Trade union density in Belgium
Belgium: Trade union density was 47.5 Percentage of employees in 2023. ▲ Rising
Trade union density in Belgium, 1960–2023
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of employees.
Analysis
The most recent figure for trade union density in Belgium is 47.5 Percentage of employees, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 3.8% on the previous year and down 12.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade union density in Belgium peaked at 56.6 Percentage of employees in 2000 and was at its lowest, 35.6 Percentage of employees, in 1962.
That places Belgium 6th out of 31 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Trade union density in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Percentage of employees | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 37.4 Percentage of employees | — |
| 1961 | 36.8 Percentage of employees | -1.6% |
| 1962 | 35.6 Percentage of employees | -3.3% |
| 1963 | 36.8 Percentage of employees | +3.4% |
| 1964 | 36.9 Percentage of employees | +0.3% |
| 1965 | 37.6 Percentage of employees | +1.9% |
| 1966 | 38.2 Percentage of employees | +1.6% |
| 1967 | 39 Percentage of employees | +2.1% |
| 1968 | 39.6 Percentage of employees | +1.5% |
| 1969 | 39.8 Percentage of employees | +0.5% |
| 1970 | 40.3 Percentage of employees | +1.3% |
| 1971 | 42 Percentage of employees | +4.2% |
| 1972 | 44.9 Percentage of employees | +6.9% |
| 1973 | 46 Percentage of employees | +2.4% |
| 1974 | 47.2 Percentage of employees | +2.6% |
| 1975 | 49.8 Percentage of employees | +5.5% |
| 1976 | 51.3 Percentage of employees | +3.0% |
| 1977 | 52.3 Percentage of employees | +1.9% |
| 1978 | 51.4 Percentage of employees | -1.7% |
| 1979 | 51.5 Percentage of employees | +0.2% |
| 1980 | 51.8 Percentage of employees | +0.6% |
| 1981 | 50.2 Percentage of employees | -3.1% |
| 1982 | 49 Percentage of employees | -2.4% |
| 1983 | 49.6 Percentage of employees | +1.2% |
| 1984 | 48.8 Percentage of employees | -1.6% |
| 1985 | 48 Percentage of employees | -1.6% |
| 1986 | 46.7 Percentage of employees | -2.7% |
| 1987 | 46 Percentage of employees | -1.5% |
| 1988 | 45 Percentage of employees | -2.2% |
| 1989 | 46 Percentage of employees | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 47.5 Percentage of employees | +3.3% |
| 1991 | 48.9 Percentage of employees | +2.9% |
| 1992 | 49.9 Percentage of employees | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 50.6 Percentage of employees | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 50.5 Percentage of employees | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 52.7 Percentage of employees | +4.4% |
| 1996 | 53.3 Percentage of employees | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 53.7 Percentage of employees | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 53.7 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 56 Percentage of employees | +4.3% |
| 2000 | 56.6 Percentage of employees | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 56.3 Percentage of employees | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 55.3 Percentage of employees | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 54.1 Percentage of employees | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 54.1 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 53.7 Percentage of employees | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 54.5 Percentage of employees | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 54.9 Percentage of employees | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 54.9 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 54.8 Percentage of employees | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 54.5 Percentage of employees | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 55.5 Percentage of employees | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 55.4 Percentage of employees | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 54.5 Percentage of employees | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 54.4 Percentage of employees | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 53.2 Percentage of employees | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 52.5 Percentage of employees | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 51.9 Percentage of employees | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 51.8 Percentage of employees | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 51.1 Percentage of employees | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 52.6 Percentage of employees | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 50.6 Percentage of employees | -3.8% |
| 2022 | 49.4 Percentage of employees | -2.4% |
| 2023 | 47.5 Percentage of employees | -3.8% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 47.5 Percentage of employees is above the median for high income countries, which is 20.3 Percentage of employees, 2.3× the median. (27 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 47.5 Percentage of employees is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 22 Percentage of employees, 2.2× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 37.77 Percentage of employees | 35.6 Percentage of employees | 39.8 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1970s | 47.67 Percentage of employees | 40.3 Percentage of employees | 52.3 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1980s | 48.11 Percentage of employees | 45 Percentage of employees | 51.8 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1990s | 51.68 Percentage of employees | 47.5 Percentage of employees | 56 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2000s | 54.92 Percentage of employees | 53.7 Percentage of employees | 56.6 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.48 Percentage of employees | 51.1 Percentage of employees | 55.5 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.02 Percentage of employees | 47.5 Percentage of employees | 52.6 Percentage of employees | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 3 Denmark 60.4 Percentage of employees compare
- 3 Türkiye 10.9 Percentage of employees compare
- 4 Latvia 10.3 Percentage of employees compare
- 4 Norway 52.1 Percentage of employees compare
- 5 Finland 51.4 Percentage of employees compare
- 5 Poland 9.4 Percentage of employees compare
- 6 Lithuania 8.3 Percentage of employees compare
- 7 Estonia 5.6 Percentage of employees compare
- 7 Italy 30.2 Percentage of employees compare
- 8 Luxembourg 29.7 Percentage of employees compare
- 9 Canada 28.3 Percentage of employees compare
More economy & growth data for Belgium
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -37.51 % change on previous year (2024)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.04 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.25 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 2.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0205 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 1,248 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -2.12 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.015 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 911.55 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 2.2 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade union density in Belgium?
- Trade union density in Belgium was 47.5 Percentage of employees in 2023, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest trade union density recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 56.6 Percentage of employees in 2000.
- What is the lowest trade union density recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.6 Percentage of employees in 1962.
- How does Belgium rank for trade union density?
- Belgium ranks 6th out of 31 countries with data for 2023.
- Is trade union density rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium 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