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Employees covered by a collective agreement
What this indicator measures
A collective agreement is an accord between employers and trade unions that sets working rules (pay, hours, leave) for an entire sector or company. This indicator is the share of employees to whom such an agreement applies, whether or not they are union members.
How to read this?
A high percentage means that many employees are protected by a collectively negotiated agreement.
Ranking : ranked from highest to lowest
In brief
The "Employees covered by a collective agreement" ranking covers 99 countries and territories. Lowest value: Malaysia (0.4 %). Highest value: Italy (99 %). Median: 26.9 % (data: 2008–2020). The top 10% of countries exceed 77.5 %, while the bottom 10% stay below 2.9 %. By continent, the median is highest in Europe (49.5 %) and lowest in North America (10.4 %).
Median by continent
- Europe 49.5 % (38)
- Africa 23.8 % (19)
- South America 22.2 % (8)
- Asia 15 % (18)
- North America 10.4 % (13)
Why this indicator matters
This indicator shows the share of employees whose working conditions are set by an agreement between employers and trade unions. It makes it possible to compare the weight of collective bargaining in the world of work.
What makes this indicator vary
Coverage depends on the industrial relations system: bargaining by sector or by company, rules extending agreements to all employers, the strength of unions and traditions of social dialogue.
Reading precautions
The calculation covers employees with bargaining rights, which sometimes excludes certain groups. Definitions and data dates vary by country. The existence of an agreement says nothing about its content.
Full ranking
ranked from highest to lowest
| Rank | Country | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1er | 🇮🇹 Italy | 99 % | 2019 |
| 2e | 🇦🇹 Austria | 98 % | 2019 |
| 2e | 🇫🇷 France | 98 % | 2018 |
| 4e | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 96 % | 2019 |
| 5e | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 94.7 % | 2018 |
| 6e | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 90 % | 2019 |
| 6e | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 90 % | 2019 |
| 8e | 🇫🇮 Finland | 89.2 % | 2018 |
| 9e | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 80.3 % | 2018 |
| 10e | 🇪🇸 Spain | 80.1 % | 2018 |
| 11e | 🇨🇺 Cuba | 76.8 % | 2018 |
| 12e | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 76.5 % | 2018 |
| 13e | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 75.6 % | 2019 |
| 14e | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 75 % | 2008 |
| 15e | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 74.7 % | 2012 |
| 16e | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 70.9 % | 2016 |
| 17e | 🇳🇴 Norway | 69 % | 2017 |
| 18e | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 64.8 % | 2020 |
| 19e | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 62.9 % | 2019 |
| 20e | 🇦🇺 Australia | 61.2 % | 2018 |
| 21e | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 55 % | 2014 |
| 21e | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 55 % | 2010 |
| 23e | 🇩🇪 Germany | 51.8 % | 2019 |
| 24e | 🇦🇱 Albania | 51.1 % | 2018 |
| 25e | 🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina | 50 % | 2012 |
| 26e | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 49.4 % | 2018 |
| 27e | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 49 % | 2013 |
| 28e | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 47.7 % | 2018 |
| 29e | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 46.7 % | 2016 |
| 30e | 🇨🇳 China | 45 % | 2017 |
| 31e | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 43.3 % | 2016 |
| 32e | 🇲🇩 Moldova | 43 % | 2020 |
| 33e | 🇲🇹 Malta | 41.8 % | 2012 |
| 34e | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 41 % | 2008 |
| 35e | 🇳🇦 Namibia | 40.9 % | 2020 |
| 36e | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 40.2 % | 2020 |
| 37e | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 40 % | 2018 |
| 38e | 🇬🇭 Ghana | 38.4 % | 2020 |
| 39e | 🇧🇼 Botswana | 34.5 % | 2020 |
| 40e | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 33.5 % | 2014 |
| 41e | 🇨🇿 Czechia | 32.1 % | 2019 |
| 42e | 🇨🇦 Canada | 31.3 % | 2020 |
| 43e | 🇺🇬 Uganda | 30.2 % | 2019 |
| 44e | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 30.1 % | 2019 |
| 45e | 🇷🇺 Russia | 28.5 % | 2019 |
| 46e | 🇸🇿 Eswatini | 28.4 % | 2016 |
| 47e | 🇮🇱 Israel | 28 % | 2016 |
| 48e | 🇿🇲 Zambia | 27.6 % | 2020 |
| 49e | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 27.3 % | 2019 |
| 50e | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 26.9 % | 2019 |
| 51e | 🇬🇷 Greece | 25.8 % | 2018 |
| 52e | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 24.5 % | 2018 |
| 53e | 🇹🇬 Togo | 23.8 % | 2019 |
| 54e | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | 23.4 % | 2016 |
| 55e | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 22.4 % | 2019 |
| 56e | 🇨🇱 Chile | 21 % | 2018 |
| 57e | 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago | 19.9 % | 2020 |
| 58e | 🇦🇲 Armenia | 19.4 % | 2019 |
| 59e | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 18.6 % | 2020 |
| 60e | 🇲🇼 Malawi | 18.1 % | 2013 |
| 60e | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 18.1 % | 2012 |
| 62e | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 17.8 % | 2019 |
| 63e | 🇳🇪 Niger | 17.5 % | 2008 |
| 64e | 🇵🇱 Poland | 17.2 % | 2015 |
| 65e | 🇯🇵 Japan | 16.8 % | 2019 |
| 66e | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 16.5 % | 2016 |
| 67e | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 15.7 % | 2016 |
| 68e | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 15.6 % | 2019 |
| 69e | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 15 % | 2018 |
| 69e | 🇷🇴 Romania | 15 % | 2017 |
| 71e | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 14.4 % | 2020 |
| 72e | 🇻🇨 St. Vincent & Grenadines | 14 % | 2009 |
| 73e | 🇺🇸 United States | 12.1 % | 2020 |
| 74e | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 11.8 % | 2020 |
| 75e | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 10.8 % | 2016 |
| 76e | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 10.4 % | 2019 |
| 77e | 🇸🇳 Senegal | 10.1 % | 2019 |
| 78e | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 10 % | 2008 |
| 79e | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 9.7 % | 2019 |
| 80e | 🇧🇿 Belize | 9.1 % | 2012 |
| 81e | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 8 % | 2008 |
| 82e | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 7.4 % | 2019 |
| 82e | 🇹🇷 Türkiye | 7.4 % | 2019 |
| 84e | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 6.7 % | 2020 |
| 85e | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | 5.7 % | 2019 |
| 86e | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | 4.6 % | 2018 |
| 87e | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 3.5 % | 2008 |
| 88e | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 3.2 % | 2019 |
| 89e | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 3 % | 2020 |
| 90e | 🇵🇪 Peru | 2.6 % | 2020 |
| 91e | 🇵🇦 Panama | 2 % | 2017 |
| 92e | 🇭🇳 Honduras | 1.9 % | 2016 |
| 93e | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 1.6 % | 2020 |
| 94e | 🇵🇭 Philippines | 1.4 % | 2018 |
| 95e | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 1.3 % | 2020 |
| 96e | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 1.1 % | 2020 |
| 97e | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 1 % | 2019 |
| 98e | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | 0.7 % | 2016 |
| 99e | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 0.4 % | 2018 |
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the highest value for "Employees covered by a collective agreement"?
The highest value is in Italy, at 99 % (2019).
Which country has the lowest value for "Employees covered by a collective agreement"?
The lowest value is in Malaysia, at 0.4 % (2018).
What is the world median value of "Employees covered by a collective agreement"?
The world median is 26.9 %, calculated across 99 countries: half of the countries are above it, the other half below.
What is the value of "Employees covered by a collective agreement" for France?
France scores 98 % (2018), ranking 2 out of 99 countries (ranked from highest to lowest).
Where does the "Employees covered by a collective agreement" data come from?
It comes from OIT – ILOSTAT : taux de couverture de la négociation collective. Site last updated: November 8, 2026. Each country is shown with the year of its most recent value.
What is a collective agreement?
It is an accord between employers and trade unions that sets common working rules, such as pay, hours or leave, for a sector or a company.
Do you have to be a union member to be covered?
No. The indicator counts employees to whom an agreement applies, whether or not they are union members.
Source and update
Source : OIT – ILOSTAT : taux de couverture de la négociation collective. Site last updated: November 8, 2026.
Indicators in the same category : Work and social rights
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- Non-respect of freedom of association and collective bargainingThe International Labour Organization (ILO) rates, based on official texts and national sources, how far a country respects the right to form and join trade unions and to bargain collectively. The rating runs from 0 (fullest respect) to 10 (weakest respect).
- Population covered by at least one social benefitSocial protection covers public support such as family allowances, pensions, unemployment benefits, and help in case of illness or disability. This ILO indicator gives the share of the population that receives at least one of these benefits or is covered by a social insurance scheme.
- Legal monthly minimum wageThe minimum wage is the lowest monthly pay an employer is allowed to pay, set by law or by a national agreement. Countries with no national legal minimum wage (some countries where wages are set by sector agreements) are absent. Amounts are gross, for one month of full-time work. Here, the amount is converted into US dollars at the exchange rate of the year.
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- Trade union membership rateA trade union is an organization that defends the interests of workers. The union membership rate is the share of employees who are members of a union. The data come from administrative statistics or national surveys, depending on the country.
- Legal retirement age (women)This is the age at which the law allows women to retire with a full pension. When the law provides for a gradual increase, the age in force in the year shown is used. Countries whose age depends on several conditions (long careers, number of children, etc.) and is given as a range are not included.
- Legal retirement age (men)This is the age at which the law allows men to retire with a normal pension. When the law provides for a gradual increase, the age in force in the year shown is used. Countries where the age depends on several conditions (long careers, number of children, etc.) and is given as a range are left out.