– Tax Revenue (% of GDP) refers to the total tax revenue collected by the central government, expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Saudi Arabia Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP was 8.09 Percentage in 2024, up 3.7% on 2023. The Tax Revenue as a Percentage of GDP dataset for Saudi Arabia provides a comprehensive assessment of the country's tax collection performance relative to the size of its economy, offering valuable insights into fiscal transformation, government revenue diversification, and public finance trends.
Saudi Arabia Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP moved from 3.15 Percentage in 2015 to 8.09 Percentage in 2024 (+157.2%), an average of +11.1% a year. The series high was 8.61 Percentage in 2021 and the low 3.14 Percentage in 2017.
The gap between the series high (2021) and low (2017) is 5.46 Percentage. The sharpest single-year move was +151.8% in 2018.
Among the 27 countries in this dataset, Saudi Arabia ranks 25 for 2024, behind Denmark (33.36 Percentage) and Sweden (27.23 Percentage). It accounts for 58.5% of the global total in 2024.
Full series
Complete annual series with year-on-year change. Values are reported in Percentage.
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| Year | Percentage | Change vs prior year |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8.09 | +3.7% |
| 2023 | 7.80 | +12.2% |
| 2022 | 6.95 | −19.2% |
| 2021Peak | 8.61 | +9.3% |
| 2020 | 7.88 | +19.3% |
| 2019 | 6.60 | −16.6% |
| 2018 | 7.92 | +151.8% |
| 2017 Trough | 3.14 | −0.9% |
| 2016 | 3.17 | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 3.15 | — |
Regional context
Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP by country, 2024, Percentage. Saudi Arabia is highlighted.
Data definition
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.
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 2015–2024 and demonstrates a significant structural shift in tax revenue generation over the decade. Tax revenue remained relatively low at 3.15% of GDP in 2015, 3.17% in 2016, and 3.14% in 2017, before increasing sharply to 7.92% in 2018. After moderating to 6.60% in 2019, the ratio strengthened to 7.88% in 2020, reached a decade high of 8.61% in 2021, eased to 6.95% in 2022, and recovered to 7.80% in 2023 and 8.09% in 2024.
The year-wise trend reflects Saudi Arabia's ongoing fiscal reforms and economic diversification initiatives under Vision 2030, including the expansion of non-oil revenue sources and tax policy reforms. The substantial increase in the tax-to-GDP ratio demonstrates the government's success in broadening its domestic revenue base while reducing dependence on hydrocarbon revenues and strengthening fiscal sustainability.
This dataset serves as an important resource for policymakers, economists, financial institutions, investors, researchers, and international organizations evaluating fiscal performance, taxation efficiency, and economic diversification. It supports benchmarking Saudi Arabia against regional and global economies, assessing the effectiveness of fiscal reforms, monitoring long-term revenue trends, forecasting future government income, and analyzing the relationship between taxation, economic growth, and public expenditure. The data also contributes to research on public finance, fiscal resilience, macroeconomic stability, and sustainable economic development.
Overall, the 2015–2024 dataset highlights Saudi Arabia's remarkable progress in strengthening tax revenue relative to GDP through fiscal modernization and revenue diversification. It provides a reliable foundation for fiscal analysis, policy evaluation, investment planning, and long-term economic forecasting.
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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.
Saudi Arabia Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP was 8.09 Percentage in 2024, up 3.7% on 2023.
Saudi Arabia Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP moved from 3.15 Percentage in 2015 to 8.09 Percentage in 2024 (+157.2%), an average of +11.1% a year. The series high was 8.61 Percentage in 2021 and the low 3.14 Percentage in 2017.
The highest value was 8.61 Percentage in 2021 and the lowest was 3.14 Percentage in 2017.
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.
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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