Trade union density in Japan
Japan: Trade union density was 16.2 Percentage of employees in 2024. ▼ Falling
Trade union density in Japan, 1960–2024
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of employees.
Analysis
In 2024, trade union density in Japan stood at 16.2 Percentage of employees. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade union density in Japan peaked at 35.5 Percentage of employees in 1964 and was at its lowest, 16.2 Percentage of employees, in 2024.
Japan ranks 16th of 31 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Trade union density in Japan, year by year
| Year | Percentage of employees | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 32.3 Percentage of employees | — |
| 1961 | 33.7 Percentage of employees | +4.3% |
| 1962 | 34.6 Percentage of employees | +2.7% |
| 1963 | 35 Percentage of employees | +1.2% |
| 1964 | 35.5 Percentage of employees | +1.4% |
| 1965 | 35.3 Percentage of employees | -0.6% |
| 1966 | 34.7 Percentage of employees | -1.7% |
| 1967 | 34.4 Percentage of employees | -0.9% |
| 1968 | 34.5 Percentage of employees | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 35.2 Percentage of employees | +2.0% |
| 1970 | 35.1 Percentage of employees | -0.3% |
| 1971 | 34.6 Percentage of employees | -1.4% |
| 1972 | 34.3 Percentage of employees | -0.9% |
| 1973 | 33.5 Percentage of employees | -2.3% |
| 1974 | 34.3 Percentage of employees | +2.4% |
| 1975 | 34.5 Percentage of employees | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 33.7 Percentage of employees | -2.3% |
| 1977 | 33 Percentage of employees | -2.1% |
| 1978 | 32.6 Percentage of employees | -1.2% |
| 1979 | 31.8 Percentage of employees | -2.5% |
| 1980 | 31.1 Percentage of employees | -2.2% |
| 1981 | 30.9 Percentage of employees | -0.6% |
| 1982 | 30.6 Percentage of employees | -1.0% |
| 1983 | 29.8 Percentage of employees | -2.6% |
| 1984 | 29.2 Percentage of employees | -2.0% |
| 1985 | 28.8 Percentage of employees | -1.4% |
| 1986 | 28.2 Percentage of employees | -2.1% |
| 1987 | 27.7 Percentage of employees | -1.8% |
| 1988 | 26.9 Percentage of employees | -2.9% |
| 1989 | 26.1 Percentage of employees | -3.0% |
| 1990 | 25.4 Percentage of employees | -2.7% |
| 1991 | 24.8 Percentage of employees | -2.4% |
| 1992 | 24.5 Percentage of employees | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 24.3 Percentage of employees | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 24.3 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 24 Percentage of employees | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 23.4 Percentage of employees | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 22.8 Percentage of employees | -2.6% |
| 1998 | 22.5 Percentage of employees | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 22.2 Percentage of employees | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 21.5 Percentage of employees | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 20.9 Percentage of employees | -2.8% |
| 2002 | 20.3 Percentage of employees | -2.9% |
| 2003 | 19.7 Percentage of employees | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 19.3 Percentage of employees | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 18.8 Percentage of employees | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 18.3 Percentage of employees | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 18.2 Percentage of employees | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 18.1 Percentage of employees | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 18.4 Percentage of employees | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 18.3 Percentage of employees | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 18.1 Percentage of employees | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 17.9 Percentage of employees | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 17.7 Percentage of employees | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 17.5 Percentage of employees | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 17.5 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 17.3 Percentage of employees | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 17.1 Percentage of employees | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 16.9 Percentage of employees | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 16.7 Percentage of employees | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 16.8 Percentage of employees | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 16.8 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 16.5 Percentage of employees | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 16.4 Percentage of employees | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 16.2 Percentage of employees | -1.2% |
Japan compared with similar countries
- Japan's 16.2 Percentage of employees is below the median for high income countries, which is 20.3 Percentage of employees, 80% of the median. (27 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 34.52 Percentage of employees | 32.3 Percentage of employees | 35.5 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1970s | 33.74 Percentage of employees | 31.8 Percentage of employees | 35.1 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1980s | 28.93 Percentage of employees | 26.1 Percentage of employees | 31.1 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1990s | 23.82 Percentage of employees | 22.2 Percentage of employees | 25.4 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.35 Percentage of employees | 18.1 Percentage of employees | 21.5 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.5 Percentage of employees | 16.7 Percentage of employees | 18.3 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.54 Percentage of employees | 16.2 Percentage of employees | 16.8 Percentage of employees | 5 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More economy & growth data for Japan
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate 592.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.03 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 0.4463 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 6.37 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0137 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 493.16 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 1.29 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.01 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 360.1 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 3.17 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade union density in Japan?
- Trade union density in Japan was 16.2 Percentage of employees in 2024, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest trade union density recorded in Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 35.5 Percentage of employees in 1964.
- What is the lowest trade union density recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.2 Percentage of employees in 2024.
- How does Japan rank for trade union density?
- Japan ranks 16th out of 31 countries with data for 2024.
- Is trade union density rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan 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 — 65 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