Trade union density in Australia
Australia: Trade union density was 12.2 Percentage of employees in 2024. ▼ Falling
Trade union density in Australia, 1960–2024
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.
Trade union density in Australia, year by year
| Year | Percentage of employees | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 53.8 Percentage of employees | — |
| 1961 | 53.2 Percentage of employees | -1.1% |
| 1962 | 51.4 Percentage of employees | -3.4% |
| 1963 | 49.7 Percentage of employees | -3.3% |
| 1964 | 48.2 Percentage of employees | -3.0% |
| 1965 | 47.9 Percentage of employees | -0.6% |
| 1966 | 45.8 Percentage of employees | -4.4% |
| 1967 | 45 Percentage of employees | -1.7% |
| 1968 | 44.8 Percentage of employees | -0.4% |
| 1969 | 44.4 Percentage of employees | -0.9% |
| 1970 | 44.2 Percentage of employees | -0.5% |
| 1971 | 45.4 Percentage of employees | +2.7% |
| 1972 | 46.3 Percentage of employees | +2.0% |
| 1973 | 47.2 Percentage of employees | +1.9% |
| 1974 | 48.8 Percentage of employees | +3.4% |
| 1975 | 50.1 Percentage of employees | +2.7% |
| 1976 | 49.5 Percentage of employees | -1.2% |
| 1977 | 48.7 Percentage of employees | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 49.2 Percentage of employees | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 49.6 Percentage of employees | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 49.6 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 49.1 Percentage of employees | -1.0% |
| 1982 | 49.4 Percentage of employees | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 47.3 Percentage of employees | -4.3% |
| 1984 | 46.3 Percentage of employees | -2.1% |
| 1985 | 46.1 Percentage of employees | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 45.4 Percentage of employees | -1.5% |
| 1987 | 44.4 Percentage of employees | -2.2% |
| 1988 | 42.8 Percentage of employees | -3.6% |
| 1989 | 41.4 Percentage of employees | -3.3% |
| 1990 | 41.3 Percentage of employees | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 42 Percentage of employees | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 39.6 Percentage of employees | -5.7% |
| 1993 | 37.6 Percentage of employees | -5.1% |
| 1994 | 35 Percentage of employees | -6.9% |
| 1995 | 32.7 Percentage of employees | -6.6% |
| 1996 | 31.1 Percentage of employees | -4.9% |
| 1997 | 30.3 Percentage of employees | -2.6% |
| 1998 | 28.1 Percentage of employees | -7.3% |
| 1999 | 25.7 Percentage of employees | -8.5% |
| 2000 | 24.7 Percentage of employees | -3.9% |
| 2001 | 24.5 Percentage of employees | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 23.1 Percentage of employees | -5.7% |
| 2003 | 23 Percentage of employees | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 22.7 Percentage of employees | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 22.4 Percentage of employees | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 20.3 Percentage of employees | -9.4% |
| 2007 | 18.9 Percentage of employees | -6.9% |
| 2008 | 18.9 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 19.7 Percentage of employees | +4.2% |
| 2010 | 18.3 Percentage of employees | -7.1% |
| 2011 | 18.4 Percentage of employees | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 18.2 Percentage of employees | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 17 Percentage of employees | -6.6% |
| 2014 | 15.2 Percentage of employees | -10.6% |
| 2016 | 14.7 Percentage of employees | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 13.8 Percentage of employees | -6.1% |
| 2020 | 13.5 Percentage of employees | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 11.7 Percentage of employees | -13.3% |
| 2024 | 12.2 Percentage of employees | +4.3% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 12.2 Percentage of employees is below the median for high income countries, which is 20.3 Percentage of employees, 60% of the median. (27 countries reporting)
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
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate 96.31 % change on previous year (2025)
- 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)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 15.83 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0083 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 537.43 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 10.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.006 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 392.43 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 2.82 % 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.
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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. Visser’s retirement. The OECD/AIAS ICTWSS database is publicly available at: http://www.oecd.org/employment/ictwss-database.htm