African governments collect only 15.6% of GDP in tax revenue, less than half the average collection in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, still below pre-pandemic levels.

According to this year's report by the OECD and the African Union on revenue collection on the African continent, quoted by Lusa, in comparison with the rest of the world, Africa recorded an average of 15.6% in 2021, the same as the previous year and far below the revenue collected on the other continents, namely the OECD countries as a whole, whose revenue averages 34.1% of GDP.

"The report's findings highlight the financial challenges countries face as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, which have resulted in widespread increases in debt and debt servicing costs," reads the statement quoted by Lusa, which states that in Asia and the Pacific the average tax revenue as a function of GDP is 19.8%, in Latin America and the Caribbean it is 21.7% and in the OECD it is 34.1%.

The report shows that, among the 33 countries in the region analyzed with data for 2021, the gap between the level of income in Africa and the other regions has widened, but also between the African countries themselves.

Equatorial Guinea, for example, collects just 5.9% of its total GDP, down 2.5 points on the previous year, while Tunisia is almost on par with the OECD average, collecting tax revenues equivalent to 32.5% of GDP.

The report on Revenue Statistics in Africa is a joint initiative of the African Union Commission, the OECD Development Center and the African Tax Administration Forum, with technical support from the African Development Bank and the Circle of Reflection and Exchange of Heads of Tax Administrations.