Trade union density rate in Ireland

Ireland: Trade union density rate was 25.39 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
25.39
Change on year
up 2.2%
World rank
29th
of 86 countries
All-time high
35.93
in 2000
All-time low
23.29
in 2016
Years of data
21
2000–2020

Trade union density rate in Ireland, 2000–2020

0102030402000201020202000: 35.92001: 35.62002: 35.42003: 35.22004: 34.22005: 33.22006: 31.82007: 30.52008: 30.92009: 31.92010: 31.82011: 31.72012: 302013: 28.42014: 26.12015: 25.22016: 23.32017: 24.12018: 242019: 24.82020: 25.4

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2020, trade union density rate in Ireland stood at 25.39.

The figure is up 2.2% on the previous year and down 20.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, trade union density rate in Ireland peaked at 35.93 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 23.29, in 2016.

Ireland ranks 29th of 86 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.

Trade union density rate in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Trade union density rate in Ireland, 2000 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2000 35.93
2001 35.59 -0.9%
2002 35.44 -0.4%
2003 35.21 -0.7%
2004 34.24 -2.7%
2005 33.17 -3.1%
2006 31.78 -4.2%
2007 30.46 -4.1%
2008 30.89 +1.4%
2009 31.94 +3.4%
2010 31.8 -0.4%
2011 31.7 -0.3%
2012 29.99 -5.4%
2013 28.36 -5.4%
2014 26.05 -8.1%
2015 25.2 -3.3%
2016 23.29 -7.6%
2017 24.15 +3.7%
2018 24.03 -0.5%
2019 24.85 +3.4%
2020 25.39 +2.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 33.47 30.46 35.93 10
2010s 26.94 23.29 31.8 10
2020s 25.39 25.39 25.39 1

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 26 Panama 26.32 compare
  2. 27 Austria 26.24 compare
  3. 28 Hong Kong, China 26.06 compare
  4. 30 Israel 25.09 compare
  5. 31 Tanzania, United Republic of 24.3 compare
  6. 32 Zambia 23.92 compare

See the full ranking of 86 places →

More work & labour data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is trade union density rate in Ireland?
Trade union density rate in Ireland was 25.39 in 2020, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest trade union density rate recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 35.93 in 2000.
What is the lowest trade union density rate recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 23.29 in 2016.
How does Ireland rank for trade union density rate?
Ireland ranks 29th out of 86 countries with data for 2020.
Is trade union density rate rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 20.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ireland 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 Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/trade-union-density-rate/ireland/

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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.