In the current economic context, the Italian tax system is among the highest in the world. In 2023, Italy recorded a tax burden of 42.8%, keeping this figure unchanged compared to the previous year. This figure remains significantly above the OECD average, set at 33.9%.
According to the latest statistics on tax revenue published by the OECD, Italy ranks third among the members of the organization. France leads the ranking with a tax burden of 43.8%, followed by Denmark at 43.4%.
The OECD highlights that in 2023 the average level of tax revenues among member countries remained broadly stable. This was the result of governments' efforts to alleviate the burden of the cost of living, despite the growing difficulties related to climate change expenditure and population ageing. In detail, the Revenue Statistics 2024 survey shows a slight decline in the average tax burden in the OECD block compared to previous years. In 2023, the tax-to-GDP ratio increased in 18 of the 36 countries analyzed, while it decreased in 17 of them and remained unchanged in Italy.
Among the countries that have seen the most significant increases in tax burden are Luxembourg, Colombia and Turkey, with increases of at least 2.5 percentage points. On the other hand, the countries that have seen the largest reductions include Israel, South Korea and Chile, with decreases of more than 3 percentage points. Interestingly, Mexico has the lowest tax burden in the OECD, at 17.7%. With this information in mind, one can observe how the management of fiscal policies in various countries is evolving in response to global economic challenges. While Italy continues to maintain a high fiscal pressure compared to its European and non-European counterparts, it remains to be seen how future fiscal policies and government measures will influence this scenario in the coming years.
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