Pakistan tax revenue stands at 12.6% of GDP: ADB

Pakistan’s total tax revenue witnessed gradual increase from 10.6 per cent of Grand Domestic Product (GDP) in 2000 to 12.6 per cent of GDP in 2016. According to a report released by Asian Development Bank (ADB), Pakistan’s tax revenue in 2005 was 10.1 per cent during 2010, while it declined to 9.8 per cent in 2013, however the tax revenue in 2015, increased to 11 per cent.

The report added that in Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka, the rate of tax revenue to GDP in 2016 was recorded at 8.8 per cent, 7.2 per cent, 5.0 percent , and 12.1 per cent respectively. Similarly, according to the report, the tax revenue rate in China, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Thailand was recorded at 17.5 per cent, 22.4 per cent, 29.3 per cent, 13.8 per cent, and 15.7 per cent respectively.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) released the 2017 edition of “Key Indicators for Asia and the Pacific” on September 8. Key Indicators 2017 provides the latest available economic, financial, social, and environmental statistics for the 48 regional members of ADB.

A key addition to this year’s report is an analysis on sex-disaggregated data that ADB researchers conducted through 3 pilot surveys. Despite strong evidence linking women’s asset ownership to the attainment of development goals, such sex-disaggregated data needed to monitor progress in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are scarce.

The pilot surveys have produced rich data on asset ownership at the individual level, and provide valuable lessons for future statistical work on the subject.