The table illustrates the proportion of tax collected as a percentage of GDP in five countries – Sweden, the USA, Korea, Japan, and Turkey – over a 30-year period from 1975 to 2005.
Overall, Sweden consistently collected the highest taxes throughout the period, whereas Korea and Japan started with the lowest percentages in 1975 but showed significant growth by 2005. The USA maintained a relatively stable level of tax collection, and Turkey experienced moderate growth over the years.
In 1975, Sweden had a markedly high tax-to-GDP ratio of 46%, which increased gradually to 47% in 1985 and 51% in 1995, before surging to 70.1% by 2005. In contrast, the USA’s tax collection remained almost unchanged, ranging from 25.1% in 1975 to 27.4% in 2005. Korea experienced a dramatic rise from 15.1% in 1975 to 27% in 1985, although it slightly decreased to 26% in 1995, before edging up to 27.3% in 2005.
Japan and Turkey also witnessed significant increases over the period. Japan’s tax percentage rose steadily from 15% in 1975 to 32.1% in 2005, while Turkey started at 16.4% in 1975, dipped slightly to 15% in 1985, and then climbed steadily to 27.4% in 2005, aligning with the USA’s figure by the end of the period.
In summary, Sweden’s tax collection was the highest and showed a sharp upward trend, whereas the USA’s remained stable, and the other three countries displayed notable growth, particularly Japan and Korea.