– Tax Revenue (% of GDP) refers to the total tax revenue collected by the central government, expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
South Africa Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP was 25.88 Percentage in 2024, up 1.9% on 2023. The Tax Revenue as a Percentage of GDP dataset for South Africa provides a comprehensive overview of the country's tax collection performance relative to economic output, serving as an important indicator of fiscal capacity, government revenue generation, and public finance sustainability. Measured as a Percentage, the dataset spans 2015–2024 and shows consistently high tax revenue throughout the decade.
South Africa Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP moved from 25.05 Percentage in 2015 to 25.88 Percentage in 2024 (+3.3%), an average of +0.4% a year. The series high was 26.02 Percentage in 2022 and the low 23.26 Percentage in 2020.
The gap between the series high (2022) and low (2020) is 2.75 Percentage. The sharpest single-year move was +11.5% in 2021.
Among the 27 countries in this dataset, South Africa ranks 4 for 2024, behind Denmark (33.36 Percentage) and Sweden (27.23 Percentage). It accounts for 187.2% 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 | 25.88 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 25.40 | −2.4% |
| 2022Peak | 26.02 | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 25.95 | +11.5% |
| 2020 Trough | 23.26 | −6.4% |
| 2019 | 24.87 | −0.1% |
| 2018 | 24.89 | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 24.77 | −0.2% |
| 2016 | 24.83 | −0.9% |
| 2015 | 25.05 | — |
Regional context
Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP by country, 2024, Percentage. South Africa 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.
Tax revenue stood at 25.05% of GDP in 2015, remained close to 25% through 2019, declined to 23.26% in 2020, and recovered strongly to 25.95% in 2021. The ratio reached 26.02% in 2022, moderated slightly to 25.40% in 2023, and increased again to 25.88% in 2024.
The year-wise trend reflects South Africa's resilient fiscal framework and recovery in government revenue following pandemic-related economic disruptions. Despite temporary declines during periods of slower economic activity, the consistently elevated tax-to-GDP ratio demonstrates the government's strong ability to mobilize domestic revenue for financing healthcare, education, infrastructure, social protection, and public services while maintaining fiscal sustainability.
This dataset is valuable for policymakers, economists, financial institutions, investors, researchers, and international organizations evaluating fiscal performance, taxation efficiency, and macroeconomic stability. It supports benchmarking South Africa against regional and global economies, assessing the impact of tax policy reforms, monitoring long-term fiscal trends, forecasting future government revenue, and analyzing the relationship between taxation, economic growth, and public expenditure. The data also contributes to research on public finance, fiscal resilience, government budgeting, and sustainable economic development.
Overall, the 2015–2024 dataset highlights South Africa's consistently strong tax revenue performance relative to GDP, with a notable recovery after 2020. It provides a reliable foundation for fiscal analysis, policy development, investment planning, and long-term economic forecasting while supporting evidence-based decision-making in public finance.
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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.
South Africa Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP was 25.88 Percentage in 2024, up 1.9% on 2023.
South Africa Tax Revenue as Percentage of GDP moved from 25.05 Percentage in 2015 to 25.88 Percentage in 2024 (+3.3%), an average of +0.4% a year. The series high was 26.02 Percentage in 2022 and the low 23.26 Percentage in 2020.
The highest value was 26.02 Percentage in 2022 and the lowest was 23.26 Percentage in 2020.
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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