Trade union density in Netherlands
Netherlands: Trade union density was 13.8 Percentage of employees in 2023. ▼ Falling
Trade union density in Netherlands, 1960–2023
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of employees.
Analysis
In 2023, trade union density in Netherlands stood at 13.8 Percentage of employees. That is the lowest value across all 61 years on record.
The figure is down 11.0% on the previous year and down 20.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade union density in Netherlands peaked at 35.7 Percentage of employees in 1960 and was at its lowest, 13.8 Percentage of employees, in 2023.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 61 years of available data.
Trade union density in Netherlands, year by year
| Year | Percentage of employees | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 35.7 Percentage of employees | — |
| 1961 | 35.6 Percentage of employees | -0.3% |
| 1962 | 34.8 Percentage of employees | -2.2% |
| 1963 | 34.1 Percentage of employees | -2.0% |
| 1964 | 33.8 Percentage of employees | -0.9% |
| 1965 | 32.7 Percentage of employees | -3.3% |
| 1966 | 32.5 Percentage of employees | -0.6% |
| 1967 | 33.2 Percentage of employees | +2.2% |
| 1968 | 32.6 Percentage of employees | -1.8% |
| 1969 | 31.1 Percentage of employees | -4.6% |
| 1970 | 30.3 Percentage of employees | -2.6% |
| 1971 | 30.8 Percentage of employees | +1.7% |
| 1972 | 31.8 Percentage of employees | +3.2% |
| 1973 | 32.2 Percentage of employees | +1.3% |
| 1974 | 32.4 Percentage of employees | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 32.8 Percentage of employees | +1.2% |
| 1976 | 32.5 Percentage of employees | -0.9% |
| 1977 | 33.2 Percentage of employees | +2.2% |
| 1978 | 33 Percentage of employees | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 32.3 Percentage of employees | -2.1% |
| 1980 | 31.7 Percentage of employees | -1.9% |
| 1981 | 30.8 Percentage of employees | -2.8% |
| 1982 | 30.9 Percentage of employees | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 29.5 Percentage of employees | -4.5% |
| 1984 | 27.9 Percentage of employees | -5.4% |
| 1985 | 26.4 Percentage of employees | -5.4% |
| 1986 | 25.6 Percentage of employees | -3.0% |
| 1987 | 25.3 Percentage of employees | -1.2% |
| 1988 | 25 Percentage of employees | -1.2% |
| 1989 | 24.7 Percentage of employees | -1.2% |
| 1990 | 24.4 Percentage of employees | -1.2% |
| 1991 | 24.2 Percentage of employees | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 24.9 Percentage of employees | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 25.5 Percentage of employees | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 25.2 Percentage of employees | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 25.5 Percentage of employees | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 25 Percentage of employees | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 24.6 Percentage of employees | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 24.3 Percentage of employees | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 24.2 Percentage of employees | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 22.3 Percentage of employees | -7.9% |
| 2001 | 21.6 Percentage of employees | -3.1% |
| 2002 | 21.4 Percentage of employees | -0.9% |
| 2003 | 21.1 Percentage of employees | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 21.3 Percentage of employees | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 21.1 Percentage of employees | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 20.4 Percentage of employees | -3.3% |
| 2007 | 19.2 Percentage of employees | -5.9% |
| 2008 | 19.1 Percentage of employees | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 19.1 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 18.5 Percentage of employees | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 18.3 Percentage of employees | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 18 Percentage of employees | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 17.4 Percentage of employees | -3.3% |
| 2014 | 17.2 Percentage of employees | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 16.8 Percentage of employees | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 16.4 Percentage of employees | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 15.8 Percentage of employees | -3.7% |
| 2019 | 14.4 Percentage of employees | -8.9% |
| 2021 | 15.5 Percentage of employees | +7.6% |
| 2023 | 13.8 Percentage of employees | -11.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 33.61 Percentage of employees | 31.1 Percentage of employees | 35.7 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1970s | 32.13 Percentage of employees | 30.3 Percentage of employees | 33.2 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1980s | 27.78 Percentage of employees | 24.7 Percentage of employees | 31.7 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1990s | 24.78 Percentage of employees | 24.2 Percentage of employees | 25.5 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.66 Percentage of employees | 19.1 Percentage of employees | 22.3 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.98 Percentage of employees | 14.4 Percentage of employees | 18.5 Percentage of employees | 9 |
| 2020s | 14.65 Percentage of employees | 13.8 Percentage of employees | 15.5 Percentage of employees | 2 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
- 1 Iceland 90.6 Percentage of employees compare
- 1 Slovenia 15.3 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
- 5 Finland 51.4 Percentage of employees compare
- 5 Poland 9.4 Percentage of employees compare
More economy & growth data for Netherlands
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.39 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.63 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 16 - Public finances 46.7 Percentage of GDP (2029)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness (INDIGO) — C. Trust 0.0723 Index (2024)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness (INDIGO) — D. 0.0426 Index (2024)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness (INDIGO) — E. Wider 0.045 Index (2024)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness (INDIGO) — B. Openess 0.0122 Index (2024)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness (INDIGO) — A. 0.0245 Index (2024)
- Index of digital trade integration and openness 0.1965 Index (2024)
- Timely indicators of entrepreneurship by enterprise characteristics 228,315 Enterprises (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade union density in Netherlands?
- Trade union density in Netherlands was 13.8 Percentage of employees in 2023, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest trade union density recorded in Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 35.7 Percentage of employees in 1960.
- What is the lowest trade union density recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.8 Percentage of employees in 2023.
- How does Netherlands rank for trade union density?
- Netherlands ranks 2nd out of 7 countries with data for 2023.
- Is trade union density rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Netherlands 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 — 61 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