Labor unions, also known as trade unions, reached their peak in the advanced industrial countries of the G7 and Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) in the late twentieth century; since the 1980s however, their memberships have declined drastically, in some countries by as much as 50 percent. The labor movement arose in the nineteenth century to represent workers' interests in collective bargaining and to protests against poor wages and work conditions. From their peak in the twentieth century, unions have declined to represent much smaller numbers of workers today, in many countries being active mainly among public sector workers, such as in the United States.
The rise and fall of union power
In their rise during the twentieth century, labor unions were tightly connected to political parties of social democratic or socialist bent, while also being connected with Christian democrats in some continental European countries. As these parties came to power in the post-WWII period, unions were institutionalized into a system of social partnership with employers and the government in many countries. This agreement minimized labor disputes, while focusing on increasing productivity, which led to a period of unprecedented economic growth. As this system ran up against intractable economic problems in the 1970s, however, parties came to power who pursued a 'neoliberal' agenda of liberalization of the labor market and the privatization of nationalized companies. Since the late 1970s, these policies have caused union membership to decline drastically, as unions could engage in the same level of collective bargaining in a more interconnected and globalized international economy.
Annual percentage of workforce members of labor unions in the G7 countries and OECD from 1960 to 2020
Characteristic
Canada
France
Germany
Italy
Japan
United Kingdom
United States
OECD Average
2020
27.2%
-
-
-
-
-
10.3%
-
2019
26.1%
-
16.3%
32.5%
16.8%
23.5%
9.9%
15.8%
2018
25.9%
-
16.6%
32.6%
17%
23.4%
10.1%
15.9%
2017
26.3%
-
16.7%
33.2%
17.2%
23.3%
10.3%
16%
2016
26.3%
10.8%
17%
33.6%
17.4%
23.6%
10.3%
16.2%
2015
26.5%
-
17.6%
34.2%
17.5%
24.7%
10.6%
16.5%
2014
26.4%
-
17.7%
35.4%
17.6%
25%
10.7%
16.8%
2013
27.1%
11%
18%
35.7%
17.8%
25.6%
10.8%
17.1%
2012
27.2%
-
18.3%
35.5%
18%
26.1%
10.8%
17.3%
2011
26.9%
-
18.4%
35.2%
19%
26%
11.3%
17.7%
2010
27.2%
10.8%
18.9%
35.3%
18.4%
26.6%
11.4%
17.8%
2009
27.3%
-
18.8%
34.7%
18.5%
27.4%
11.8%
18.1%
2008
27%
10.6%
19%
33.9%
18.2%
27.5%
11.9%
18%
2007
27.3%
-
19.8%
34%
18.3%
28%
11.6%
18.2%
2006
27.4%
-
20.6%
33.6%
18.3%
28.3%
11.5%
18.3%
2005
27.7%
10.5%
21.5%
33.8%
18.8%
28.6%
12%
19%
2004
27.8%
10.5%
22.2%
34%
19.3%
28.8%
12%
19.3%
2003
28.2%
10.8%
23%
33.6%
19.7%
29.3%
12.4%
19.7%
2002
28.3%
10.8%
23.5%
33.7%
20.3%
28.8%
12.8%
20%
2001
28.4%
10.8%
23.7%
34.2%
20.9%
29.3%
12.9%
20.3%
2000
28.2%
10.8%
24.6%
34.8%
21.5%
29.8%
12.9%
20.9%
1999
28%
10.8%
25.3%
35.3%
22.2%
30%
13.4%
21.5%
1998
28.6%
10.5%
25.9%
35.6%
22.5%
30.1%
13.4%
21.9%
1997
28.9%
10.5%
27%
36%
22.8%
31.4%
13.6%
22.5%
1996
-
10.8%
27.8%
36.9%
23.4%
32.6%
14%
23.2%
1995
-
-
29.2%
37.6%
24%
33.9%
14.3%
24.2%
1994
-
-
30.4%
38.2%
24.3%
36.2%
14.9%
25.3%
1993
-
10%
31.8%
38.7%
24.3%
37.5%
15.2%
26.5%
1992
-
10.4%
33.9%
39%
24.5%
39.5%
15.2%
27.4%
1991
-
10.4%
36%
38.9%
24.8%
39.8%
15.5%
28.4%
1990
33.6%
10.7%
31.2%
39%
25.4%
39.6%
15.5%
28.8%
1989
33.5%
10.9%
32.4%
39.7%
26.1%
41.1%
15.9%
29.5%
1988
33.4%
11.5%
33.1%
40.1%
26.9%
42.3%
16.2%
30.1%
1987
33.9%
12.1%
33.3%
40.3%
27.7%
44%
16.5%
30.6%
1986
34.5%
12.6%
33.9%
40.7%
28.2%
45.5%
17%
31.2%
1985
35.3%
13.8%
34.7%
42.5%
28.8%
45.3%
17.4%
32.1%
1984
35.9%
15.2%
34.9%
45.3%
29.2%
47.8%
18.2%
33%
1983
35.9%
16.3%
35%
45.5%
29.8%
50.1%
19.5%
34.2%
1982
36.8%
17.3%
35%
46.7%
30.6%
52%
-
35.2%
1981
33.9%
18.1%
35.1%
48%
30.9%
52.1%
-
35.7%
1980
34%
18.6%
34.9%
49.6%
31.1%
52.2%
22.1%
36.5%
1979
34.6%
19.4%
35.3%
49.7%
31.8%
50.7%
22.4%
37.4%
1978
35.5%
20.9%
35.5%
50.4%
32.6%
50.3%
23.9%
38.9%
1977
35.1%
21.7%
35.2%
49.6%
33%
48.3%
23.6%
37.9%
1976
34.5%
21.7%
35.1%
49.9%
33.7%
46.5%
24.4%
38.4%
1975
34.8%
22.6%
34.6%
47.5%
34.5%
43.8%
25.3%
38.7%
1974
33.6%
22.2%
33.7%
46%
34.3%
46.4%
25.7%
38.5%
1973
33.6%
22.6%
32.4%
42.7%
33.5%
45.5%
25.8%
37.9%
1972
32.4%
22%
32.4%
41.1%
34.3%
46.2%
26.3%
38.1%
1971
31.5%
22%
32.1%
39%
34.6%
45.3%
26.9%
38%
1970
31.8%
22.1%
32%
36.3%
35.1%
44.8%
27.4%
37.9%
1969
30.9%
22.6%
31.7%
32.2%
35.2%
41.7%
27.3%
37.2%
1968
31%
20.8%
32.2%
30.7%
34.5%
40.5%
27.9%
37%
1967
30.5%
19.4%
32.8%
29.6%
34.4%
40.2%
27.8%
36.8%
1966
28.5%
19.3%
32.5%
29.7%
34.7%
39.7%
28.2%
36.7%
1965
27.6%
19.9%
32.9%
29.8%
35.3%
40.3%
28.2%
37.1%
1964
27.3%
20.1%
33.1%
31.3%
35.5%
40.3%
28.3%
37.3%
1963
27.6%
20.5%
33.4%
30.2%
35%
40.3%
28.5%
37.3%
1962
28%
19.5%
33.8%
29.2%
34.6%
40.2%
27.6%
36.9%
1961
29.5%
20.7%
34.2%
28.7%
33.7%
40.2%
29.5%
37.7%
1960
30.1%
20%
34.7%
28.5%
32.3%
40.5%
30.9%
38%
Zoomable Statistic: Select the range in the chart you want to zoom in on.
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
OECD. (June 9, 2021). Annual percentage of workforce members of labor unions in the G7 countries and OECD from 1960 to 2020 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1357189/labor-unions-density-g7-oecd/
OECD. "Annual percentage of workforce members of labor unions in the G7 countries and OECD from 1960 to 2020." Chart. June 9, 2021. Statista. Accessed October 31, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1357189/labor-unions-density-g7-oecd/
OECD. (2021). Annual percentage of workforce members of labor unions in the G7 countries and OECD from 1960 to 2020. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: October 31, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1357189/labor-unions-density-g7-oecd/
OECD. "Annual Percentage of Workforce Members of Labor Unions in The G7 Countries and Oecd from 1960 to 2020." Statista, Statista Inc., 9 Jun 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1357189/labor-unions-density-g7-oecd/
OECD, Annual percentage of workforce members of labor unions in the G7 countries and OECD from 1960 to 2020 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1357189/labor-unions-density-g7-oecd/ (last visited October 31, 2024)
Annual percentage of workforce members of labor unions in the G7 countries and OECD from 1960 to 2020 [Graph], OECD, June 9, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1357189/labor-unions-density-g7-oecd/