Trade union density rate in Japan

Japan: Trade union density rate was 16.8 in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
16.8
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
47th
of 86 countries
All-time high
21.54
in 2000
All-time low
16.8
in 2019
Years of data
20
2000–2019

Trade union density rate in Japan, 2000–2019

051015202000200920192000: 21.52001: 20.92002: 20.32003: 19.72004: 19.32005: 18.82006: 18.32007: 18.22008: 18.22009: 18.52010: 18.42011: 192012: 182013: 17.82014: 17.62015: 17.52016: 17.42017: 17.22018: 172019: 16.8

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2019, trade union density rate in Japan stood at 16.8. That is the lowest value across all 20 years on record.

The figure is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 9.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, trade union density rate in Japan peaked at 21.54 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 16.8, in 2019.

That places Japan 47th out of 86 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Trade union density rate in Japan, year by year

Annual values for Trade union density rate in Japan, 2000 to 2019.
Year Value Change
2000 21.54
2001 20.88 -3.1%
2002 20.26 -3.0%
2003 19.74 -2.6%
2004 19.25 -2.5%
2005 18.8 -2.4%
2006 18.35 -2.4%
2007 18.25 -0.5%
2008 18.22 -0.2%
2009 18.46 +1.3%
2010 18.4 -0.3%
2011 18.99 +3.2%
2012 17.97 -5.4%
2013 17.78 -1.1%
2014 17.6 -1.0%
2015 17.52 -0.5%
2016 17.35 -1.0%
2017 17.15 -1.1%
2018 16.96 -1.1%
2019 16.8 -1.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 19.38 18.22 21.54 10
2010s 17.65 16.8 18.99 10

Countries ranked near Japan

  1. 44 Republic of Moldova 18.58 compare
  2. 45 Chile 17.09 compare
  3. 46 Ghana 16.84 compare
  4. 48 Germany 16.25 compare
  5. 49 Netherlands 15.39 compare
  6. 50 Portugal 15.29 compare

See the full ranking of 86 places →

More work & labour data for Japan

All data for Japan →

Frequently asked questions

What is trade union density rate in Japan?
Trade union density rate in Japan was 16.8 in 2019, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest trade union density rate recorded in Japan?
The highest recorded value was 21.54 in 2000.
What is the lowest trade union density rate recorded in Japan?
The lowest recorded value was 16.8 in 2019.
How does Japan rank for trade union density rate?
Japan ranks 47th out of 86 countries with data for 2019.
Is trade union density rate rising or falling in Japan?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Japan 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 Japan. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/trade-union-density-rate/japan/

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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.