Tax revenue as share of GDP in Kuwait
Kuwait: Tax revenue as share of GDP was 1.2% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
1.2%
Change on year
up 34.4%
World rank
186th
of 187 countries
All-time high
3.7%
in 1981
All-time low
0.1%
in 1992
Years of data
43
1981–2023
Tax revenue as share of GDP in Kuwait, 1981–2023
Source: UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Kuwait recorded 1.2% for tax revenue as share of gdp in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 34.4% on the previous year and up 96.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tax revenue as share of gdp in Kuwait peaked at 3.7% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1992.
Kuwait ranks 186th of 187 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Tax revenue as share of GDP in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 3.7% | — |
| 1982 | 3.4% | -7.1% |
| 1983 | 3.2% | -6.0% |
| 1984 | 3.1% | -3.4% |
| 1985 | 1.9% | -38.1% |
| 1986 | 2.1% | +8.1% |
| 1987 | 1.3% | -39.5% |
| 1988 | 1.2% | -3.0% |
| 1989 | 1.2% | -4.4% |
| 1990 | 1.5% | +30.9% |
| 1991 | 0.3% | -83.4% |
| 1992 | 0.1% | -66.4% |
| 1993 | 1.1% | +1173.2% |
| 1994 | 1.4% | +30.2% |
| 1995 | 1.1% | -19.4% |
| 1996 | 1.0% | -15.8% |
| 1997 | 1.2% | +21.5% |
| 1998 | 1.5% | +27.2% |
| 1999 | 1.3% | -15.2% |
| 2000 | 0.8% | -33.7% |
| 2001 | 0.9% | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 0.9% | +9.2% |
| 2003 | 0.9% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 1.1% | +12.8% |
| 2005 | 1.0% | -8.7% |
| 2006 | 0.8% | -15.4% |
| 2007 | 0.9% | +6.5% |
| 2008 | 0.9% | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 1.1% | +27.3% |
| 2010 | 0.9% | -20.3% |
| 2011 | 0.7% | -22.2% |
| 2012 | 0.6% | -12.7% |
| 2013 | 0.6% | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 0.9% | +42.3% |
| 2015 | 1.2% | +34.3% |
| 2016 | 1.5% | +30.4% |
| 2017 | 1.6% | +8.3% |
| 2018 | 1.4% | -12.5% |
| 2019 | 1.6% | +14.2% |
| 2020 | 1.5% | -10.2% |
| 2021 | 1.1% | -24.1% |
| 2022 | 0.9% | -20.5% |
| 2023 | 1.2% | +34.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.4% | 1.2% | 3.7% | 9 |
| 1990s | 1.0% | 0.1% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.9% | 0.8% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.1% | 0.6% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.2% | 0.9% | 1.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
More economy & growth data for Kuwait
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.82 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.61 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 2.99 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.019 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 614.43 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 413.09 million BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -32.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0026 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 84.91 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 1.99 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tax revenue as share of gdp in Kuwait?
- Tax revenue as share of gdp in Kuwait was 1.2% 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 Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 3.7% in 1981.
- What is the lowest tax revenue as share of gdp recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1992.
- How does Kuwait rank for tax revenue as share of gdp?
- Kuwait ranks 186th out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
- Is tax revenue as share of gdp rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is up 96.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kuwait 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 43 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Direct and indirect taxes as well as social contributions included.