Belgium overtakes Denmark and becomes the 2nd most heavily taxed country in Europe

In 2017 the tax burden in Belgium increased which means the country overtook Denmark on the tax rankings and it is now the second most heavily taxed country in Europe.

Only in France the sum of taxes and social contributions, relative to gross domestic product (GDP), is higher than in Belgium, according to Eurostat.

The overall tax revenue / GDP ratio was 47.3% in Belgium in 2017, compared to 46.7% in 2016.

In France, this ratio is 48.4%.

In Denmark, it went down from 46.8% in 2016 to 46.5% last year. The EU average was 40.2%, compared with 39.9% in 2016.

Belgium was the most heavily taxed country in Europe

In 2015, Belgium still had the highest tax burden in the EU, before it fell sharply in 2016.