Trade union density rate in Belgium

Belgium: Trade union density rate was 49.08 in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
49.08
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
6th
of 86 countries
All-time high
57.84
in 2001
All-time low
49.08
in 2019
Years of data
20
2000–2019

Trade union density rate in Belgium, 2000–2019

02040602000200920192000: 56.42001: 57.82002: 57.12003: 55.82004: 55.12005: 54.92006: 53.72007: 53.62008: 53.42009: 53.82010: 52.72011: 542012: 53.82013: 532014: 52.72015: 52.32016: 51.62017: 50.72018: 502019: 49.1

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for trade union density rate in Belgium is 49.08, measured in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 20 years on record.

The figure is down 1.8% on the previous year and down 8.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, trade union density rate in Belgium peaked at 57.84 in 2001 and was at its lowest, 49.08, in 2019.

Belgium ranks 6th of 86 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.

Trade union density rate in Belgium, year by year

Annual values for Trade union density rate in Belgium, 2000 to 2019.
Year Value Change
2000 56.41
2001 57.84 +2.5%
2002 57.12 -1.2%
2003 55.76 -2.4%
2004 55.06 -1.3%
2005 54.91 -0.3%
2006 53.73 -2.1%
2007 53.55 -0.3%
2008 53.38 -0.3%
2009 53.81 +0.8%
2010 52.7 -2.1%
2011 54.04 +2.5%
2012 53.75 -0.5%
2013 53.03 -1.3%
2014 52.72 -0.6%
2015 52.27 -0.9%
2016 51.58 -1.3%
2017 50.72 -1.7%
2018 49.96 -1.5%
2019 49.08 -1.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 55.16 53.38 57.84 10
2010s 51.98 49.08 54.04 10

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 3 Sweden 65.21 compare
  2. 4 Finland 58.83 compare
  3. 5 Norway 50.4 compare
  4. 7 Kazakhstan 46.92 compare
  5. 8 China 44.25 compare
  6. 9 Cyprus 43.28 compare

See the full ranking of 86 places →

More work & labour data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is trade union density rate in Belgium?
Trade union density rate in Belgium was 49.08 in 2019, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest trade union density rate recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 57.84 in 2001.
What is the lowest trade union density rate recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 49.08 in 2019.
How does Belgium rank for trade union density rate?
Belgium ranks 6th out of 86 countries with data for 2019.
Is trade union density rate rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Belgium data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Trade union density rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Trade union density rate in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/trade-union-density-rate/belgium/

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About this data

Indicator
Trade union density rate
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
86 places, 1,182 data points, 2000–2020
Last refreshed

A trade union is defined as a workers' organization constituted for the purpose of furthering and defending the interests of workers. This trade union density rate conveys the number of union members who are employees as a percentage of the total number of employees. For the purpose of this indicator in particular, trade union membership excludes union members who are not in paid employment (self-employed, unemployed, retired, etc.), unless otherwise stated in the notes. The statistics presented in this table result from an ILO data compilation effort (including an annual questionnaire and numerous special enquiries), with contributions from J. Visser. For more information, refer to the Industrial Relations data (IRdata) database description.