Tax revenue as share of GDP in Ghana
Ghana: Tax revenue as share of GDP was 13.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Tax revenue as share of GDP in Ghana, 1983–2023
Source: UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for tax revenue as share of gdp in Ghana is 13.5%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 41 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.4% on the previous year and up 32.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tax revenue as share of gdp in Ghana peaked at 13.5% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2.0%, in 1983.
That places Ghana 134th out of 187 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.
Tax revenue as share of GDP in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 2.0% | — |
| 1984 | 2.9% | +43.6% |
| 1985 | 3.9% | +35.5% |
| 1986 | 5.0% | +27.0% |
| 1987 | 5.2% | +5.4% |
| 1988 | 5.1% | -2.6% |
| 1989 | 5.1% | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 4.6% | -10.0% |
| 1991 | 5.3% | +15.3% |
| 1992 | 4.2% | -19.6% |
| 1993 | 5.9% | +38.9% |
| 1994 | 7.2% | +21.7% |
| 1995 | 6.5% | -9.2% |
| 1996 | 6.8% | +4.0% |
| 1997 | 6.4% | -5.3% |
| 1998 | 6.9% | +7.5% |
| 1999 | 6.4% | -6.5% |
| 2000 | 7.1% | +9.9% |
| 2001 | 7.5% | +5.9% |
| 2002 | 7.6% | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 8.8% | +15.8% |
| 2004 | 9.8% | +11.0% |
| 2005 | 10.3% | +5.1% |
| 2006 | 9.3% | -9.2% |
| 2007 | 9.7% | +4.0% |
| 2008 | 9.3% | -4.3% |
| 2009 | 8.9% | -3.4% |
| 2010 | 9.8% | +9.0% |
| 2011 | 10.7% | +9.5% |
| 2012 | 10.9% | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 10.2% | -6.5% |
| 2014 | 10.7% | +4.5% |
| 2015 | 11.5% | +8.1% |
| 2016 | 12.1% | +5.0% |
| 2017 | 12.4% | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 12.8% | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 12.5% | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 12.1% | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 13.2% | +9.5% |
| 2022 | 13.1% | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 13.5% | +3.4% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 13.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.9%, 91% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 13.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 13.5%, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4.2% | 2.0% | 5.2% | 7 |
| 1990s | 6.0% | 4.2% | 7.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.8% | 7.1% | 10.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.4% | 9.8% | 12.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.0% | 12.1% | 13.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More economy & growth data for Ghana
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.15 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 5 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 38.84 million BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0003 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 1.11 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 1.91 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 8.08 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0167 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 54.42 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 23.42 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tax revenue as share of gdp in Ghana?
- Tax revenue as share of gdp in Ghana was 13.5% in 2023, 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 Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 13.5% in 2023.
- What is the lowest tax revenue as share of gdp recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.0% in 1983.
- How does Ghana rank for tax revenue as share of gdp?
- Ghana ranks 134th out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
- Is tax revenue as share of gdp rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ghana 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.