Trade union density in New Zealand
New Zealand: Trade union density was 20.3 Percentage of employees in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Trade union density in New Zealand, 1970–2024
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of employees.
Analysis
In 2024, trade union density in New Zealand stood at 20.3 Percentage of employees.
That represents a change of up 5.2% on the previous year and up 9.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade union density in New Zealand peaked at 69.1 Percentage of employees in 1980 and was at its lowest, 17.5 Percentage of employees, in 2016.
That places New Zealand 14th out of 31 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Trade union density in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Percentage of employees | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 56.2 Percentage of employees | — |
| 1971 | 56.3 Percentage of employees | +0.2% |
| 1972 | 56.3 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 59 Percentage of employees | +4.8% |
| 1974 | 59.3 Percentage of employees | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 60.9 Percentage of employees | +2.7% |
| 1976 | 61 Percentage of employees | +0.2% |
| 1977 | 62.8 Percentage of employees | +3.0% |
| 1978 | 65.7 Percentage of employees | +4.6% |
| 1979 | 69 Percentage of employees | +5.0% |
| 1980 | 69.1 Percentage of employees | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 65.7 Percentage of employees | -4.9% |
| 1982 | 63.4 Percentage of employees | -3.5% |
| 1983 | 60.9 Percentage of employees | -3.9% |
| 1984 | 55 Percentage of employees | -9.7% |
| 1985 | 53.4 Percentage of employees | -2.9% |
| 1989 | 53 Percentage of employees | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 42.9 Percentage of employees | -19.1% |
| 1992 | 36 Percentage of employees | -16.1% |
| 1993 | 33.7 Percentage of employees | -6.4% |
| 1994 | 29.6 Percentage of employees | -12.2% |
| 1995 | 27.2 Percentage of employees | -8.1% |
| 1996 | 24.7 Percentage of employees | -9.2% |
| 1997 | 23.4 Percentage of employees | -5.3% |
| 1998 | 22.1 Percentage of employees | -5.6% |
| 1999 | 21.7 Percentage of employees | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 22.4 Percentage of employees | +3.2% |
| 2001 | 22.3 Percentage of employees | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 21.8 Percentage of employees | -2.2% |
| 2003 | 21.7 Percentage of employees | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 21.7 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 22.3 Percentage of employees | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 21.8 Percentage of employees | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 20.8 Percentage of employees | -4.6% |
| 2008 | 21.4 Percentage of employees | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 21.5 Percentage of employees | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 21.4 Percentage of employees | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 20.5 Percentage of employees | -4.2% |
| 2012 | 20.3 Percentage of employees | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 19.5 Percentage of employees | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 18.5 Percentage of employees | -5.1% |
| 2015 | 17.8 Percentage of employees | -3.8% |
| 2016 | 17.5 Percentage of employees | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 18.4 Percentage of employees | +5.1% |
| 2018 | 19.2 Percentage of employees | +4.3% |
| 2019 | 18.8 Percentage of employees | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 19.2 Percentage of employees | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 19.7 Percentage of employees | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 19.4 Percentage of employees | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 19.3 Percentage of employees | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 20.3 Percentage of employees | +5.2% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 20.3 Percentage of employees is above the median for high income countries, which is 20.3 Percentage of employees, 1.0× the median. (27 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 60.65 Percentage of employees | 56.2 Percentage of employees | 69 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1980s | 60.07 Percentage of employees | 53 Percentage of employees | 69.1 Percentage of employees | 7 |
| 1990s | 29.03 Percentage of employees | 21.7 Percentage of employees | 42.9 Percentage of employees | 9 |
| 2000s | 21.77 Percentage of employees | 20.8 Percentage of employees | 22.4 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.19 Percentage of employees | 17.5 Percentage of employees | 21.4 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.58 Percentage of employees | 19.2 Percentage of employees | 20.3 Percentage of employees | 5 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More economy & growth data for New Zealand
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate 161.32 % change on previous year (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.71 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.37 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 4.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0111 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 552.02 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -0.8628 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0081 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 403.08 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 4.49 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade union density in New Zealand?
- Trade union density in New Zealand was 20.3 Percentage of employees in 2024, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest trade union density recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 69.1 Percentage of employees in 1980.
- What is the lowest trade union density recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.5 Percentage of employees in 2016.
- How does New Zealand rank for trade union density?
- New Zealand ranks 14th out of 31 countries with data for 2024.
- Is trade union density rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this New Zealand 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
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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