Trade union density in Switzerland
Switzerland: Trade union density was 12.7 Percentage of employees in 2023. ▼ Falling
Trade union density in Switzerland, 1960–2023
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of employees.
Analysis
Switzerland recorded 12.7 Percentage of employees for trade union density in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 64 years on record.
The figure is down 3.8% on the previous year and down 23.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade union density in Switzerland peaked at 31.2 Percentage of employees in 1960 and was at its lowest, 12.7 Percentage of employees, in 2023.
Switzerland ranks 23rd of 31 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 64 years of available data.
Trade union density in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | Percentage of employees | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 31.2 Percentage of employees | — |
| 1961 | 30.4 Percentage of employees | -2.6% |
| 1962 | 29.8 Percentage of employees | -2.0% |
| 1963 | 29.2 Percentage of employees | -2.0% |
| 1964 | 28.8 Percentage of employees | -1.4% |
| 1965 | 28.5 Percentage of employees | -1.0% |
| 1966 | 28.1 Percentage of employees | -1.4% |
| 1967 | 27.2 Percentage of employees | -3.2% |
| 1968 | 26.6 Percentage of employees | -2.2% |
| 1969 | 26.2 Percentage of employees | -1.5% |
| 1970 | 25.4 Percentage of employees | -3.1% |
| 1971 | 25.6 Percentage of employees | +0.8% |
| 1972 | 25.4 Percentage of employees | -0.8% |
| 1973 | 25.2 Percentage of employees | -0.8% |
| 1974 | 25.4 Percentage of employees | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 28.4 Percentage of employees | +11.8% |
| 1976 | 29.7 Percentage of employees | +4.6% |
| 1977 | 29.4 Percentage of employees | -1.0% |
| 1978 | 28.9 Percentage of employees | -1.7% |
| 1979 | 28.6 Percentage of employees | -1.0% |
| 1980 | 28.1 Percentage of employees | -1.7% |
| 1981 | 27.5 Percentage of employees | -2.1% |
| 1982 | 27.2 Percentage of employees | -1.1% |
| 1983 | 27 Percentage of employees | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 26.7 Percentage of employees | -1.1% |
| 1985 | 25.4 Percentage of employees | -4.9% |
| 1986 | 24.4 Percentage of employees | -3.9% |
| 1987 | 24.1 Percentage of employees | -1.2% |
| 1988 | 23.7 Percentage of employees | -1.7% |
| 1989 | 23.3 Percentage of employees | -1.7% |
| 1990 | 23 Percentage of employees | -1.3% |
| 1991 | 23 Percentage of employees | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 23.4 Percentage of employees | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 23.5 Percentage of employees | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 23.6 Percentage of employees | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 23.1 Percentage of employees | -2.1% |
| 1996 | 22.7 Percentage of employees | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 22.3 Percentage of employees | -1.8% |
| 1998 | 22 Percentage of employees | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 21.4 Percentage of employees | -2.7% |
| 2000 | 20.7 Percentage of employees | -3.3% |
| 2001 | 20.2 Percentage of employees | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 20.3 Percentage of employees | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 20.4 Percentage of employees | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 19.9 Percentage of employees | -2.5% |
| 2005 | 19.8 Percentage of employees | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 19.3 Percentage of employees | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 18.9 Percentage of employees | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 17.9 Percentage of employees | -5.3% |
| 2009 | 17.7 Percentage of employees | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 17.6 Percentage of employees | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 17 Percentage of employees | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 16.5 Percentage of employees | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 16.6 Percentage of employees | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 16.1 Percentage of employees | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 15.7 Percentage of employees | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 15.3 Percentage of employees | -2.5% |
| 2017 | 14.9 Percentage of employees | -2.6% |
| 2018 | 14.4 Percentage of employees | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 14.1 Percentage of employees | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 13.9 Percentage of employees | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 13.5 Percentage of employees | -2.9% |
| 2022 | 13.2 Percentage of employees | -2.2% |
| 2023 | 12.7 Percentage of employees | -3.8% |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 12.7 Percentage of employees is below the median for high income countries, which is 20.3 Percentage of employees, 63% of the median. (27 countries reporting)
- Switzerland's 12.7 Percentage of employees is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 22 Percentage of employees, 58% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 28.6 Percentage of employees | 26.2 Percentage of employees | 31.2 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1970s | 27.2 Percentage of employees | 25.2 Percentage of employees | 29.7 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1980s | 25.74 Percentage of employees | 23.3 Percentage of employees | 28.1 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 1990s | 22.8 Percentage of employees | 21.4 Percentage of employees | 23.6 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.51 Percentage of employees | 17.7 Percentage of employees | 20.7 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.82 Percentage of employees | 14.1 Percentage of employees | 17.6 Percentage of employees | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.32 Percentage of employees | 12.7 Percentage of employees | 13.9 Percentage of employees | 4 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
More economy & growth data for Switzerland
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -8.42 % change on previous year (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.6894 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.2 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.64 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0124 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 1,418 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 0.5961 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.009 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 1,035 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 3.31 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade union density in Switzerland?
- Trade union density in Switzerland was 12.7 Percentage of employees in 2023, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest trade union density recorded in Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 31.2 Percentage of employees in 1960.
- What is the lowest trade union density recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.7 Percentage of employees in 2023.
- How does Switzerland rank for trade union density?
- Switzerland ranks 23rd out of 31 countries with data for 2023.
- Is trade union density rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Switzerland 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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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