Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services was 5.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
5.6%
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
125th
of 187 countries
All-time high
6.6%
in 2021
All-time low
1.0%
in 2016
Years of data
8
2016–2023
Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in Saudi Arabia, 2016–2023
Source: UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Saudi Arabia recorded 5.6% for taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 461.5% over ten years.
That places Saudi Arabia 125th out of 187 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1.0% | — |
| 2017 | 1.4% | +41.6% |
| 2018 | 2.7% | +93.4% |
| 2019 | 3.5% | +27.6% |
| 2020 | 4.6% | +30.8% |
| 2021 | 6.6% | +44.7% |
| 2022 | 5.5% | -16.8% |
| 2023 | 5.6% | +2.0% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 5.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.3%, 54% of the median. (63 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 5.6% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 5.0%, 1.1× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 2.2% | 1.0% | 3.5% | 4 |
| 2020s | 5.6% | 4.6% | 6.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
- 122 Benin 5.7%
- 123 Lao People's Democratic Republic 5.6% compare
- 124 Pakistan 5.6% compare
- 126 Egypt 5.6% compare
- 127 Switzerland 5.5% compare
- 128 Liechtenstein 5.4% compare
More economy & growth data for Saudi Arabia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.26 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.52 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 27.03 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0212 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 731.09 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 32.63 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 52.91 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0256 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 882.47 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 8.9 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in Saudi Arabia?
- Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in Saudi Arabia was 5.6% in 2023, according to UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 6.6% in 2021.
- What is the lowest taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 2016.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 125th out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
- Is taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 461.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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 Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total taxes on income (individual and corporate) vs. total taxes on goods and services (including VAT and sales taxes), as a share of GDP.