A newly-released report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has revealed that the tax burden in Sweden stood at 42.8 percent in 2013, placing it fifth in the ranking of the OECD's 34 member countries around the world.
At 42.8 percent, Sweden’s tax-to-GDP ratio has kept a relatively stable overall rate in recent years. The figure was 42.3 percent in both 2012 and 2011 while the 2010 tax burden rate was measured to be 43.1 percent.
Sweden's Scandinavian cousins Denmark topped the chart for the most taxed country with a figure of 48.6 percent – 5.8 percentage points higher than across the border in Sweden. Next up was France (45 percent) and Belgium (44.5 percent) while Nordic neighbours Finland were placed fourth with a rating of 44 percent.
The annual study produced by Paris-based OECD since 1965 collects data on government sector receipts, and on taxes in particular, presenting a set of comparable tax data.
According to the OECD, overall taxation among the world’s top economies rose to the highest level in six years in 2013.
Tax receipts collected by OECD countries went from an average of 33.7 percent of GDP in 2012 to 34.1 in 2013.
In late October, Sweden's new coalition government unveiled its budget and pledged to raise taxes to increase funding for public jobs, education, infrastructure, and unemployment benefits.
However, its first budget failed to get through parliament and a snap election has been called for March 2015.
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