Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in South Africa
South Africa: Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services was 9.9% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in South Africa, 1980–2022
Source: UNU-WIDER Government Revenue Dataset (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 9.9% for taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.1% on the previous year and up 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in South Africa peaked at 10.2% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 5.2%, in 1980.
South Africa ranks 72nd of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 5.2% | — |
| 1981 | 5.5% | +3.9% |
| 1982 | 6.1% | +11.7% |
| 1983 | 6.2% | +1.6% |
| 1984 | 7.2% | +16.8% |
| 1985 | 7.7% | +6.0% |
| 1986 | 7.2% | -6.0% |
| 1987 | 7.4% | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 7.9% | +7.3% |
| 1989 | 8.6% | +8.4% |
| 1996 | 8.3% | -3.2% |
| 1997 | 8.4% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 8.5% | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 8.6% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 8.2% | -4.1% |
| 2001 | 8.2% | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 7.9% | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 8.9% | +13.0% |
| 2005 | 9.3% | +3.9% |
| 2006 | 9.5% | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 9.4% | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 8.6% | -8.6% |
| 2009 | 8.0% | -7.1% |
| 2010 | 9.1% | +14.1% |
| 2011 | 9.0% | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 9.3% | +4.4% |
| 2013 | 9.5% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 9.8% | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 10.2% | +4.1% |
| 2016 | 9.8% | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 9.7% | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 10.0% | +3.2% |
| 2019 | 10.0% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 9.6% | -4.9% |
| 2021 | 10.1% | +5.9% |
| 2022 | 9.9% | -2.1% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 9.9% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 9.9%, 1.0× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 9.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.3%, 1.9× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.9% | 5.2% | 8.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.4% | 8.3% | 8.6% | 4 |
| 2000s | 8.7% | 7.9% | 9.5% | 9 |
| 2010s | 9.6% | 9.0% | 10.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.9% | 9.6% | 10.1% | 3 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More economy & growth data for South Africa
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.4836 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.4 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps -4.01 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0094 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -61.95 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled -2.16 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -192.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0051 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -33.37 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 16.18 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in South Africa?
- Taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services in South Africa was 9.9% in 2022, 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 South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 10.2% in 2015.
- What is the lowest taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.2% in 1980.
- How does South Africa rank for taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services?
- South Africa ranks 72nd out of 187 countries with data for 2022.
- Is taxes on income vs. taxes on goods and services rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa 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.