Trade union density in Spain
Spain: Trade union density was 12.5 Percentage of employees in 2023. ▼ Falling
Trade union density in Spain, 1978–2023
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of employees.
Analysis
In 2023, trade union density in Spain stood at 12.5 Percentage of employees.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.3% on the previous year and down 22.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade union density in Spain peaked at 38.6 Percentage of employees in 1978 and was at its lowest, 9.9 Percentage of employees, in 1981.
That places Spain 24th out of 31 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 46 years of available data.
Trade union density in Spain, year by year
| Year | Percentage of employees | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 38.6 Percentage of employees | — |
| 1979 | 27.2 Percentage of employees | -29.5% |
| 1980 | 11.6 Percentage of employees | -57.4% |
| 1981 | 9.9 Percentage of employees | -14.7% |
| 1982 | 11 Percentage of employees | +11.1% |
| 1983 | 11.4 Percentage of employees | +3.6% |
| 1984 | 10.5 Percentage of employees | -7.9% |
| 1985 | 10.9 Percentage of employees | +3.8% |
| 1986 | 10.5 Percentage of employees | -3.7% |
| 1987 | 11 Percentage of employees | +4.8% |
| 1988 | 12 Percentage of employees | +9.1% |
| 1989 | 12.3 Percentage of employees | +2.5% |
| 1990 | 12.8 Percentage of employees | +4.1% |
| 1991 | 14.2 Percentage of employees | +10.9% |
| 1992 | 16 Percentage of employees | +12.7% |
| 1993 | 17 Percentage of employees | +6.2% |
| 1994 | 16.8 Percentage of employees | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 15.7 Percentage of employees | -6.5% |
| 1996 | 15.6 Percentage of employees | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 15 Percentage of employees | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 14.6 Percentage of employees | -2.7% |
| 1999 | 14.8 Percentage of employees | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 14.8 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 14.7 Percentage of employees | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 14.7 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 14.6 Percentage of employees | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 14.6 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 14.6 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 14.6 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 15.4 Percentage of employees | +5.5% |
| 2008 | 16 Percentage of employees | +3.9% |
| 2009 | 16.9 Percentage of employees | +5.6% |
| 2010 | 16.7 Percentage of employees | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 16.7 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 16.7 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 16.1 Percentage of employees | -3.6% |
| 2014 | 15.1 Percentage of employees | -6.2% |
| 2015 | 13.7 Percentage of employees | -9.3% |
| 2016 | 13.2 Percentage of employees | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 12.7 Percentage of employees | -3.8% |
| 2018 | 12.6 Percentage of employees | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 12.4 Percentage of employees | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 13.4 Percentage of employees | +8.1% |
| 2021 | 13.1 Percentage of employees | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 12.8 Percentage of employees | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 12.5 Percentage of employees | -2.3% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 12.5 Percentage of employees is below the median for high income countries, which is 20.3 Percentage of employees, 62% of the median. (27 countries reporting)
- Spain's 12.5 Percentage of employees is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 22 Percentage of employees, 57% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Trade union density in Spain changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | -57.4% | 27.2 Percentage of employees | 11.6 Percentage of employees |
| 1979 | -29.5% | 38.6 Percentage of employees | 27.2 Percentage of employees |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 32.9 Percentage of employees | 27.2 Percentage of employees | 38.6 Percentage of employees | 2 |
| 1980s | 11.11 Percentage of employees | 9.9 Percentage of employees | 12.3 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1990s | 15.25 Percentage of employees | 12.8 Percentage of employees | 17 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.09 Percentage of employees | 14.6 Percentage of employees | 16.9 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.59 Percentage of employees | 12.4 Percentage of employees | 16.7 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.95 Percentage of employees | 12.5 Percentage of employees | 13.4 Percentage of employees | 4 |
Countries ranked near Spain
More economy & growth data for Spain
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -19.94 % change on previous year (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.77 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.62 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate -9.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0077 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 298.15 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -13.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0056 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 217.71 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 2.3 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade union density in Spain?
- Trade union density in Spain 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 Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 38.6 Percentage of employees in 1978.
- What is the lowest trade union density recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.9 Percentage of employees in 1981.
- How does Spain rank for trade union density?
- Spain ranks 24th out of 31 countries with data for 2023.
- Is trade union density rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Spain 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 — 46 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