The table illustrates the proportions of tax revenue (as % of GDP) across five nations over a-four-decade period, from 1975 to 2005.
Overall, the amount of tax collected in all five countries exhibited an upward trend over the period shown. Additionally, tax revenues in Sweden had been consistently by far the highest rates throughout, while that of the USA remained relatively stable.
It is noticeable that in nations showing clear increases in tax revenues, Sweden dominated the rankings and demonstrated the most striking upward pattern among the surveyed countries, commencing at 46%, which was significantly higher than that of Japan, at only 15%. The figure for Sweden subsequently increased slightly to 47%, before soaring to 51% in 1995 and 70.1% in 2005. This was followed by Japan with a more moderate rise of 7% in 1995, this figure then ascended to 32.1% in the final year, more than doubling its initial percentage.
With respect to the remaining countries, the USA’s figures were consistently second-highest and plateaued over the time frame, starting at 25.1% and ending with 27.4%, showing the most minimal variation of only 2.3% among all five nations. Meanwhile, Korea witnessed more remarkable increases in its tax revenues, with its initial number of only 15.1%, then it surged to 27% in 1985 and decreased slightly to 26% in 1995, before recovering to 27.3% at the end of the period. Finally, Turkey was the only country to see a decline in tax revenues in the first decade, dropping from 16.4% to 15%. This figure then recovered and rose to 24% in 1995, and continued to climb to 27.4% by 2005.