Trade union density in Denmark
Denmark: Trade union density was 60.4 Percentage of employees in 2024. ▲ Rising
Trade union density in Denmark, 1960–2024
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of employees.
Analysis
In 2024, trade union density in Denmark stood at 60.4 Percentage of employees.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 5.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade union density in Denmark peaked at 76.7 Percentage of employees in 1986 and was at its lowest, 54.3 Percentage of employees, in 1966.
That places Denmark 3rd out of 31 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Trade union density in Denmark, year by year
| Year | Percentage of employees | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 54.6 Percentage of employees | — |
| 1961 | 54.8 Percentage of employees | +0.4% |
| 1962 | 54.9 Percentage of employees | +0.2% |
| 1963 | 55.1 Percentage of employees | +0.4% |
| 1964 | 55.5 Percentage of employees | +0.7% |
| 1965 | 55.4 Percentage of employees | -0.2% |
| 1966 | 54.3 Percentage of employees | -2.0% |
| 1967 | 54.5 Percentage of employees | +0.4% |
| 1968 | 55 Percentage of employees | +0.9% |
| 1969 | 55.5 Percentage of employees | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 55.4 Percentage of employees | -0.2% |
| 1971 | 57.8 Percentage of employees | +4.3% |
| 1972 | 57.4 Percentage of employees | -0.7% |
| 1973 | 57.7 Percentage of employees | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 59 Percentage of employees | +2.3% |
| 1975 | 62.7 Percentage of employees | +6.3% |
| 1976 | 64.7 Percentage of employees | +3.2% |
| 1977 | 66.8 Percentage of employees | +3.2% |
| 1978 | 69.3 Percentage of employees | +3.7% |
| 1979 | 71.7 Percentage of employees | +3.5% |
| 1980 | 72.6 Percentage of employees | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 72.7 Percentage of employees | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 72.4 Percentage of employees | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 74.4 Percentage of employees | +2.8% |
| 1984 | 75.6 Percentage of employees | +1.6% |
| 1985 | 75.3 Percentage of employees | -0.4% |
| 1986 | 76.7 Percentage of employees | +1.9% |
| 1987 | 73.9 Percentage of employees | -3.7% |
| 1988 | 73.8 Percentage of employees | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 72.9 Percentage of employees | -1.2% |
| 1990 | 72.8 Percentage of employees | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 73.8 Percentage of employees | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 75.3 Percentage of employees | +2.0% |
| 1993 | 75.6 Percentage of employees | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 76.1 Percentage of employees | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 76.3 Percentage of employees | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 75.4 Percentage of employees | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 74.1 Percentage of employees | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 73.9 Percentage of employees | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 72.7 Percentage of employees | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 72.5 Percentage of employees | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 71.4 Percentage of employees | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 70.8 Percentage of employees | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 68.1 Percentage of employees | -3.8% |
| 2004 | 70.2 Percentage of employees | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 69.4 Percentage of employees | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 67.2 Percentage of employees | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 65.3 Percentage of employees | -2.8% |
| 2008 | 64.2 Percentage of employees | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 64.3 Percentage of employees | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 64.5 Percentage of employees | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 64.9 Percentage of employees | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 64.5 Percentage of employees | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 64.2 Percentage of employees | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 64.1 Percentage of employees | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 63.9 Percentage of employees | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 63.2 Percentage of employees | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 62.6 Percentage of employees | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 63.4 Percentage of employees | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 62.9 Percentage of employees | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 64 Percentage of employees | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 63.1 Percentage of employees | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 61.6 Percentage of employees | -2.4% |
| 2023 | 60.9 Percentage of employees | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 60.4 Percentage of employees | -0.8% |
Denmark compared with similar countries
- Denmark's 60.4 Percentage of employees is above the median for high income countries, which is 20.3 Percentage of employees, 3.0× the median. (27 countries reporting)
- Denmark's 60.4 Percentage of employees is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 22 Percentage of employees, 2.7× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 54.96 Percentage of employees | 54.3 Percentage of employees | 55.5 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1970s | 62.25 Percentage of employees | 55.4 Percentage of employees | 71.7 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1980s | 74.03 Percentage of employees | 72.4 Percentage of employees | 76.7 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1990s | 74.6 Percentage of employees | 72.7 Percentage of employees | 76.3 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2000s | 68.34 Percentage of employees | 64.2 Percentage of employees | 72.5 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.82 Percentage of employees | 62.6 Percentage of employees | 64.9 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2020s | 62 Percentage of employees | 60.4 Percentage of employees | 64 Percentage of employees | 5 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
- 1 Iceland 90.6 Percentage of employees compare
- 1 Slovenia 15.3 Percentage of employees compare
- 2 Netherlands 13.8 Percentage of employees compare
- 2 Sweden 65.9 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 Belgium 47.5 Percentage of employees compare
- 6 Lithuania 8.3 Percentage of employees compare
More economy & growth data for Denmark
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -17.25 % change on previous year (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.9574 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.4 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 5 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0149 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 1,148 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -0.0121 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0109 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 838.16 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 4.39 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade union density in Denmark?
- Trade union density in Denmark was 60.4 Percentage of employees in 2024, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest trade union density recorded in Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 76.7 Percentage of employees in 1986.
- What is the lowest trade union density recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 54.3 Percentage of employees in 1966.
- How does Denmark rank for trade union density?
- Denmark ranks 3rd out of 31 countries with data for 2024.
- Is trade union density rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Denmark 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