Trade union density in OECD
OECD: Trade union density was 15.16 Percentage of employees in 2024. ▼ Falling
Trade union density in OECD, 1960–2024
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of employees.
Analysis
In 2024, trade union density in OECD stood at 15.16 Percentage of employees. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 8.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade union density in OECD peaked at 38.5 Percentage of employees in 1975 and was at its lowest, 15.16 Percentage of employees, in 2024.
OECD ranks 18th 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 OECD, year by year
| Year | Percentage of employees | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 37.61 Percentage of employees | — |
| 1961 | 37.19 Percentage of employees | -1.1% |
| 1962 | 37.18 Percentage of employees | -0.0% |
| 1963 | 36.92 Percentage of employees | -0.7% |
| 1964 | 36.95 Percentage of employees | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 36.78 Percentage of employees | -0.5% |
| 1966 | 36.47 Percentage of employees | -0.9% |
| 1967 | 36.6 Percentage of employees | +0.4% |
| 1968 | 36.7 Percentage of employees | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 36.79 Percentage of employees | +0.3% |
| 1970 | 37.59 Percentage of employees | +2.2% |
| 1971 | 37.71 Percentage of employees | +0.3% |
| 1972 | 37.83 Percentage of employees | +0.3% |
| 1973 | 37.69 Percentage of employees | -0.4% |
| 1974 | 38.39 Percentage of employees | +1.9% |
| 1975 | 38.5 Percentage of employees | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 38.27 Percentage of employees | -0.6% |
| 1977 | 37.74 Percentage of employees | -1.4% |
| 1978 | 37.43 Percentage of employees | -0.8% |
| 1979 | 36.38 Percentage of employees | -2.8% |
| 1980 | 35.17 Percentage of employees | -3.3% |
| 1981 | 34.17 Percentage of employees | -2.9% |
| 1982 | 33.11 Percentage of employees | -3.1% |
| 1983 | 32.19 Percentage of employees | -2.8% |
| 1984 | 30.9 Percentage of employees | -4.0% |
| 1985 | 30.06 Percentage of employees | -2.7% |
| 1986 | 29.58 Percentage of employees | -1.6% |
| 1987 | 28.84 Percentage of employees | -2.5% |
| 1988 | 28.33 Percentage of employees | -1.8% |
| 1989 | 27.77 Percentage of employees | -2.0% |
| 1990 | 27.19 Percentage of employees | -2.1% |
| 1991 | 27.17 Percentage of employees | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 26.4 Percentage of employees | -2.8% |
| 1993 | 25.54 Percentage of employees | -3.2% |
| 1994 | 24.59 Percentage of employees | -3.8% |
| 1995 | 23.58 Percentage of employees | -4.1% |
| 1996 | 22.66 Percentage of employees | -3.9% |
| 1997 | 21.87 Percentage of employees | -3.5% |
| 1998 | 21.27 Percentage of employees | -2.8% |
| 1999 | 20.88 Percentage of employees | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 20.27 Percentage of employees | -2.9% |
| 2001 | 19.97 Percentage of employees | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 19.68 Percentage of employees | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 19.42 Percentage of employees | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 19.05 Percentage of employees | -1.9% |
| 2005 | 18.86 Percentage of employees | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 18.22 Percentage of employees | -3.4% |
| 2007 | 18.04 Percentage of employees | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 17.89 Percentage of employees | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 17.95 Percentage of employees | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 17.63 Percentage of employees | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 17.44 Percentage of employees | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 17.09 Percentage of employees | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 16.86 Percentage of employees | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 16.48 Percentage of employees | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 16.3 Percentage of employees | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 15.95 Percentage of employees | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 15.82 Percentage of employees | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 15.66 Percentage of employees | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 15.59 Percentage of employees | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 16.07 Percentage of employees | +3.1% |
| 2021 | 15.8 Percentage of employees | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 15.32 Percentage of employees | -3.0% |
| 2023 | 15.21 Percentage of employees | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 15.16 Percentage of employees | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 36.92 Percentage of employees | 36.47 Percentage of employees | 37.61 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1970s | 37.75 Percentage of employees | 36.38 Percentage of employees | 38.5 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1980s | 31.01 Percentage of employees | 27.77 Percentage of employees | 35.17 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1990s | 24.11 Percentage of employees | 20.88 Percentage of employees | 27.19 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.93 Percentage of employees | 17.89 Percentage of employees | 20.27 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.48 Percentage of employees | 15.59 Percentage of employees | 17.63 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.51 Percentage of employees | 15.16 Percentage of employees | 16.07 Percentage of employees | 5 |
Countries ranked near OECD
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- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 21 - Investment and 3.43 Percentage of GDP (2019)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade union density in OECD?
- Trade union density in OECD was 15.16 Percentage of employees in 2024, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest trade union density recorded in OECD?
- The highest recorded value was 38.5 Percentage of employees in 1975.
- What is the lowest trade union density recorded in OECD?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.16 Percentage of employees in 2024.
- How does OECD rank for trade union density?
- OECD ranks 18th out of 31 countries with data for 2024.
- Is trade union density rising or falling in OECD?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this OECD 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