Iceland vs Netherlands: Trade union density

Iceland
90.6 Percentage of employees
in 2023
Netherlands
13.8 Percentage of employees
in 2023
Iceland rank
1st
Netherlands rank
2nd

Trade union density over time

  • Iceland
  • Netherlands
20406080100196019912023

How they compare

Iceland currently reports 90.6 Percentage of employees against 13.8 Percentage of employees in Netherlands, a difference of 76.8 Percentage of employees.

That makes Iceland's figure about 6.6 times Netherlands's.

Across all 34 years both countries report, Iceland has been ahead every year.

Iceland ranks 1st and Netherlands ranks 2nd of 31 countries.

Iceland has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Iceland Netherlands Difference Ahead
1970s 61.6 Percentage of employees 32.3 Percentage of employees 29.3 Percentage of employees Iceland
1980s 67.47 Percentage of employees 29.2 Percentage of employees 38.27 Percentage of employees Iceland
1990s 81.96 Percentage of employees 24.82 Percentage of employees 57.13 Percentage of employees Iceland
2000s 84.93 Percentage of employees 20.66 Percentage of employees 64.27 Percentage of employees Iceland
2010s 88.58 Percentage of employees 16.98 Percentage of employees 71.6 Percentage of employees Iceland
2020s 90.75 Percentage of employees 14.65 Percentage of employees 76.1 Percentage of employees Iceland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher trade union density, Iceland or Netherlands?
Iceland, at 90.6 Percentage of employees against 13.8 Percentage of employees in Netherlands as of 2023.
What is the difference in trade union density between Iceland and Netherlands?
76.8 Percentage of employees, with Iceland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and Netherlands?
34 years are reported by both, from 1979 to 2023.
How do Iceland and Netherlands rank globally for trade union density?
Iceland ranks 1st and Netherlands ranks 2nd of 31 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as Trade union density. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Iceland vs Netherlands: Trade union density. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/trade-union-density/iceland/netherlands-2/

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About this data

Indicator
Trade union density
Unit
Percentage of employees
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
40 places, 1,820 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed

The database on Institutional Characteristics of Trade Unions, Wage Setting, State Intervention and Social Pacts (ICTWSS) was developed by Prof. Jelle Visser at the University of Amsterdam. It was first released in May 2007. In its initial form, the ICTWSS database combined data from various sources and projects with a main focus on trade union in EU and OECD countries, collective bargaining and employment relations in Europe, and social pacts. In 2021, the ICTWSS database was rebranded as the OECD/AIAS ICTWSS database to reflect the joint effort by the OECD and AIAS-HSI to ensure the continuation of the database following Prof. Visser’s retirement. The OECD/AIAS ICTWSS database is publicly available at: http://www.oecd.org/employment/ictwss-database.htm