The African Union Institute for Statistics (STATAFRIC), in collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), is pleased to announce the release of Revenue Statistics in Africa 2025, a comprehensive analysis of tax and non-tax revenue trends across 38 African countries from 1990 to 2023.
This year’s edition marks a significant milestone, with The Gambia and Liberia joining the initiative for the first time. The report remains the continent’s most harmonised and internationally comparable source of government revenue data, supporting Africa’s commitments under Agenda 2063, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Sevilla Commitment.
A Third Consecutive Rise in Tax-to-GDP Ratios
Despite a challenging economic context—marked by inflationary pressures, declining global commodity prices, and rising debt service obligations—Africa’s average tax-to-GDP ratio increased to 16.1% in 2023, up 0.5 percentage points from 2022.
Key highlights include:
- Tax-to-GDP ratios ranged from 2.9% in Somalia to 34.0% in Tunisia.
- 24 countries recorded increases in tax revenues as a share of GDP.
- Corporate Income Tax (CIT) was the main driver, supported by strong profits in the extractive sector.
- VAT revenues also grew, reflecting ongoing reforms to broaden tax bases and improve compliance.
Although progress is evident, Africa’s tax levels remain below those of Asia and the Pacific (19.6%), Latin America and the Caribbean (21.3%), and OECD countries (33.9%), underscoring the need for continued domestic resource mobilisation efforts.
Non-Tax Revenues: Stability Amid Volatility
Non-tax revenues across 37 reporting countries averaged 5.9% of GDP, with significant variations:
- Above 10% of GDP in six countries, driven largely by Southern African Customs Union (SACU) receipts.
- Higher than tax revenues in Botswana, Lesotho, the Republic of the Congo and Somalia.
- A decline in property income due to falling commodity prices offset gains from other revenue categories.
Total government revenues (tax + non-tax) averaged 21.9% of GDP in 2023, highlighting persistent financing gaps in many countries.
Towards an African Revenue Classification
A major innovation in this edition is a special feature on commonalities and specificities across African revenue classifications, providing the first continental diagnostic of how countries organise and report revenue information.
Key findings:
- Revenue data granularity varies significantly across countries.
- Many African countries share similar revenue categories, particularly in income taxes and taxes on goods and services.
- Extractive-related revenues are not consistently identified, revealing substantial information gaps.
- Several revenue distinctions common in Africa are not captured in the OECD framework, emphasizing the need for an Africa-tailored classification system.
This analysis forms a foundation for developing an African Revenue Classification, a strategic objective under STATAFRIC’s mandate to harmonise and modernise statistical systems across the continent.
STATAFRIC’s Role in Strengthening Africa’s Statistical Systems
STATAFRIC played a central role in the preparation, coordination, and validation of data for this report. Through its ongoing work, the Institute continues to:
- Build the capacity of national statistical systems.
- Promote continental statistical integration.
- Support evidence-based policymaking for fiscal sustainability and development.
The harmonised revenue data presented in this publication are essential for monitoring progress on domestic resource mobilisation and guiding tax policy reforms that advance Africa’s structural transformation agenda.
Looking Ahead
As African countries continue to navigate global economic uncertainties, high-quality and comparable revenue statistics remain critical for designing effective fiscal policies. Revenue Statistics in Africa 2025 reaffirms the continent’s commitment to transparency, statistical harmonisation, and stronger mobilisation of domestic resources to finance Africa’s development priorities.
STATAFRIC will continue working with Member States and partners to enhance revenue statistics and support the continent’s vision of a prosperous, integrated, and self-reliant Africa.
The Revenue Statistics in Africa comparative dataset, updated with 2023 data for all countries and provisional 2024 data for 28 countries:
- https://data-explorer.oecd.org/s/3lm (English)
- https://data-explorer.oecd.org/s/3ll (French).
