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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Are Americans taxed more lightly than residents of most rich countries?

By Lisa Freedland
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YES

Total tax revenue at all levels of government in the U.S. was 24.5% of national economic output in 2019, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The average across all OECD members was 33.8%. Two other countries in what the World Bank considers the high-income bracket (which excludes some OECD members) exacted less in taxes: Chile (20.7%) and Ireland (22.7%). The highest levels applied in France (45.4%), Denmark (46.3%) and some other European states.

The U.S. tax take has dropped from 28.3% in 2000. The average rate across OECD countries rose slightly during the period from 33.3%.

Based on OECD data for 2018, the U.S. government budget deficit, at 6.6% of output, was the largest across the group, with Mexico coming next at 5.1%.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Keepeek: OECD—2020 revenue statistics
World Bank: High-income countries
OECD: General government deficits
Tax Policy Center: How US taxes compare internationally
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.