Government revenue — all countries

Government revenue — Lower-middle-income countries

Government revenue in lower-middle-income countries in 2021 — 16.9%. Since 2011, the indicator has risen by 0.64 pp.

2021 16.9% −0.65 pp vs 2020
World rank
Period maximum 17.55%2020
Period minimum 14.11%2017

Trend over time

2011–2021 · % of GDP

Government revenue — Lower-middle-income countries, 2011–20211415161718201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212011: 16.26%2012: 16.86%2013: 16.52%2014: 15.35%2015: 15.03%2016: 14.23%2017: 14.11%2018: 14.65%2019: 17.19%2020: 17.55%2021: 16.9%
Change over the period: +0.64 pp Annual average: 0.06 pp

Comparison, 2021

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Lower-middle-income countries

Lower-middle-income countries 16.9%
World 23.96%
Government revenue — Lower-middle-income countries, by year Lower-middle-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2021 16.9 −0.65 pp
2020 17.55 +0.36 pp
2019 17.19 +2.55 pp
2018 14.65 +0.54 pp
2017 14.11 −0.12 pp
2016 14.23 −0.8 pp
2015 15.03 −0.31 pp
2014 15.35 −1.17 pp
2013 16.52 −0.34 pp
2012 16.86 +0.6 pp
2011 16.26

About the indicator

Central government revenue excluding grants, as a percent of GDP. Beyond taxes it includes non-tax receipts: dividends of state-owned companies, revenue from the sale of extraction rights, duties and fees. That is why the difference between this indicator and tax revenue says something about the structure of a state: in commodity countries it is large, because a substantial part of the budget comes not from taxes but from rent.

Important: Grants are excluded deliberately: in the poorest countries foreign aid can make up a substantial part of the budget, and with it included the indicator would no longer measure the ability of a state to raise revenue.

Source: World Development Indicators (World Bank), license CC BY 4.0.