Trade union density rate in New Zealand

New Zealand: Trade union density rate was 18.89 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
18.89
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
43rd
of 86 countries
All-time high
22.38
in 2000
All-time low
17.79
in 2015
Years of data
21
2000–2020

Trade union density rate in New Zealand, 2000–2020

051015202000201020202000: 22.42001: 22.32002: 21.82003: 21.72004: 21.72005: 22.32006: 21.82007: 19.92008: 21.42009: 21.52010: 21.42011: 20.52012: 20.32013: 19.52014: 18.52015: 17.82016: 18.82017: 18.52018: 19.22019: 18.82020: 18.9

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2020, trade union density rate in New Zealand stood at 18.89.

The figure is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 11.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, trade union density rate in New Zealand peaked at 22.38 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 17.79, in 2015.

New Zealand ranks 43rd 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 New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for Trade union density rate in New Zealand, 2000 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2000 22.38
2001 22.29 -0.4%
2002 21.78 -2.3%
2003 21.68 -0.5%
2004 21.68 +0.0%
2005 22.26 +2.7%
2006 21.82 -2.0%
2007 19.88 -8.9%
2008 21.4 +7.7%
2009 21.5 +0.5%
2010 21.43 -0.3%
2011 20.52 -4.2%
2012 20.34 -0.9%
2013 19.46 -4.3%
2014 18.48 -5.1%
2015 17.79 -3.7%
2016 18.77 +5.5%
2017 18.46 -1.7%
2018 19.23 +4.2%
2019 18.79 -2.3%
2020 18.89 +0.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 21.67 19.88 22.38 10
2010s 19.33 17.79 21.43 10
2020s 18.89 18.89 18.89 1

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 40 Costa Rica 20.54 compare
  2. 41 India 19.8 compare
  3. 42 Greece 18.97 compare
  4. 44 Republic of Moldova 18.58 compare
  5. 45 Chile 17.09 compare
  6. 46 Ghana 16.84 compare

See the full ranking of 86 places →

More work & labour data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is trade union density rate in New Zealand?
Trade union density rate in New Zealand was 18.89 in 2020, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest trade union density rate recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 22.38 in 2000.
What is the lowest trade union density rate recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 17.79 in 2015.
How does New Zealand rank for trade union density rate?
New Zealand ranks 43rd out of 86 countries with data for 2020.
Is trade union density rate rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is down 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this New Zealand 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 New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/trade-union-density-rate/new-zealand/

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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.