Tax revenue in Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago: Tax revenue was 16.8% in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
16.8%
Change on year
down 15.7%
World rank
80th
of 157 countries
All-time high
35.7%
in 1980
All-time low
16.8%
in 2019
Years of data
25
1976–2019

Tax revenue in Trinidad and Tobago, 1976–2019

0102030401976199720191976: 29.6 % of GDP1977: 32.6 % of GDP1978: 28.7 % of GDP1979: 29.2 % of GDP1980: 35.7 % of GDP1981: 34.8 % of GDP2001: 22.1 % of GDP2002: 20.5 % of GDP2003: 21.3 % of GDP2004: 22 % of GDP2005: 26.4 % of GDP2006: 30.3 % of GDP2007: 26 % of GDP2008: 29.5 % of GDP2009: 26.8 % of GDP2010: 26.2 % of GDP2011: 25.6 % of GDP2012: 25 % of GDP2013: 24.3 % of GDP2014: 25 % of GDP2015: 24.7 % of GDP2016: 21.4 % of GDP2017: 18.4 % of GDP2018: 19.9 % of GDP2019: 16.8 % of GDP

Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

The most recent figure for tax revenue in Trinidad and Tobago is 16.8%, measured in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is down 15.7% on the previous year and down 37.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, tax revenue in Trinidad and Tobago peaked at 35.7% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 16.8%, in 2019.

Trinidad and Tobago ranks 80th of 157 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.

Tax revenue in Trinidad and Tobago, year by year

Annual values for Tax revenue (% of GDP) in Trinidad and Tobago, 1976 to 2019.
Year % of GDP Change
1976 29.6%
1977 32.6% +10.2%
1978 28.7% -11.9%
1979 29.2% +1.5%
1980 35.7% +22.2%
1981 34.8% -2.3%
2001 22.1% -36.5%
2002 20.5% -7.5%
2003 21.3% +4.1%
2004 22.0% +3.4%
2005 26.4% +19.8%
2006 30.3% +14.7%
2007 26.0% -14.1%
2008 29.5% +13.4%
2009 26.8% -9.0%
2010 26.2% -2.2%
2011 25.6% -2.3%
2012 25.0% -2.7%
2013 24.3% -2.8%
2014 25.0% +3.2%
2015 24.7% -1.3%
2016 21.4% -13.4%
2017 18.4% -14.0%
2018 19.9% +8.0%
2019 16.8% -15.7%

Trinidad and Tobago compared with similar countries

  • Trinidad and Tobago's 16.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 20.7%, 81% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
  • Trinidad and Tobago's 16.8% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 15.9%, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 30.0% 28.7% 32.6% 4
1980s 35.2% 34.8% 35.7% 2
2000s 25.0% 20.5% 30.3% 9
2010s 22.7% 16.8% 26.2% 10

Countries ranked near Trinidad and Tobago

  1. 77 Marshall Islands 17.2% compare
  2. 78 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 17.0% compare
  3. 79 Mongolia 16.9% compare
  4. 81 Vanuatu 16.5% compare
  5. 82 Romania 16.2% compare
  6. 83 Peru 15.9% compare

See the full ranking of 192 places →

More public sector data for Trinidad and Tobago

All data for Trinidad and Tobago →

Frequently asked questions

What is tax revenue in Trinidad and Tobago?
Tax revenue in Trinidad and Tobago was 16.8% in 2019, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest tax revenue recorded in Trinidad and Tobago?
The highest recorded value was 35.7% in 1980.
What is the lowest tax revenue recorded in Trinidad and Tobago?
The lowest recorded value was 16.8% in 2019.
How does Trinidad and Tobago rank for tax revenue?
Trinidad and Tobago ranks 80th out of 157 countries with data for 2019.
Is tax revenue rising or falling in Trinidad and Tobago?
Over the last ten years it is down 37.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Trinidad and Tobago data come from?
The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Tax revenue (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Tax revenue in Trinidad and Tobago. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/tax-revenue-percent-of-gdp/trinidad-and-tobago/

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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.