Trade union density in Israel
Israel: Trade union density was 27.2 Percentage of employees in 2023. ▼ Falling
Trade union density in Israel, 1960–2023
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of employees.
Analysis
In 2023, trade union density in Israel stood at 27.2 Percentage of employees.
That represents a change of down 11.7% on the previous year and up 9.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade union density in Israel peaked at 84 Percentage of employees in 1980 and was at its lowest, 24.8 Percentage of employees, in 2012.
That places Israel 10th out of 31 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.
Trade union density in Israel, year by year
| Year | Percentage of employees | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 80 Percentage of employees | — |
| 1961 | 80 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 80 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 80 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 80 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 80 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 80 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 80 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 80 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 80 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 80 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 80 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 80 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 80 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 80 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 80 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 80 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 81 Percentage of employees | +1.2% |
| 1978 | 82 Percentage of employees | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 83 Percentage of employees | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 84 Percentage of employees | +1.2% |
| 1981 | 83.2 Percentage of employees | -1.0% |
| 1983 | 82 Percentage of employees | -1.4% |
| 1984 | 80 Percentage of employees | -2.4% |
| 1988 | 73 Percentage of employees | -8.8% |
| 1990 | 73 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 70 Percentage of employees | -4.1% |
| 1994 | 68 Percentage of employees | -2.9% |
| 1995 | 56.2 Percentage of employees | -17.4% |
| 1996 | 48.8 Percentage of employees | -13.2% |
| 2000 | 47.2 Percentage of employees | -3.3% |
| 2006 | 37.1 Percentage of employees | -21.4% |
| 2007 | 30.3 Percentage of employees | -18.3% |
| 2012 | 24.8 Percentage of employees | -18.2% |
| 2016 | 27.1 Percentage of employees | +9.3% |
| 2022 | 30.8 Percentage of employees | +13.7% |
| 2023 | 27.2 Percentage of employees | -11.7% |
Israel compared with similar countries
- Israel's 27.2 Percentage of employees is above the median for high income countries, which is 20.3 Percentage of employees, 1.3× the median. (27 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 80 Percentage of employees | 80 Percentage of employees | 80 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1970s | 80.6 Percentage of employees | 80 Percentage of employees | 83 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1980s | 80.44 Percentage of employees | 73 Percentage of employees | 84 Percentage of employees | 5 |
| 1990s | 63.2 Percentage of employees | 48.8 Percentage of employees | 73 Percentage of employees | 5 |
| 2000s | 38.2 Percentage of employees | 30.3 Percentage of employees | 47.2 Percentage of employees | 3 |
| 2010s | 25.95 Percentage of employees | 24.8 Percentage of employees | 27.1 Percentage of employees | 2 |
| 2020s | 29 Percentage of employees | 27.2 Percentage of employees | 30.8 Percentage of employees | 2 |
Countries ranked near Israel
- 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
- 11 Costa Rica 22.4 Percentage of employees compare
- 12 Ireland 22.2 Percentage of employees compare
- 13 United Kingdom 22 Percentage of employees compare
More economy & growth data for Israel
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate 207.23 % change on previous year (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.14 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.56 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 6.58 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0065 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 394.01 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 1.5 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0048 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 287.7 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 4.95 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade union density in Israel?
- Trade union density in Israel was 27.2 Percentage of employees in 2023, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest trade union density recorded in Israel?
- The highest recorded value was 84 Percentage of employees in 1980.
- What is the lowest trade union density recorded in Israel?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.8 Percentage of employees in 2012.
- How does Israel rank for trade union density?
- Israel ranks 10th out of 31 countries with data for 2023.
- Is trade union density rising or falling in Israel?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Israel 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