INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON

INTELLIGENCE REPORT — OECD Extraction Rate Rankings

Data 2025

France has surrendered the global #1 spot to Denmark (45.2%), but firmly holds second place with a tax-to-GDP ratio of 43.5%. That's 9.4 points above the OECD average (34.1%). For perspective: France extracts proportionally more than Sweden (41.4%), a country synonymous with a massive welfare state. The French extraction rate still barely exceeds historical estimates of the Soviet peak.

RANKING — TAX-TO-GDP RATIO

Denmark

45.2%

France

43.5%

Austria

43.4%

Italy

42.8%

Belgium

42.6%

Sweden

41.4%

Germany

38%

Canada

34.9%

United Kingdom

34.4%

OECD Average

34.1%

Japan

33.7%

Switzerland

27.2%

United States

25.6%

Mexico

18.3%

☭ USSR (estimated peak 1980-1991)

~43%

France's tax-to-GDP ratio (43.5%) still — barely — exceeds the estimated Soviet peak (~43%). Margin of freedom: 0.5 points. France extracts almost as much as the USSR — but with cheese and 5 weeks of vacation.

France: +9.4 points above OECD average

ANALYSIS

France collects 43.5% of its GDP in taxes and contributions, placing it behind Denmark (45.2%) but ahead of Austria (43.4%) and Belgium (42.6%). The gap with the United States (25.6%) is 17.9 points — nearly double.

Switzerland, a neighboring country, collects only 27.2% of its GDP. A French person crossing the border literally enters a different fiscal world.

Mexico (18.3%) shows it's possible to run a state with less than 20% in levies. The results are… different.