Trade union density in Iceland

Iceland: Trade union density was 90.6 Percentage of employees in 2023. β–² Rising

Latest (2023)
90.6 Percentage of employees
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
1st
of 31 countries
All-time high
91.9 Percentage of employees
in 2020
All-time low
60.8 Percentage of employees
in 1980
Years of data
37
1979–2023

Trade union density in Iceland, 1979–2023

0204060801001979200120231979: 61.6 Percentage of employees1980: 60.8 Percentage of employees1983: 69.5 Percentage of employees1985: 72.1 Percentage of employees1991: 80.7 Percentage of employees1992: 80.9 Percentage of employees1993: 81.1 Percentage of employees1994: 82.4 Percentage of employees1995: 81.7 Percentage of employees1996: 82.6 Percentage of employees1997: 81.4 Percentage of employees1998: 83.3 Percentage of employees1999: 83.5 Percentage of employees2000: 84.2 Percentage of employees2001: 84.3 Percentage of employees2002: 88.3 Percentage of employees2003: 86.1 Percentage of employees2004: 83.7 Percentage of employees2005: 83.8 Percentage of employees2006: 84.9 Percentage of employees2007: 84.7 Percentage of employees2008: 84.5 Percentage of employees2009: 84.8 Percentage of employees2010: 85.1 Percentage of employees2011: 84.6 Percentage of employees2012: 85.1 Percentage of employees2013: 88.6 Percentage of employees2014: 90.2 Percentage of employees2015: 91.5 Percentage of employees2016: 90.3 Percentage of employees2017: 90.7 Percentage of employees2018: 90.3 Percentage of employees2019: 91.1 Percentage of employees2020: 91.9 Percentage of employees2021: 90.9 Percentage of employees2022: 90.4 Percentage of employees2023: 90.6 Percentage of employees

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of employees.

Analysis

The most recent figure for trade union density in Iceland is 90.6 Percentage of employees, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, trade union density in Iceland peaked at 91.9 Percentage of employees in 2020 and was at its lowest, 60.8 Percentage of employees, in 1980.

That places Iceland 1st out of 31 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 61.6 Percentage of employees 61.6 Percentage of employees 61.6 Percentage of employees 1
1980s 67.47 Percentage of employees 60.8 Percentage of employees 72.1 Percentage of employees 3
1990s 81.96 Percentage of employees 80.7 Percentage of employees 83.5 Percentage of employees 9
2000s 84.93 Percentage of employees 83.7 Percentage of employees 88.3 Percentage of employees 10
2010s 88.75 Percentage of employees 84.6 Percentage of employees 91.5 Percentage of employees 10
2020s 90.95 Percentage of employees 90.4 Percentage of employees 91.9 Percentage of employees 4

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 2 Sweden 65.9 Percentage of employees compare
  2. 3 Denmark 60.4 Percentage of employees compare
  3. 4 Norway 52.1 Percentage of employees compare

See the full ranking of 40 places β†’

More economy & growth data for Iceland

All data for Iceland β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is trade union density in Iceland?
Trade union density in Iceland was 90.6 Percentage of employees in 2023, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest trade union density recorded in Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 91.9 Percentage of employees in 2020.
What is the lowest trade union density recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 60.8 Percentage of employees in 1980.
How does Iceland rank for trade union density?
Iceland ranks 1st out of 31 countries with data for 2023.
Is trade union density rising or falling in Iceland?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iceland 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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Trade union density in Iceland. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/trade-union-density/iceland/

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About this data

Indicator
Trade union density
Unit
Percentage of employees
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
40 places, 1,820 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed

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