Trade union density in Australia
Australia: Trade union density was 12.2 Percentage of employees in 2024. βΌ Falling
Trade union density in Australia, 1960β2024
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of employees.
Analysis
In 2024, trade union density in Australia stood at 12.2 Percentage of employees.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.3% on the previous year and down 19.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade union density in Australia peaked at 53.8 Percentage of employees in 1960 and was at its lowest, 11.7 Percentage of employees, in 2022.
That places Australia 25th out of 31 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 60 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 48.42 Percentage of employees | 44.4 Percentage of employees | 53.8 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1970s | 47.9 Percentage of employees | 44.2 Percentage of employees | 50.1 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1980s | 46.18 Percentage of employees | 41.4 Percentage of employees | 49.6 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1990s | 34.34 Percentage of employees | 25.7 Percentage of employees | 42 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2000s | 21.82 Percentage of employees | 18.9 Percentage of employees | 24.7 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.51 Percentage of employees | 13.8 Percentage of employees | 18.4 Percentage of employees | 7 |
| 2020s | 12.47 Percentage of employees | 11.7 Percentage of employees | 13.5 Percentage of employees | 3 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More economy & growth data for Australia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.36 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.26 Percent per annum (2029)
- Taxes less subsidies on products (current LCU), annual growth rate 5.45 % change on previous year (2025)
- Taxes less subsidies on products (current LCU), per unit of GDP 0.0989 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Taxes less subsidies on products (current LCU), per capita 6,441 current LCU per person (2025)
- Special drawing rights per domestic currency (End-of-period (EoP)) 0.4887 (2025)
- Domestic currency per Special drawing rights (End-of-period (EoP)) 2.05 (2025)
- Domestic currency per US dollar (End-of-period (EoP)) 1.49 (2025)
- US dollar per domestic currency (End-of-period (EoP)) 0.6693 (2025)
- Gdp worldbank constant usd, annual growth rate 1.35 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade union density in Australia?
- Trade union density in Australia was 12.2 Percentage of employees in 2024, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest trade union density recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 53.8 Percentage of employees in 1960.
- What is the lowest trade union density recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.7 Percentage of employees in 2022.
- How does Australia rank for trade union density?
- Australia ranks 25th out of 31 countries with data for 2024.
- Is trade union density rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Trade union density. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 60 observations, free to reuse under OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required).
About this data
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. Visserβs retirement. The OECD/AIAS ICTWSS database is publicly available at: http://www.oecd.org/employment/ictwss-database.htm