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Trade union membership rate
What this indicator measures
A 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.
How to read this?
A high percentage means many employees belong to a union.
Ranking : ranked from highest to lowest
In brief
Trade union membership rate: across 137 countries and territories, values range from 0.2 % (Venezuela) to 91.4 % (Iceland), with a world median of 16.7 %. Data: 2007–2020. The top 10% of countries exceed 36.7 %, while the bottom 10% stay below 5.5 %. By continent, the median is highest in Europe (22.4 %) and lowest in North America (10.3 %).
Median by continent
- Europe 22.4 % (38)
- Asia 17.3 % (28)
- Africa 13.5 % (38)
- Oceania 13.4 % (4)
- South America 12.5 % (10)
- North America 10.3 % (17)
Why this indicator matters
The share of unionized employees indicates the potential weight of unions in defending workers' interests. Comparing it sheds light on differences in how social dialogue is organized between countries.
What makes this indicator vary
The rate depends on the history of the union movement, the legal framework, the role of unions in managing certain benefits, the structure of the economy and the place of the informal sector.
Reading precautions
The data come from registers or surveys depending on the country, which limits comparability. A low rate does not imply low coverage by collective agreements. Reference years differ.
Full ranking
ranked from highest to lowest
| Rank | Country | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1er | 🇮🇸 Iceland | 91.4 % | 2019 |
| 2e | 🇨🇺 Cuba | 81.4 % | 2008 |
| 3e | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 67 % | 2019 |
| 4e | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 65.2 % | 2019 |
| 5e | 🇫🇮 Finland | 58.8 % | 2019 |
| 6e | 🇳🇴 Norway | 50.4 % | 2019 |
| 7e | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 49.6 % | 2018 |
| 8e | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 49.1 % | 2019 |
| 9e | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 46.9 % | 2017 |
| 10e | 🇨🇳 China | 44.2 % | 2017 |
| 11e | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 43.3 % | 2016 |
| 12e | 🇲🇹 Malta | 41.9 % | 2020 |
| 13e | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 38.1 % | 2019 |
| 14e | 🇦🇱 Albania | 36.8 % | 2017 |
| 15e | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 36.6 % | 2019 |
| 16e | 🇸🇾 Syria | 36 % | 2007 |
| 17e | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 33.3 % | 2010 |
| 18e | 🇮🇹 Italy | 32.5 % | 2019 |
| 19e | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | 32.2 % | 2017 |
| 20e | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | 30.8 % | 2019 |
| 21e | 🇸🇩 Sudan | 30.4 % | 2011 |
| 22e | 🇳🇵 Nepal | 30.2 % | 2018 |
| 23e | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | 30.1 % | 2013 |
| 24e | 🇧🇦 Bosnia & Herzegovina | 30 % | 2012 |
| 25e | 🇧🇼 Botswana | 30 % | 2020 |
| 26e | 🇨🇦 Canada | 29.4 % | 2020 |
| 27e | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 29.1 % | 2019 |
| 28e | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 28.2 % | 2019 |
| 29e | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 27.7 % | 2014 |
| 30e | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 27.7 % | 2018 |
| 31e | 🇷🇺 Russia | 27.5 % | 2017 |
| 32e | 🇳🇪 Niger | 27 % | 2012 |
| 33e | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 26.9 % | 2016 |
| 34e | 🇵🇦 Panama | 26.3 % | 2019 |
| 35e | 🇦🇹 Austria | 26.2 % | 2019 |
| 36e | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China | 26.1 % | 2016 |
| 37e | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 25.8 % | 2012 |
| 38e | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 25.4 % | 2020 |
| 39e | 🇮🇱 Israel | 25.1 % | 2017 |
| 40e | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | 24.3 % | 2015 |
| 41e | 🇿🇲 Zambia | 23.9 % | 2019 |
| 42e | 🇸🇿 Eswatini | 23.9 % | 2016 |
| 43e | 🇹🇬 Togo | 23.8 % | 2019 |
| 44e | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 23.8 % | 2010 |
| 45e | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 23.7 % | 2014 |
| 46e | 🇨🇼 Curaçao | 23.5 % | 2018 |
| 47e | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 23.4 % | 2019 |
| 48e | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 22.2 % | 2019 |
| 49e | 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | 21.9 % | 2008 |
| 50e | 🇧🇲 Bermuda | 21.9 % | 2018 |
| 51e | 🇷🇴 Romania | 21.4 % | 2018 |
| 52e | 🇨🇻 Cape Verde | 20.9 % | 2015 |
| 53e | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 20.8 % | 2018 |
| 54e | 🇦🇲 Armenia | 20.6 % | 2019 |
| 55e | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 20.5 % | 2019 |
| 56e | 🇱🇷 Liberia | 20.1 % | 2010 |
| 57e | 🇮🇳 India | 19.8 % | 2017 |
| 58e | 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago | 19.8 % | 2013 |
| 59e | 🇬🇷 Greece | 19 % | 2016 |
| 60e | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 18.9 % | 2020 |
| 61e | 🇲🇩 Moldova | 18.6 % | 2019 |
| 62e | 🇳🇦 Namibia | 18.3 % | 2018 |
| 63e | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 17.9 % | 2019 |
| 64e | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | 17.8 % | 2017 |
| 65e | 🇨🇱 Chile | 17.1 % | 2018 |
| 66e | 🇬🇭 Ghana | 16.8 % | 2019 |
| 67e | 🇯🇵 Japan | 16.8 % | 2019 |
| 68e | 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | 16.8 % | 2019 |
| 69e | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | 16.7 % | 2019 |
| 70e | 🇩🇪 Germany | 16.3 % | 2019 |
| 71e | 🇱🇦 Laos | 15.5 % | 2010 |
| 72e | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 15.4 % | 2019 |
| 73e | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 15.3 % | 2016 |
| 74e | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 14.4 % | 2018 |
| 75e | 🇬🇾 Guyana | 14 % | 2018 |
| 76e | 🇬🇲 Gambia | 13.9 % | 2018 |
| 77e | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 13.7 % | 2016 |
| 78e | 🇦🇺 Australia | 13.7 % | 2018 |
| 79e | 🇨🇩 Congo - Kinshasa | 13.6 % | 2012 |
| 80e | 🇰🇲 Comoros | 13.4 % | 2014 |
| 81e | 🇫🇯 Fiji | 13.2 % | 2016 |
| 82e | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 13 % | 2019 |
| 83e | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | 13 % | 2019 |
| 84e | 🇵🇱 Poland | 12.7 % | 2018 |
| 85e | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | 12.5 % | 2016 |
| 86e | 🇪🇸 Spain | 12.4 % | 2019 |
| 87e | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 12.4 % | 2020 |
| 88e | 🇰🇷 South Korea | 12.4 % | 2020 |
| 89e | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | 12 % | 2019 |
| 90e | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 11.9 % | 2018 |
| 91e | 🇼🇸 Samoa | 11.8 % | 2014 |
| 92e | 🇸🇴 Somalia | 11.8 % | 2019 |
| 93e | 🇨🇿 Czechia | 11.4 % | 2018 |
| 94e | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 11.1 % | 2019 |
| 95e | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 10.9 % | 2019 |
| 96e | 🇱🇻 Latvia | 10.7 % | 2019 |
| 97e | 🇨🇮 Côte d’Ivoire | 10.6 % | 2017 |
| 98e | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | 10.4 % | 2012 |
| 99e | 🇺🇸 United States | 10.3 % | 2020 |
| 100e | 🇺🇬 Uganda | 10.3 % | 2017 |
| 101e | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | 10.1 % | 2019 |
| 102e | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 9.9 % | 2008 |
| 103e | 🇹🇷 Türkiye | 9.9 % | 2019 |
| 104e | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 9.8 % | 2018 |
| 105e | 🇰🇪 Kenya | 9.7 % | 2019 |
| 106e | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 9.6 % | 2012 |
| 107e | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 9.4 % | 2019 |
| 108e | 🇫🇷 France | 8.9 % | 2018 |
| 109e | 🇲🇼 Malawi | 8.9 % | 2013 |
| 110e | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | 8.7 % | 2018 |
| 111e | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | 8.7 % | 2018 |
| 112e | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 8.7 % | 2019 |
| 113e | 🇵🇭 Philippines | 8.5 % | 2020 |
| 114e | 🇲🇱 Mali | 7.5 % | 2018 |
| 115e | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | 7.5 % | 2019 |
| 116e | 🇧🇿 Belize | 7.4 % | 2019 |
| 117e | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 7.4 % | 2019 |
| 118e | 🇸🇳 Senegal | 7.4 % | 2019 |
| 119e | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | 7.2 % | 2015 |
| 120e | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | 6.9 % | 2019 |
| 121e | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 6 % | 2019 |
| 122e | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | 5.9 % | 2019 |
| 123e | 🇧🇮 Burundi | 5.6 % | 2014 |
| 124e | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | 5.3 % | 2010 |
| 125e | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | 5 % | 2014 |
| 126e | 🇻🇨 St. Vincent & Grenadines | 4.9 % | 2010 |
| 127e | 🇱🇸 Lesotho | 4.8 % | 2019 |
| 128e | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | 4.7 % | 2016 |
| 129e | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 4.7 % | 2019 |
| 130e | 🇹🇭 Thailand | 3.3 % | 2019 |
| 131e | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | 3.1 % | 2019 |
| 132e | 🇭🇳 Honduras | 2.6 % | 2017 |
| 133e | 🇵🇪 Peru | 2.3 % | 2018 |
| 134e | 🇸🇨 Seychelles | 2 % | 2011 |
| 135e | 🇱🇨 St. Lucia | 1.8 % | 2008 |
| 136e | 🇲🇲 Myanmar (Burma) | 1 % | 2015 |
| 137e | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | 0.2 % | 2012 |
Frequently asked questions
Which country has the highest value for "Trade union membership rate"?
The highest value is in Iceland, at 91.4 % (2019).
Which country has the lowest value for "Trade union membership rate"?
The lowest value is in Venezuela, at 0.2 % (2012).
What is the world median value of "Trade union membership rate"?
The world median is 16.7 %, calculated across 137 countries: half of the countries are above it, the other half below.
What is the value of "Trade union membership rate" for France?
France scores 8.9 % (2018), ranking 108 out of 137 countries (ranked from highest to lowest).
Where does the "Trade union membership rate" data come from?
It comes from OIT – ILOSTAT : taux de syndicalisation. Site last updated: November 8, 2026. Each country is shown with the year of its most recent value.
What does the union membership rate measure?
It measures the share of employees who are members of a union. It does not count self-employed people or people without a job, and it does not say how many employees are covered by a collective agreement.
Does a high rate mean better wages?
Not necessarily. The rate only describes union membership. Wages and working conditions depend on many other factors, such as collective bargaining and the law.
Source and update
Source : OIT – ILOSTAT : taux de syndicalisation. 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.
- Statutory monthly minimum wage in purchasing power parityThe minimum wage is the lowest monthly pay that an employer is allowed to pay, set by law or by a national agreement. Countries without a national statutory minimum wage (some countries where wages are set by sector-level agreements) are absent. Amounts are gross, for one month of full-time work. Here, the amount is adjusted for price differences between countries (purchasing power parity), which makes it easier to compare what can be bought with it.
- Employees covered by a collective agreementA 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.
- 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.