South Africa vs Sweden: Tax revenue

South Africa
25.9%
in 2024
Sweden
27.2%
in 2024
South Africa rank
10th
Sweden rank
8th

Tax revenue over time

  • South Africa
  • Sweden
0102030197219982024

How they compare

Sweden currently reports 27.2% against 25.9% in South Africa, a difference of 1.3%.

That makes Sweden's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.

The two have swapped places 6 times across 53 shared years of data; in 1972 it was Sweden ahead.

South Africa ranks 10th and Sweden ranks 8th of 157 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 1 and Sweden in 5.

Head to head by decade

Decade South Africa Sweden Difference Ahead
1970s 16.4% 18.1% 1.8% Sweden
1980s 19.5% 18.8% 0.7% South Africa
1990s 20.7% 23.0% 2.4% Sweden
2000s 22.4% 28.6% 6.1% Sweden
2010s 24.1% 27.6% 3.5% Sweden
2020s 25.3% 27.6% 2.3% Sweden

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher tax revenue, South Africa or Sweden?
Sweden, at 27.2% against 25.9% in South Africa as of 2024.
What is the difference in tax revenue between South Africa and Sweden?
1.3%, with Sweden ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sweden?
53 years are reported by both, from 1972 to 2024.
How do South Africa and Sweden rank globally for tax revenue?
South Africa ranks 10th and Sweden ranks 8th of 157 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as Tax revenue (% of GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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South Africa vs Sweden: Tax revenue. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/tax-revenue-percent-of-gdp/south-africa/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
Tax revenue (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
192 places, 5,672 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

Taxes are compulsory, unrequited payments, in cash or in kind, made by institutional units to government units. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.