That’s according to figures released by Eurostat on 28 November (PDF).
The ratio measures the total amount of taxes and net social insurance charges as a proportion of the country’s total economy.
Luxembourg’s 40.3% ratio was almost exactly the same as the EU average of 40.2%.
Graphic credit: Eurostat
The highest ratios in the EU were recorded in France (48.4%), Belgium (47.3%) and Denmark (46.5%). The lowest were in Ireland (23.5%), Romania (25.8%) and Bulgaria (29.5%), the EU statistics agency said.