.08% in 2016, moderated to 24.24% in 2018, and remained close to 25% during the following years. The ratio reached 24.88% in 2021, eased slightly to 24.61% in 2022, recovered to 24.74% in 2023, and rose to 25.60% in 2024, the highest level recorded during the period.
The year-wise trend reflects Italy's stable fiscal framework and strong revenue mobilization capacity despite changing economic conditions. The consistently high tax-to-GDP ratio demonstrates the government's ability to generate domestic revenue to finance healthcare, pensions, infrastructure, education, and social welfare while supporting long-term fiscal sustainability. The gradual increase in 2024 also suggests continued improvement in tax collection efficiency alongside economic recovery.
This dataset is an important resource for policymakers, economists, financial institutions, investors, researchers, and international organizations evaluating fiscal performance and taxation efficiency. It enables benchmarking Italy against regional and global economies, assessing the impact of tax policy reforms, monitoring long-term revenue trends, forecasting future government income, and analyzing the relationship between taxation, economic growth, and public expenditure. The data also supports research on fiscal resilience, macroeconomic stability, public finance management, and economic competitiveness.
Overall, the 2015–2024 dataset highlights Italy's resilient and consistently strong tax revenue performance relative to GDP, providing a reliable foundation for fiscal analysis, policy development, investment evaluation, and long-term economic forecasting.
- Indicator
- Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP
- Country
- Italy
- Region
- Europe & Central Asia
- Unit
- Percentage
- Coverage
- 2015–2024, annual
- Category
- BFSI
- Last updated
- July 2026
- Source
- data.worldbank.org
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Frequently asked questions
What is Italy Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP?
Definition – Tax Revenue (% of GDP) refers to the total tax revenue collected by the central government, expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Tax revenue consists of compulsory, unrequited payments made by individuals and businesses to the government for public purposes. The indicator measures the relative size of tax collections compared with the overall economy and is widely used to assess a government's revenue-generating capacity, fiscal performance, and tax effort.
What was Italy Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP in 2024?
Italy Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP was 25.60 Percentage in 2024, up 3.5% on 2023.
How has Italy Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP changed between 2015 and 2024?
Italy Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP moved from 24.84 Percentage in 2015 to 25.60 Percentage in 2024 (+3.1%), an average of +0.3% a year. The series high was 25.60 Percentage in 2024 and the low 24.24 Percentage in 2018.
Which year had the highest and lowest Italy Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP?
The highest value was 25.60 Percentage in 2024 and the lowest was 24.24 Percentage in 2018.
What does the Italy Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP data include and exclude?
Included: The data includes compulsory tax payments collected by the central government, such as taxes on income, profits and capital gains, payroll taxes, property taxes, taxes on goods and services (including VAT, GST, and excise duties), taxes on international trade, customs duties, and other taxes recorded under the IMF Government Finance Statistics (GFS) framework. The indicator is expressed as a percentage of GDP using standardized national accounts and government finance statistics. Excluded: The data excludes non-tax government revenue such as grants, fees, licenses, administrative charges, dividends from state-owned enterprises, and income from government assets. It also excludes fines, penalties, most social security contributions, refunds treated as negative revenue, and informal or unrecorded tax collections not captured in official government finance statistics. For many countries, the indicator reflects central government tax revenue only and may not include taxes collected by state, provincial, or local governments.
Where does the Italy Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP data come from?
The series is sourced from data.worldbank.org (https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/GC.TAX.TOTL.GD.ZS). It covers 2015–2024 and is reported in Percentage.
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