Number of workers involved in strikes and lockouts by country
Workers involved in strikes and lockouts represents the number of workers implicated directly or indirectly at any time during a strike or lockout, whether the involvement was for the full duration of the strike or lockout or only part of it. Workers who are unable to work as a result of the secondary effects of...
What the numbers show
Number of workers involved in strikes and lockouts is currently reported for 91 countries. The highest value is 133,480 in Brazil; the lowest is 0 in Malaysia.
The median across all reporting countries is 4.87, and the mean is 1,621.
Over the past decade 35 countries rose and 43 fell. The largest increase was in El Salvador (up 133,257.0%), and the largest decrease in Costa Rica (down 100.0%).
Number of workers involved in strikes and lockouts: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil | 133,480 | 2020 | up 8,333.4% | volatile |
| 2 | Belgium | 2,641 | 2024 | up 1,079.0% | volatile |
| 3 | El Salvador | 1,851 | 2021 | up 133,257.0% | volatile |
| 4 | Argentina | 1,709 | 2024 | up 17.2% | volatile |
| 5 | New Caledonia | 1,448 | 2013 | down 76.5% | falling |
| 6 | Uruguay | 1,223 | 2018 | up 60.1% | rising |
| 7 | India | 579.03 | 2016 | down 68.0% | falling |
| 8 | Canada | 540.95 | 2023 | up 162.9% | volatile |
| 9 | Barbados | 530 | 2015 | up 91,754.4% | volatile |
| 10 | Isle of Man | 445 | 2014 | up 270.8% | volatile |
| 11 | Germany | 417.7 | 2024 | up 623.0% | volatile |
| 12 | Thailand | 400 | 2020 | up 17,261.1% | volatile |
| 13 | United States of America | 271.5 | 2024 | up 691.5% | volatile |
| 14 | Italy | 266.53 | 2009 | down 71.5% | volatile |
| 15 | Spain | 231.74 | 2024 | up 6.8% | volatile |
| 16 | Indonesia | 145.56 | 1997 | up 3,328.9% | volatile |
| 17 | Finland | 107.62 | 2024 | up 55.4% | volatile |
| 18 | Republic of Korea | 106.1 | 2024 | down 20.4% | volatile |
| 19 | Tunisia | 98.21 | 2007 | up 175.2% | volatile |
| 20 | Israel | 97.86 | 2023 | up 350.3% | volatile |
| 21 | Australia | 89.1 | 2024 | down 32.6% | volatile |
| 22 | Peru | 76.7 | 2024 | up 88.5% | volatile |
| 23 | South Africa | 65.5 | 2024 | down 68.1% | volatile |
| 24 | Portugal | 61.25 | 2023 | down 99.9% | volatile |
| 25 | France | 60.35 | 2004 | up 235.3% | volatile |
| 26 | Nigeria | 59.98 | 1997 | up 223.3% | volatile |
| 27 | Algeria | 56.86 | 2004 | down 56.4% | volatile |
| 28 | New Zealand | 52.04 | 2019 | up 481.4% | volatile |
| 29 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 46 | 2024 | down 93.7% | volatile |
| 30 | Cambodia | 38.56 | 2001 | up 4,528.8% | volatile |
| 31 | Guyana | 37.9 | 1995 | down 59.6% | rising |
| 32 | Mexico | 27.08 | 2022 | up 808.7% | volatile |
| 33 | Chile | 23.04 | 2024 | down 24.8% | volatile |
| 34 | Netherlands | 21.3 | 2024 | up 108.8% | volatile |
| 35 | Morocco | 21.24 | 2002 | — | volatile |
| 36 | Zambia | 20.51 | 1997 | — | falling |
| 37 | Romania | 16.73 | 2008 | down 86.0% | volatile |
| 38 | Austria | 14.11 | 2024 | up 171.6% | volatile |
| 39 | Colombia | 9.88 | 1993 | down 88.4% | volatile |
| 40 | Poland | 9.26 | 2024 | down 68.4% | volatile |
| 41 | Japan | 8.41 | 2023 | down 34.8% | volatile |
| 42 | Sri Lanka | 8.13 | 2024 | up 26.1% | volatile |
| 43 | Lithuania | 7.87 | 2023 | up 41.6% | volatile |
| 44 | Hungary | 5.58 | 2024 | up 196.2% | volatile |
| 45 | Ghana | 5.56 | 1991 | — | volatile |
| 46 | Mongolia | 4.87 | 2024 | down 17.7% | volatile |
| 47 | Norway | 4.3 | 2024 | down 52.1% | volatile |
| 48 | Denmark | 4.27 | 2024 | down 59.8% | volatile |
| 49 | Iceland | 4.26 | 2004 | down 42.3% | volatile |
| 50 | Cyprus | 4.18 | 2024 | down 82.4% | volatile |
| 51 | Kenya | 4.15 | 1975 | down 89.3% | volatile |
| 52 | Netherlands Antilles | 3.88 | 2000 | down 21.0% | volatile |
| 53 | San Marino | 3 | 2010 | down 14.3% | volatile |
| 54 | Switzerland | 2.69 | 2024 | up 40.7% | volatile |
| 55 | Niger | 2.27 | 1991 | down 67.3% | volatile |
| 56 | Eswatini | 2.22 | 2019 | — | volatile |
| 57 | Türkiye | 1.86 | 2024 | down 88.8% | volatile |
| 58 | Bangladesh | 1.7 | 2000 | down 88.3% | volatile |
| 59 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 1.63 | 2000 | up 13,516.7% | volatile |
| 60 | Uganda | 1.41 | 2004 | down 72.5% | volatile |
| 61 | Pakistan | 1.26 | 2003 | down 91.8% | volatile |
| 62 | Myanmar | 1.09 | 2008 | — | volatile |
| 63 | Egypt | 1.05 | 2003 | up 9.1% | volatile |
| 64 | Ukraine | 0.687 | 2021 | up 816.0% | volatile |
| 65 | Burundi | 0.663 | 2023 | — | volatile |
| 66 | Dominica | 0.655 | 1997 | — | volatile |
| 67 | Malta | 0.622 | 2012 | down 8.3% | volatile |
| 68 | Ireland | 0.608 | 2024 | down 98.1% | volatile |
| 69 | Ecuador | 0.574 | 2008 | down 69.3% | volatile |
| 70 | Sweden | 0.544 | 2023 | down 80.9% | volatile |
| 71 | Bermuda | 0.52 | 1997 | up 48.6% | volatile |
| 72 | Trinidad and Tobago | 0.428 | 2010 | — | volatile |
| 73 | Burkina Faso | 0.321 | 1991 | down 97.4% | volatile |
| 74 | Philippines | 0.283 | 2023 | down 99.9% | volatile |
| 75 | Czechia | 0.2 | 2015 | — | volatile |
| 76 | Slovakia | 0.196 | 2024 | up 106.3% | volatile |
| 77 | Hong Kong, China | 0.153 | 2016 | up 128.4% | volatile |
| 78 | Puerto Rico | 0.126 | 2008 | down 99.0% | volatile |
| 79 | Panama | 0.07 | 2024 | up 16.7% | volatile |
| 80 | Botswana | 0.052 | 2008 | down 98.5% | volatile |
| 81 | Nicaragua | 0.051 | 2004 | down 99.3% | volatile |
| 82 | Cameroon | 0.046 | 1986 | down 96.7% | volatile |
| 83 | Estonia | 0.025 | 2018 | down 93.8% | volatile |
| 84 | Costa Rica | 0 | 2020 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 84 | Bahamas | 0 | 1992 | — | volatile |
| 84 | Latvia | 0 | 2024 | — | volatile |
| 84 | Belarus | 0 | 2014 | — | volatile |
| 84 | Russian Federation | 0 | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 84 | Mauritius | 0 | 2024 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 84 | Anguilla | 0 | 1997 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 84 | Malaysia | 0 | 2022 | — | volatile |
About this data
Workers involved in strikes and lockouts represents the number of workers implicated directly or indirectly at any time during a strike or lockout, whether the involvement was for the full duration of the strike or lockout or only part of it. Workers who are unable to work as a result of the secondary effects of strikes or lockouts should not be included. Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the Industrial Relations data (IRdata) database description.