WealthPercentile › Tax by country

Tax by country: how much do people pay around the world?

Type a salary and see the tax on it in 30 countries, how fast tax rises with income, and how the rest of each tax system compares: total tax burden, VAT, corporate tax and taxes on dividends, capital gains, wealth and inheritance. Rules for 2026.

Short answer: measured by all the tax a country collects, Denmark (45.2% of GDP), France and Austria have the highest taxes in the OECD, and Mexico the lowest (18.3%); the OECD average is 34.1%. For a worker on the average wage, income tax and social security take the largest share of labour costs in Belgium (52.5%) and the smallest in Chile (7.5%; Colombia shows 0% because its compulsory contributions are not counted as tax). On $75,000, an employee pays the most in Turkey (39%) and the least in the United Arab Emirates (0%). The United Arab Emirates, Monaco and the Gulf states have no personal income tax.

Tax on the same salary in 30 countries

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On 75,000 USD, the total tax rate is highest in Turkey (39%) and lowest in the United Arab Emirates (0%).

Income tax (national and local) plus the employee’s social security contributions, as a share of gross pay, for a single employee with no children. The salary is converted at market exchange rates.

Income taxSocial security (employee)

Turkey39%
Poland39%
Italy39%
Germany39%
Portugal38%
Denmark34%
Finland33%
Austria33%
France33%
South Africa31%
Spain31%
Nigeria29%
Netherlands29%
Japan29%
India28%
Ireland27%
New Zealand27%
Sweden27%
Brazil27%
Mexico27%
Canada26%
Norway26%
United Kingdom23%
Singapore23%
Australia23%
Thailand19%
United States18%
Switzerland17%
Hong Kong12%
United Arab Emirates0%

Show the numbers: salary in local currency, income tax, social security, marginal rate and take-home pay

Country	Salary there	Income tax	Social security	Total tax	Marginal rate	Take-home pay (USD)
Turkey	3,687,977 TRY	24.8%	14.5%	39.3%	36%	45,549 USD
Poland	293,381 PLN	18.0%	21.1%	39.1%	42%	45,668 USD
Italy	66,928 EUR	29.5%	9.3%	38.8%	51%	45,882 USD
Germany	66,928 EUR	16.9%	21.8%	38.7%	50%	46,002 USD
Portugal	66,928 EUR	26.7%	11.0%	37.7%	51%	46,719 USD
Denmark	500,297 DKK	25.6%	8.2%	33.8%	41%	49,662 USD
Finland	66,928 EUR	23.4%	10.1%	33.4%	51%	49,922 USD
Austria	66,928 EUR	15.1%	17.9%	33.1%	47%	50,195 USD
France	66,928 EUR	11.9%	20.6%	32.5%	42%	50,598 USD
South Africa	1,239,983 ZAR	31.2%	0.2%	31.4%	41%	51,483 USD
Spain	66,928 EUR	24.7%	6.0%	30.7%	43%	51,998 USD
Nigeria	121,309,120 NGN	21.3%	8.0%	29.3%	31%	53,030 USD
Netherlands	66,928 EUR	12.9%	16.1%	29.0%	50%	53,257 USD
Japan	11,869,088 JPY	17.1%	11.6%	28.6%	37%	53,529 USD
India	7,254,808 INR	27.3%	0.3%	27.6%	34%	54,270 USD
Ireland	66,928 EUR	20.9%	6.5%	27.4%	47%	54,439 USD
New Zealand	133,596 NZD	25.4%	1.8%	27.2%	35%	54,620 USD
Sweden	747,423 SEK	20.6%	6.3%	26.9%	52%	54,824 USD
Brazil	375,375 BRL	23.4%	3.4%	26.8%	27%	54,875 USD
Mexico	1,365,005 MXN	24.6%	2.1%	26.8%	32%	54,929 USD
Canada	106,697 CAD	20.7%	5.4%	26.2%	31%	55,387 USD
Norway	717,172 NOK	18.0%	7.6%	25.6%	34%	55,805 USD
United Kingdom	56,731 GBP	17.8%	5.5%	23.4%	42%	57,457 USD
Singapore	96,029 SGD	3.2%	20.0%	23.2%	7%	57,616 USD
Australia	107,434 AUD	21.2%	2.0%	23.2%	32%	57,618 USD
Thailand	2,514,769 THB	18.6%	0.4%	19.0%	30%	60,721 USD
United States	75,000 USD	10.2%	7.6%	17.9%	30%	61,592 USD
Switzerland	62,330 CHF	8.1%	9.3%	17.4%	27%	61,940 USD
Hong Kong	588,569 HKD	9.2%	3.1%	12.3%	17%	65,781 USD
United Arab Emirates	275,437 AED	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0%	75,000 USD

Marginal rate = the share of a 1% raise that goes to tax and social security. Click a column to sort.

How tax rises with income

Total tax rate on salaries from zero to four times the amount above. Steep curves mean progressive systems; flat ones mean a flat tax or a cap on social security.

More: the salary around the world calculator adds buying power and your rank in each country, and the lowest-tax countries to live in covers zero-tax places and special regimes for newcomers.

Employment taxes by country: what workers and employers pay

Taxes on a job come from two sides. The worker pays income tax and their own social security contributions; the employer pays its share of social security (payroll tax) on top of the salary. The OECD’s tax wedge adds them up as a share of the employer’s total cost, for a single person without children on the national average wage.

Income taxEmployee social securityEmployer social security

Belgium52.5%
Germany49.3%
France47.2%
Austria47.1%
Italy45.8%
Slovenia45.3%
Slovakia42.7%
Estonia42.6%
Finland42.5%
Spain41.4%
Hungary41.2%
Czechia41.2%
Sweden41.1%
Turkey40.3%
Luxembourg40.2%
Latvia40.1%
Lithuania39.8%
Portugal39.3%
Greece39.3%
Norway36.4%
Netherlands35.9%
Denmark35.8%
OECD average35.1%
Poland35.0%
Japan33.1%
Ireland32.6%
United Kingdom32.4%
Canada32.1%
Iceland31.5%
United States30.0%
Australia27.9%
Costa Rica27.7%
South Korea24.8%
Switzerland23.0%
Mexico21.7%
New Zealand20.8%
Chile7.5%
Colombia0.0%

Employers pay the most on top of wages in France (36% of the gross wage), Czechia (34%) and Estonia (34%). In Norway the employer’s contribution (arbeidsgiveravgift) works out at 13% of the gross wage at the average wage, while Denmark (1%) and New Zealand (0%) charge employers almost nothing and collect more through income tax instead.

Single worker, 100% of the average wage, 2025. Source: OECD, Taxing Wages 2026. The OECD average is 35.1%. Colombia shows 0% because its compulsory pension and health contributions go to funds outside the OECD’s definition of tax. Employer contributions are derived from the OECD’s tax wedge and employee figures; statutory rates can differ (in Norway 14.1% in most of the country, lower in some regions).

Show the table: average wage, tax wedge and what the employee pays

Country	Average wage	Tax wedge	Employee pays (income tax + social security)	Employer social security (% of gross wage)
Belgium	62,348 EUR	52.5%	39.5%	27.4%
Germany	66,700 EUR	49.3%	38.7%	20.9%
France	45,964 EUR	47.2%	28.0%	36.4%
Austria	63,054 EUR	47.1%	32.5%	27.6%
Italy	36,594 EUR	45.8%	28.6%	31.7%
Slovenia	30,135 EUR	45.3%	36.2%	16.6%
Slovakia	19,590 EUR	42.7%	24.3%	32.1%
Estonia	25,603 EUR	42.6%	23.2%	33.8%
Finland	55,462 EUR	42.5%	30.7%	20.5%
Spain	32,678 EUR	41.4%	23.5%	30.5%
Hungary	8,455,487 HUF	41.2%	33.5%	13.1%
Czechia	584,744 CZK	41.2%	21.3%	33.8%
Sweden	557,053 SEK	41.1%	22.6%	31.4%
Turkey	833,120 TRY	40.3%	29.3%	18.4%
Luxembourg	77,844 EUR	40.2%	32.0%	13.7%
Latvia	21,321 EUR	40.1%	26.0%	23.5%
Lithuania	28,474 EUR	39.8%	38.7%	1.8%
Portugal	24,254 EUR	39.3%	24.9%	23.7%
Greece	26,563 EUR	39.3%	26.1%	21.7%
Norway	801,695 NOK	36.4%	28.1%	13.1%
Netherlands	69,028 EUR	35.9%	27.9%	12.5%
Denmark	537,071 DKK	35.8%	35.3%	0.8%
Poland	105,738 PLN	35.0%	24.4%	16.3%
Japan	5,703,038 JPY	33.1%	22.6%	15.7%
Ireland	60,258 EUR	32.6%	25.1%	11.1%
United Kingdom	55,983 GBP	32.4%	23.1%	13.8%
Canada	92,401 CAD	32.1%	25.6%	9.6%
Iceland	12,433,527 ISK	31.5%	27.2%	6.3%
United States	73,520 USD	30.0%	24.3%	8.1%
Australia	108,674 AUD	27.9%	23.5%	6.1%
Costa Rica	10,340,494 CRC	27.7%	9.8%	24.8%
South Korea	56,749,797 KRW	24.8%	16.5%	11.0%
Switzerland	100,715 CHF	23.0%	18.1%	6.4%
Mexico	219,608 MXN	21.7%	13.2%	10.9%
New Zealand	83,073 NZD	20.8%	20.8%	0.0%
Chile	14,201,852 CLP	7.5%	7.1%	0.4%
Colombia	31,542,293 COP	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%

Which countries have the highest taxes overall?

Total tax revenue as a share of GDP adds up every tax a country collects, including social security contributions, VAT and corporate tax. It is the standard measure of a country’s overall tax level.

Highest

Denmark45.2%
France43.5%
Austria43.4%
Italy42.8%
Belgium42.6%
Finland42.2%
Luxembourg41.5%
Sweden41.4%
Norway40.2%
Greece39.8%
Netherlands38.5%
Croatia38.4%
Slovenia38.3%
Germany38%
Cyprus37.6%

Lowest

Bangladesh6.7%
Niger7.2%
Nigeria8.2%
Pakistan10.5%
Indonesia11.8%
Uganda12.7%
Egypt13%
Cambodia13%
Malaysia13%
Hong Kong13.1%
Singapore13.4%
Côte d’Ivoire13.9%
Ghana14.6%
Kenya15.6%
Rwanda16%

Low numbers in poorer countries usually reflect a small formal economy rather than low tax rates. Norway’s figure includes petroleum taxes; Ireland’s is low partly because multinational profits inflate its GDP.

Tax revenue including social security contributions, % of GDP, latest year (2023–2024). Sources: OECD Revenue Statistics 2025 and the OECD Global Revenue Statistics Database; Cyprus from Eurostat. Not covered: Algeria, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Nepal, Russia, Taiwan, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates.

Every tax at a glance

Headline rates for 2026 in 77 countries. Click a column to sort; country names link to the wealth and income figures for that country.

Country	Top income tax	Corporate tax	VAT / sales tax	Dividends	Capital gains (shares)	Wealth tax	Inheritance tax	Tax / GDP	ITCI rank
Algeria	–	26%	19%	15%	15%	Yes	5%	–	–
Argentina	35%	35%	21%	7%	0%	Yes	Yes	27.6%	–
Australia	45%	30%	10%	24.3%	23.5%	No	No	29.9%	8
Austria	55%	23%	20%	27.5%	27.5%	No	No	43.4%	18
Bangladesh	30%	27.5%	15%	15%	15%	No	No	6.7%	–
Belgium	53.5%	25%	21%	30%	10%	No	30%	42.6%	27
Brazil	27.5%	34%	–	10%	15%	No	8%	33.7%	–
Bulgaria	10%	10%	20%	5%	10%	No	Children exempt	30.5%	–
Cambodia	20%	20%	10%	–	20%	–	No	13%	–
Canada	33%	26%	5%	39.3%	26.8%	No	No	34.9%	15
Chile	40%	27%	19%	40%	40%	No	25%	20.5%	24
China	45%	25%	13%	20%	0%	No	No	19.5%	–
Colombia	39%	35%	19%	20%	15%	Yes	15%	19.9%	37
Costa Rica	25%	30%	13%	15%	15%	–	No	24.8%	14
Croatia	33%	18%	25%	12%	12%	No	Children exempt	38.4%	–
Cyprus	35%	15%	19%	5%	0%	No	No	37.6%	–
Czechia	23%	21%	21%	23%	0%	No	No	34%	7
Côte d’Ivoire	32%	25%	18%	–	–	–	–	13.9%	–
Denmark	60.5%	22%	25%	42%	42%	No	15%	45.2%	31
Egypt	27.5%	22.5%	14%	5%	10%	No	No	13%	–
Estonia	22%	22%	24%	0%	22%	No	No	35.2%	1
Ethiopia	35%	30%	15%	15%	15%	No	No	–	–
Finland	45%	20%	25.5%	28.9%	34%	No	19%	42.2%	22
France	55.4%	25.8%	20%	34%	34%	No	45%	43.5%	38
Germany	47.5%	30.1%	19%	26.4%	26.4%	No	30%	38%	19
Ghana	35%	25%	20%	8%	25%	–	No	14.6%	–
Greece	44%	22%	24%	5%	0%	No	10%	39.8%	23
Hong Kong	16%	16.5%	0%	0%	0%	No	No	13.1%	–
Hungary	15%	9%	27%	15%	15%	No	Children exempt	34.4%	10
Iceland	46.3%	20%	24%	22%	22%	No	10%	36.9%	34
India	39%	30%	18%	35.9%	14.9%	No	No	–	–
Indonesia	35%	22%	12%	10%	0.1%	No	No	11.8%	–
Iran	–	25%	10%	–	–	–	–	–	–
Ireland	48%	12.5%	23%	51%	33%	No	33%	21.7%	29
Italy	47.2%	27.8%	22%	26%	26%	No	4%	42.8%	36
Japan	45%	29.7%	10%	20.3%	20.3%	No	55%	33.7%	28
Kenya	35%	30%	16%	5%	15%	–	–	15.6%	–
Latvia	36%	20%	21%	0%	28.5%	No	No	34.9%	2
Lithuania	32%	17%	21%	15%	20%	No	Children exempt	33.1%	5
Luxembourg	45.8%	23.9%	17%	21%	0%	No	Children exempt	41.5%	6
Malaysia	30%	24%	10%	2%	0%	No	No	13%	–
Malta	35%	35%	18%	0%	0%	No	No	28.7%	–
Mexico	35%	30%	16%	17.1%	10%	No	No	18.3%	21
Morocco	37%	35%	20%	12.5%	15%	–	–	30.4%	–
Nepal	–	25%	13%	–	7.5%	–	–	–	–
Netherlands	49.5%	25.8%	21%	36%	36%	No	20%	38.5%	16
New Zealand	39%	28%	15%	15.3%	0%	–	No	32.9%	3
Niger	–	30%	19%	–	–	–	–	7.2%	–
Nigeria	25%	30%	7.5%	10%	25%	No	No	8.2%	–
Norway	39.6%	22%	25%	37.8%	37.8%	Yes	No	40.2%	20
Pakistan	35%	29%	18%	15%	15%	–	No	10.5%	–
Peru	30%	29.5%	18%	5%	5%	–	–	16.3%	–
Philippines	35%	25%	12%	10%	0.1%	–	6%	18.1%	–
Poland	36%	19%	23%	19%	19%	No	Children exempt	36.6%	32
Portugal	53%	29.5%	23%	28%	19.6%	No	Children exempt	35.1%	33
Romania	10%	16%	21%	16%	3%	No	No	26.7%	–
Russia	22%	25%	22%	15%	15%	No	No	–	–
Rwanda	30%	28%	18%	15%	0%	No	No	16%	–
Senegal	43%	30%	18%	–	–	No	No	19.3%	–
Singapore	24%	17%	9%	0%	0%	No	No	13.4%	–
Slovakia	35%	24%	23%	7%	0%	No	No	35.6%	12
Slovenia	50%	22%	22%	25%	0%	No	Children exempt	38.3%	25
South Africa	45%	27%	15%	20%	18%	No	25%	26.5%	–
South Korea	45%	27.5%	10%	44.5%	0%	No	50%	25.3%	26
Spain	54%	25%	21%	30%	30%	Yes	34%	36.7%	35
Sweden	52.3%	20.6%	25%	30%	30%	No	No	41.4%	13
Switzerland	39.7%	19.6%	8.1%	22.2%	0%	Yes	Children exempt	27.2%	4
Taiwan	40%	20%	5%	28%	0%	No	20%	–	–
Tanzania	30%	30%	18%	5%	0%	No	No	–	–
Thailand	35%	20%	7%	10%	0%	No	5%	17.1%	–
Turkey	40.8%	25%	20%	20%	0%	No	10%	24%	9
Uganda	40%	30%	18%	10%	0%	–	No	12.7%	–
United Arab Emirates	0%	9%	5%	0%	0%	No	No	–	–
United Kingdom	45%	25%	20%	39.4%	24%	No	40%	34.4%	30
United States	37%	25.6%	–	23.8%	23.8%	No	40%	25.6%	17
Uruguay	36%	25%	22%	–	12%	Yes	No	27.3%	–
Vietnam	35%	20%	10%	5%	0.1%	No	10%	17.2%	–

Top income tax: in Europe the combined top rate on salaries including local taxes (Tax Foundation); elsewhere the headline national rate (PwC), with state or local taxes on top in countries such as the United States, Canada, Japan and South Korea. Corporate tax: combined statutory rate. VAT: standard rate. Dividends and capital gains: top rate for individuals on listed shares. Inheritance tax: top rate for children where one applies. ITCI: Tax Foundation’s International Tax Competitiveness Index 2026, OECD countries only. A dash means no reliable figure.

Which tax system is the most competitive?

Tax Foundation’s International Tax Competitiveness Index scores the 38 OECD tax systems on how they tax companies, people, consumption, property and cross-border income: lower and simpler taxes with fewer distortions score higher. It is a ranking of tax design, not of how much tax people pay.

Estonia ranks first mainly because companies pay no tax on profits they keep in the business, and personal income is taxed at one flat rate. A good rank does not mean low taxes: Estonia collects 35.2% of GDP in tax, above the OECD average of 34.1%, while France, in last place, collects 43.5%. Norway ranks 20th.

Score from 0 to 100, with the best-scoring country at 100; ranks are the official ones. Israel (11th, 75.1) is in the index but not on this site. Source: Tax Foundation, International Tax Competitiveness Index 2026.

Show the ranks for each part of the tax system

#	Country	Score	Corporate	Individual	Consumption	Property	Cross-border
1	Estonia	100.0	2	1	24	1	7
2	Latvia	92.5	1	8	22	4	6
3	New Zealand	88.2	31	7	1	8	14
4	Switzerland	86.8	7	9	4	36	2
5	Lithuania	82.6	3	10	23	6	16
6	Luxembourg	81.9	20	21	7	15	5
7	Czechia	79.4	9	4	32	5	11
8	Australia	78.9	29	14	9	3	23
9	Turkey	76.0	21	6	15	22	8
10	Hungary	75.6	5	3	38	23	4
12	Slovakia	74.7	24	2	33	7	17
13	Sweden	74.6	6	18	26	9	12
14	Costa Rica	73.3	35	13	6	11	29
15	Canada	72.2	17	28	8	25	28
16	Netherlands	71.6	23	30	14	20	3
17	United States	71.2	8	17	3	27	37
18	Austria	70.9	18	27	17	17	10
19	Germany	69.2	30	34	13	12	9
20	Norway	67.5	15	29	27	16	15
21	Mexico	66.9	28	26	12	2	38
22	Finland	66.2	10	24	28	21	24
23	Greece	65.9	22	5	29	30	19
24	Chile	65.2	32	23	10	13	36
25	Slovenia	64.5	14	12	30	24	30
26	South Korea	63.8	26	38	2	31	34
27	Belgium	63.5	16	15	25	28	21
28	Japan	62.3	36	35	5	26	31
29	Ireland	62.2	4	36	35	18	27
30	United Kingdom	61.9	25	22	34	33	1
31	Denmark	61.6	19	37	20	14	32
32	Poland	61.2	12	11	36	29	25
33	Portugal	59.6	34	19	21	19	33
34	Iceland	59.0	13	32	19	34	26
35	Spain	57.5	33	20	18	35	20
36	Italy	50.8	27	16	37	38	22
37	Colombia	47.3	37	25	16	37	35
38	France	45.7	38	33	31	32	13

VAT and sales tax

The standard rate of value-added tax (or GST) on most goods and services. Many countries have lower rates for food, books or transport.

Highest

Lowest

The United States has no national VAT: states and cities charge sales tax instead, 7.53% on average. Hong Kong has no VAT at all.

Corporate tax

The statutory tax rate on company profits, including local taxes where they apply. Since 2024, the OECD’s global minimum tax lets countries top up the tax of large multinationals (revenue above €750 million) to at least 15%.

Highest

Lowest

Tax on dividends, capital gains, wealth and inheritance

For savers and investors, these taxes can matter more than the income tax rate.

Highest top tax rate on dividends

Lowest (above zero)

No personal tax on dividends: Estonia, Hong Kong, Latvia, Malta, Singapore, United Arab Emirates. Estonia and Latvia tax the company instead when it pays out profits, and Malta credits the company’s tax in full. Cyprus charges 5% on dividends paid from profits earned from 2026 and 17% on older profits.

Countries with an annual wealth tax

Algeria: 0.15–1% on net assets above DZD 100 million.
Argentina: Bienes personales: 0.5–1% on worldwide assets above ARS 384.7 million, falling to 0.25% by 2027.
Colombia: 0.5–1.5% on net wealth above 72,000 UVT (about COP 3.8 billion).
Norway: 1.0% of net wealth above NOK 1.9 million and 1.1% above NOK 21.5 million (thresholds doubled for married couples).
Spain: Regional rates of 0.16–3.5% (several regions give full relief below €3 million), plus a national solidarity tax of 1.7–3.5% above €3 million.
Switzerland: Every canton taxes net wealth each year; rates and allowances vary by canton (in Zurich the basic rates run from 0.05% to 0.3% before cantonal and municipal multipliers).
Uruguay: 0.1% for residents on net wealth located in Uruguay above about USD 160,000.

Some countries tax parts of wealth: France taxes real estate above €1.3 million (0.5–1.5%), Belgium charges 0.15% a year on securities accounts above €1 million, Italy taxes foreign financial assets and property, and the Netherlands taxes a deemed return on savings and investments.

Where children inherit tax-free

Of the 70 countries with data, these have no inheritance or estate tax, or exempt children from it: Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland (most cantons), Tanzania, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay.

No inheritance tax is not always tax-free: Canada taxes unrealised capital gains at death, and in Australia and several other countries the heir pays capital gains tax on the full gain when selling. In Norway heirs take over the original cost of shares and most other assets; homes and cabins that could have been sold tax-free get market value instead.

How the numbers are made

Tax on a salary is calculated with each country’s 2026 rules for a single employee with no children and standard deductions: income tax (national and local) plus the employee’s compulsory social security contributions. Employer contributions are not included. Local taxes use one region per country (the United States: no state income tax, as in Texas or Florida; Switzerland: the city of Zurich; Canada: Ontario). Switzerland includes the compulsory occupational pension and Singapore the employee’s CPF contribution, which are partly the employee’s own savings.

The tax wedge and tax revenue as a share of GDP are the OECD’s own figures, not our calculations. The OECD includes employer contributions and, for the United States, average state and local income taxes, so its numbers are higher than the calculator above.

Headline rates (corporate tax, VAT, dividends, capital gains, inheritance and wealth taxes) come from Tax Foundation, PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries, the OECD and national tax authorities, one source per value, checked 2026-10-20. They are top statutory rates; what people pay depends on allowances, exemptions and their situation.

This page is general information, not tax advice.

Questions

Which country has the highest taxes?

Denmark collects the most tax relative to the size of its economy among OECD countries (45.2% of GDP), followed by France and Austria. Of the countries here, the highest top income tax rate is in Denmark (60.5%).

Which country has the lowest taxes?

The United Arab Emirates, Monaco, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and a few Caribbean islands have no personal income tax. Among OECD countries, Mexico has the lowest overall tax level (18.3% of GDP).

Are taxes higher in Europe than in the United States?

Yes, overall. Tax revenue is 25.6% of GDP in the United States against an OECD average of 34.1%, and 21 of the 31 European countries collect more than 35%. The difference is largest in social security contributions and VAT: the United States has no national VAT.

Does Norway have high taxes?

Norway collects 40.2% of GDP in tax (including petroleum taxes), the 9th highest in the OECD and above the average of 34.1%; Denmark is highest at 45.2%. On a salary of 600,000 kroner the employee pays about 24% in income tax and social security. With Spain and Switzerland, Norway is one of three countries in the EU and European OECD with an annual tax on net wealth.

What is the difference between the average and the marginal tax rate?

The average rate is total tax divided by total income. The marginal rate is the tax on the next unit of income, which is what matters for a raise or extra hours. In progressive systems the marginal rate is well above the average.

Sources

Salary tax: each country’s 2026 tax rules, with sources listed on salary around the world. Top income tax rates: Tax Foundation (Europe) and PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries. Tax levels and the tax wedge: OECD Revenue Statistics 2025, the OECD Global Revenue Statistics Database and Taxing Wages 2026. Competitiveness: Tax Foundation, International Tax Competitiveness Index 2026. Other rates: Tax Foundation, PwC, the OECD, EY and national tax authorities.

All 135 sources, one per figure