The report shows that indirect taxes in Greece amounted to 17.3% of GDP, placing the country fourth among the EU’s 27 member states.
The report shows that indirect taxes in Greece amounted to 17.3% of GDP, placing the country fourth among the EU’s 27 member states. Meanwhile, property taxes reached 2.7% of GDP, the third highest rate in the EU after France and Belgium.
When it comes to indirect taxation, only Croatia, Sweden, and Hungary ranked above Greece. Notably, 44.4% of Greece’s total tax revenue in 2023 came from consumption taxes, compared to the EU-27 average of 33.2%. Overall, indirect tax revenues totaled 38.9 billion euros, with VAT alone accounting for 8.8% of GDP—ranking Greece 11th on that specific metric.
Special consumption taxes—imposed on fuel, alcohol, and tobacco—were particularly high, reaching 5.2% of GDP. This places Greece second among EU member states. Environmental taxes also stood out, comprising 4.1% of GDP, again the second highest rate in the bloc.
According to the Commission’s figures, Greece’s total tax revenue in 2023 amounted to 38.9% of GDP, just shy of the EU average of 39%.
The picture shifts significantly when it comes to direct taxes. Greece lags behind the EU average, with direct taxes—including personal and corporate income taxes—amounting to just 10.4% of GDP. This places the country 16th in the EU ranking.
Breaking that down, personal income taxes contributed only 5.9% of GDP (18th place), while corporate income taxes accounted for 2.9% of GDP (17th place), underscoring the imbalance in Greece’s tax structure.
