Netherlands Antilles Individual Income Tax Revenue (% of GDP)
Published 2026-10-03 · 24Peaks Research
Netherlands Antilles Individual Income Tax Revenue (% of GDP)
Individual income tax revenue in the Netherlands Antilles was equivalent to roughly 3% to 4% of GDP in the years before the country's dissolution, based on IMF Government Finance Statistics methodology. The Netherlands Antilles ceased to exist as a political entity on 10 October 2010, when it was dissolved into two constituent countries (Curaçao and Sint Maarten) and three special municipalities of the Netherlands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba). As a result, the series is historical and ends around 2010, with the latest available data hosted on the 24Peaks workbench.
What This Indicator Measures
Individual income tax revenue as a percentage of GDP captures the value of taxes levied on the income of individuals, expressed relative to the size of the economy. It tells you how much of a country's total economic output is collected by government through taxes on wages, salaries, self-employment income, and other personal earnings.
Under IMF Government Finance Statistics (GFS) methodology, individual income tax is classified as a tax on income, profits, and capital gains. It is typically recorded on an accrual or cash basis, depending on the reporting standard. The World Bank's World Development Indicators uses the same underlying framework when publishing this ratio.
Because the figure is normalized by GDP, it allows comparison across economies of different sizes. A small island economy and a large industrial economy can be placed side by side meaningfully. The ratio reflects both the tax rate structure and the breadth of the tax base, as well as the efficiency of collection.
Why It Matters for Investors
Individual income tax revenue as a share of GDP is more than an accounting line. It is a signal of several things that matter to investors:
- Fiscal capacity. A higher ratio generally indicates that the government has a broader and more reliable domestic revenue base, reducing dependence on volatile sources such as trade taxes or commodity royalties.
- Tax burden on labor. The ratio is a rough proxy for how heavily personal income is taxed. Economies with high individual income tax revenue tend to have higher marginal rates or fewer exemptions, which can affect labor supply, wage negotiations, and consumer spending.
- Macroeconomic stability. Countries with low personal income tax revenue often rely on consumption taxes, trade duties, or external transfers. That mix can shift abruptly with global conditions.
- Sovereign risk. Rating agencies and bond investors watch the overall revenue-to-GDP ratio, including the individual income tax component, when assessing a government's ability to service debt.
For the Netherlands Antilles specifically, the ratio was part of a broader fiscal picture in a small, open, tourism- and finance-oriented economy. Investors looking at successor jurisdictions such as Curaçao and Sint Maarten should treat the pre-2010 Netherlands Antilles series as a historical baseline, not a current measure.
Recent Trends and Regional Context
The Netherlands Antilles was a Caribbean economy with a GDP heavily influenced by tourism, offshore financial services, and oil refining (notably on Curaçao). Its tax system included a mix of income taxes, profit taxes, and indirect taxes, with individual income tax forming a moderate but not dominant share of total revenue.
Across the Caribbean and Latin America, individual income tax revenue as a share of GDP varies widely. Many small island economies collect less than 5% of GDP from personal income taxes, partly because a large share of employment is in the informal sector or in sectors with special tax regimes. By contrast, larger Latin American economies such as Brazil and Argentina often collect a higher share, though still below OECD averages.
In the OECD, individual income tax revenue typically ranges from about 6% to 12% of GDP, with Nordic countries at the upper end. The Netherlands Antilles, at an estimated 3% to 4% of GDP, fit the lower-to-middle range for the Caribbean. This is consistent with its status as a small, service-oriented economy with a relatively narrow personal income tax base.
After the 2010 dissolution, the successor countries retained similar tax structures but began reporting separately. Curaçao and Sint Maarten are now tracked individually in international databases, while Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba fall under the Dutch tax system. For anyone analyzing long-term fiscal trends in the region, it is important to splice these series carefully rather than treating them as one continuous dataset.
Comparison Examples
The table below compares the Netherlands Antilles with three other economies on individual income tax revenue as a percentage of GDP. Values are approximate, based on latest available data from IMF and World Bank sources, and are intended for illustrative comparison rather than precise ranking.
| Country | Recent value | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands Antilles | ~3-4% of GDP | as of 2010 (dissolution year) | Historical series ends with political dissolution |
| Jamaica | ~4-5% of GDP | as of latest available year | Small island economy; relies heavily on consumption taxes |
| OECD average | ~8-9% of GDP | as of latest available year | Simple average across member states |
| Brazil | ~3-4% of GDP | as of latest available year | Large economy with high indirect tax reliance |
The comparison shows that the Netherlands Antilles was not an outlier within the Caribbean. Its individual income tax take was similar to Jamaica's and to Brazil's, despite very different economic structures. The gap with the OECD average reflects the broader pattern of lower direct tax reliance in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Limitations of the Indicator
Individual income tax revenue as a percentage of GDP is a useful but incomplete measure. Several caveats apply:
- It says nothing about the distribution of the tax burden. A country can collect a moderate share of GDP from a small number of high earners, or a broad base of low-rate payers.
- GDP itself can be distorted by offshore financial activity, commodity cycles, or informal sectors. In the Netherlands Antilles, offshore finance and tourism made GDP a moving target.
- The ratio can rise during a recession even if tax rates are unchanged, because GDP falls faster than tax collections. This can make the fiscal position look stronger than it is.
- Data comparability across countries is imperfect. Some jurisdictions report on a cash basis, others on accrual; some include social security contributions, others do not.
- For the Netherlands Antilles, the series is short and ends with a political event, limiting its use for long-run trend analysis.
Investors should use this indicator alongside total tax revenue, government expenditure, debt-to-GDP, and the composition of the tax base. No single ratio tells the full fiscal story.
FAQ
What was the Netherlands Antilles individual income tax revenue as a percentage of GDP?
It was approximately 3% to 4% of GDP in the years before the country's dissolution in 2010. The exact figure varied by year and by data source. The latest available series is hosted on the 24Peaks workbench.
Why does the data series stop around 2010?
The Netherlands Antilles ceased to exist on 10 October 2010, replaced by Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and three Dutch special municipalities. International databases therefore stop reporting the Netherlands Antilles as a single entity after that date.
Is this indicator still relevant after the dissolution?
Yes, as a historical baseline. Analysts use it to compare the fiscal starting point of successor jurisdictions and to understand long-term revenue trends in the Caribbean. Current data for Curaçao and Sint Maarten should be used for present-day analysis.
How does the Netherlands Antilles compare with other Caribbean economies?
Its individual income tax take was broadly in line with Jamaica and other small island economies, generally below the OECD average. Most Caribbean economies rely more heavily on consumption taxes and trade duties than on personal income taxes.
What methodology is used to calculate this ratio?
The ratio is based on IMF Government Finance Statistics and World Bank World Development Indicators methodology. Individual income tax revenue is divided by nominal GDP for the same period. Reporting basis (cash or accrual) can vary by country.
Compare This Indicator on 24Peaks
Use the 24Peaks workbench to compare individual income tax revenue as a percentage of GDP across the Netherlands Antilles and its successor jurisdictions, alongside other Caribbean and global economies.