Trade union density in Sweden

Sweden: Trade union density was 65.9 Percentage of employees in 2024. β–¬ Flat

Latest (2024)
65.9 Percentage of employees
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
2nd
of 31 countries
All-time high
83.9 Percentage of employees
in 1993
All-time low
63.5 Percentage of employees
in 1960
Years of data
65
1960–2024

Trade union density in Sweden, 1960–2024

020406080196019922024

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of employees.

Analysis

The most recent figure for trade union density in Sweden is 65.9 Percentage of employees, measured in 2024.

That represents a change of up 1.1% on the previous year and down 2.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, trade union density in Sweden peaked at 83.9 Percentage of employees in 1993 and was at its lowest, 63.5 Percentage of employees, in 1960.

That places Sweden 2nd out of 31 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 65.02 Percentage of employees 63.5 Percentage of employees 66.8 Percentage of employees 10
1970s 72.21 Percentage of employees 66.4 Percentage of employees 77.1 Percentage of employees 10
1980s 80.22 Percentage of employees 77.8 Percentage of employees 82.9 Percentage of employees 10
1990s 82.05 Percentage of employees 80.1 Percentage of employees 83.9 Percentage of employees 10
2000s 74.66 Percentage of employees 68.6 Percentage of employees 79 Percentage of employees 10
2010s 67.23 Percentage of employees 65.6 Percentage of employees 68.5 Percentage of employees 10
2020s 66.12 Percentage of employees 65.2 Percentage of employees 67 Percentage of employees 5

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 1 Iceland 90.6 Percentage of employees compare
  2. 3 Denmark 60.4 Percentage of employees compare
  3. 4 Norway 52.1 Percentage of employees compare
  4. 5 Finland 51.4 Percentage of employees compare

See the full ranking of 40 places β†’

More economy & growth data for Sweden

All data for Sweden β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is trade union density in Sweden?
Trade union density in Sweden was 65.9 Percentage of employees in 2024, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest trade union density recorded in Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 83.9 Percentage of employees in 1993.
What is the lowest trade union density recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 63.5 Percentage of employees in 1960.
How does Sweden rank for trade union density?
Sweden ranks 2nd out of 31 countries with data for 2024.
Is trade union density rising or falling in Sweden?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Sweden 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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Trade union density in Sweden. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/trade-union-density/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
Trade union density
Unit
Percentage of employees
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
40 places, 1,820 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed

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