Trade union density in Korea
Korea: Trade union density was 12.5 Percentage of employees in 2023. ▼ Falling
Trade union density in Korea, 1963–2023
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of employees.
Analysis
In 2023, trade union density in Korea stood at 12.5 Percentage of employees.
The figure is down 1.6% on the previous year and up 23.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade union density in Korea peaked at 18.6 Percentage of employees in 1989 and was at its lowest, 9.4 Percentage of employees, in 1963.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 61 years of available data.
Trade union density in Korea, year by year
| Year | Percentage of employees | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 9.4 Percentage of employees | — |
| 1964 | 11.5 Percentage of employees | +22.3% |
| 1965 | 11.6 Percentage of employees | +0.9% |
| 1966 | 11.8 Percentage of employees | +1.7% |
| 1967 | 12.4 Percentage of employees | +5.1% |
| 1968 | 12.1 Percentage of employees | -2.4% |
| 1969 | 12.5 Percentage of employees | +3.3% |
| 1970 | 12.6 Percentage of employees | +0.8% |
| 1971 | 12.7 Percentage of employees | +0.8% |
| 1972 | 12.9 Percentage of employees | +1.6% |
| 1973 | 13.2 Percentage of employees | +2.3% |
| 1974 | 14.8 Percentage of employees | +12.1% |
| 1975 | 15.8 Percentage of employees | +6.8% |
| 1976 | 16.5 Percentage of employees | +4.4% |
| 1977 | 16.7 Percentage of employees | +1.2% |
| 1978 | 16.9 Percentage of employees | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 16.8 Percentage of employees | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 14.7 Percentage of employees | -12.5% |
| 1981 | 14.6 Percentage of employees | -0.7% |
| 1982 | 14.4 Percentage of employees | -1.4% |
| 1983 | 14.1 Percentage of employees | -2.1% |
| 1984 | 13.2 Percentage of employees | -6.4% |
| 1985 | 12.4 Percentage of employees | -6.1% |
| 1986 | 12.3 Percentage of employees | -0.8% |
| 1987 | 13.8 Percentage of employees | +12.2% |
| 1988 | 17.8 Percentage of employees | +29.0% |
| 1989 | 18.6 Percentage of employees | +4.5% |
| 1990 | 17.2 Percentage of employees | -7.5% |
| 1991 | 15.4 Percentage of employees | -10.5% |
| 1992 | 14.6 Percentage of employees | -5.2% |
| 1993 | 14 Percentage of employees | -4.1% |
| 1994 | 13.3 Percentage of employees | -5.0% |
| 1995 | 12.5 Percentage of employees | -6.0% |
| 1996 | 12.1 Percentage of employees | -3.2% |
| 1997 | 11.1 Percentage of employees | -8.3% |
| 1998 | 11.4 Percentage of employees | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 11.7 Percentage of employees | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 11.4 Percentage of employees | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 11.5 Percentage of employees | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 10.8 Percentage of employees | -6.1% |
| 2003 | 10.7 Percentage of employees | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 10.3 Percentage of employees | -3.7% |
| 2005 | 9.9 Percentage of employees | -3.9% |
| 2006 | 10 Percentage of employees | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 10.5 Percentage of employees | +5.0% |
| 2008 | 10.2 Percentage of employees | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 9.9 Percentage of employees | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 9.6 Percentage of employees | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 9.8 Percentage of employees | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 9.9 Percentage of employees | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 10.1 Percentage of employees | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 10.1 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 10 Percentage of employees | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 10 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 10.5 Percentage of employees | +5.0% |
| 2018 | 11.6 Percentage of employees | +10.5% |
| 2019 | 12.4 Percentage of employees | +6.9% |
| 2020 | 13.8 Percentage of employees | +11.3% |
| 2021 | 14.1 Percentage of employees | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 12.7 Percentage of employees | -9.9% |
| 2023 | 12.5 Percentage of employees | -1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 11.61 Percentage of employees | 9.4 Percentage of employees | 12.5 Percentage of employees | 7 |
| 1970s | 14.89 Percentage of employees | 12.6 Percentage of employees | 16.9 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1980s | 14.59 Percentage of employees | 12.3 Percentage of employees | 18.6 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.33 Percentage of employees | 11.1 Percentage of employees | 17.2 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.52 Percentage of employees | 9.9 Percentage of employees | 11.5 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.4 Percentage of employees | 9.6 Percentage of employees | 12.4 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.28 Percentage of employees | 12.5 Percentage of employees | 14.1 Percentage of employees | 4 |
Countries ranked near Korea
- 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 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 Korea
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.2 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.03 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 16 - Public finances 24.21 Percentage of GDP (2029)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness 0.2301 Index (2024)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness (INDIGO) — A. 0.0475 Index (2024)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness (INDIGO) — B. Openess 0.0121 Index (2024)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness (INDIGO) — C. Trust 0.064 Index (2024)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness (INDIGO) — D. 0.0485 Index (2024)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness (INDIGO) — E. Wider 0.058 Index (2024)
- Corporate income tax (CIT) - statutory and targeted small business 27.5 Percentage of taxable income (2026)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade union density in Korea?
- Trade union density in Korea was 12.5 Percentage of employees in 2023, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest trade union density recorded in Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 18.6 Percentage of employees in 1989.
- What is the lowest trade union density recorded in Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.4 Percentage of employees in 1963.
- How does Korea rank for trade union density?
- Korea ranks 1st out of 2 groups with data for 2023.
- Is trade union density rising or falling in Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Korea 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