Trade union density in Belgium
Belgium: Trade union density was 47.5 Percentage of employees in 2023. β² Rising
Trade union density in Belgium, 1960β2023
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.
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
More economy & growth data for Belgium
- 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)
- Taxes less subsidies on products (current LCU), annual growth rate 3.5 % change on previous year (2025)
- Taxes less subsidies on products (current LCU), per unit of GDP 0.0835 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Taxes less subsidies on products (current LCU), per capita 5,070 current LCU per person (2025)
- Special drawing rights per domestic currency (End-of-period (EoP)) 0.0205 (1998)
- Domestic currency per Special drawing rights (End-of-period (EoP)) 48.68 (1998)
- Domestic currency per US dollar (End-of-period (EoP)) 34.57 (1998)
- US dollar per domestic currency (End-of-period (EoP)) 0.0289 (1998)
- Gdp worldbank constant usd, annual growth rate 0.9832 % 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.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 64 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