Tax revenue as share of GDP in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Tax revenue as share of GDP was 6.8% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Tax revenue as share of GDP in Afghanistan, 2003–2020
Source: UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 6.8% for tax revenue as share of gdp in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 19.2% on the previous year and down 29.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tax revenue as share of gdp in Afghanistan peaked at 10.2% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 2.5%, in 2003.
Afghanistan ranks 176th of 192 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.
Tax revenue as share of GDP in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 2.5% | — |
| 2004 | 4.1% | +62.2% |
| 2005 | 4.7% | +14.5% |
| 2006 | 7.1% | +52.4% |
| 2007 | 6.1% | -14.8% |
| 2008 | 6.2% | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 8.7% | +40.5% |
| 2010 | 9.6% | +10.2% |
| 2011 | 9.4% | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 8.0% | -15.1% |
| 2013 | 7.5% | -5.1% |
| 2014 | 7.1% | -5.4% |
| 2015 | 7.9% | +10.3% |
| 2016 | 9.8% | +24.9% |
| 2017 | 10.2% | +3.6% |
| 2018 | 9.2% | -10.0% |
| 2019 | 8.4% | -8.8% |
| 2020 | 6.8% | -19.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.6% | 2.5% | 8.7% | 7 |
| 2010s | 8.7% | 7.1% | 10.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.8% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
- 173 Central African Republic 7.2% compare
- 174 Nigeria 7.2% compare
- 175 Yemen 7.0% compare
- 177 Palestine, State of 6.6% compare
- 178 Myanmar 6.4% compare
- 179 Sierra Leone 6.3% compare
More economy & growth data for Afghanistan
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP -8.59 Percent per annum (2022)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP -6.24 Percent per annum (2022)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 30.79 million BoP, current US$ (2021)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0022 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2021)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 0.7698 BoP, current US$ per person (2021)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 20.60 million BoP, current US$ (2021)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 58.83 % change on previous year (2021)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0014 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2021)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 0.515 BoP, current US$ per person (2021)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 14.73 % change on previous year (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tax revenue as share of gdp in Afghanistan?
- Tax revenue as share of gdp in Afghanistan was 6.8% in 2020, according to UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest tax revenue as share of gdp recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 10.2% in 2017.
- What is the lowest tax revenue as share of gdp recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.5% in 2003.
- How does Afghanistan rank for tax revenue as share of gdp?
- Afghanistan ranks 176th out of 192 countries with data for 2020.
- Is tax revenue as share of gdp rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Tax revenue as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Direct and indirect taxes as well as social contributions included.