Trade union density in Iceland
Iceland: Trade union density was 90.6 Percentage of employees in 2023. ▲ Rising
Trade union density in Iceland, 1979–2023
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.
Trade union density in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Percentage of employees | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 61.6 Percentage of employees | — |
| 1980 | 60.8 Percentage of employees | -1.3% |
| 1983 | 69.5 Percentage of employees | +14.3% |
| 1985 | 72.1 Percentage of employees | +3.7% |
| 1991 | 80.7 Percentage of employees | +11.9% |
| 1992 | 80.9 Percentage of employees | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 81.1 Percentage of employees | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 82.4 Percentage of employees | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 81.7 Percentage of employees | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 82.6 Percentage of employees | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 81.4 Percentage of employees | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 83.3 Percentage of employees | +2.3% |
| 1999 | 83.5 Percentage of employees | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 84.2 Percentage of employees | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 84.3 Percentage of employees | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 88.3 Percentage of employees | +4.7% |
| 2003 | 86.1 Percentage of employees | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 83.7 Percentage of employees | -2.8% |
| 2005 | 83.8 Percentage of employees | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 84.9 Percentage of employees | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 84.7 Percentage of employees | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 84.5 Percentage of employees | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 84.8 Percentage of employees | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 85.1 Percentage of employees | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 84.6 Percentage of employees | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 85.1 Percentage of employees | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 88.6 Percentage of employees | +4.1% |
| 2014 | 90.2 Percentage of employees | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 91.5 Percentage of employees | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 90.3 Percentage of employees | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 90.7 Percentage of employees | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 90.3 Percentage of employees | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 91.1 Percentage of employees | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 91.9 Percentage of employees | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 90.9 Percentage of employees | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 90.4 Percentage of employees | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 90.6 Percentage of employees | +0.2% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 90.6 Percentage of employees is above the median for high income countries, which is 20.3 Percentage of employees, 4.5× the median. (27 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 90.6 Percentage of employees is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 22 Percentage of employees, 4.1× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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 Slovenia 15.3 Percentage of employees compare
- 2 Netherlands 13.8 Percentage of employees compare
- 2 Sweden 65.9 Percentage of employees compare
- 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
More economy & growth data for Iceland
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -125.5 % change on previous year (2024)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.96 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.48 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.55 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0153 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 1,500 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 0.5124 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0111 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 1,095 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 37 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. Visser’s retirement. The OECD/AIAS ICTWSS database is publicly available at: http://www.oecd.org/employment/ictwss-database.htm