Trade union density rate in Portugal

Portugal: Trade union density rate was 15.29 in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
15.29
Change on year
down 4.8%
World rank
50th
of 86 countries
All-time high
22.4
in 2001
All-time low
15.29
in 2016
Years of data
16
2000–2016

Trade union density rate in Portugal, 2000–2016

051015202000200820162000: 21.62001: 22.42002: 20.72003: 21.32004: 21.72005: 21.62006: 21.22007: 21.22008: 20.92009: 20.62010: 19.82011: 18.82012: 18.92014: 17.12015: 16.12016: 15.3

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

Portugal recorded 15.29 for trade union density rate in 2016. That is the lowest value across all 16 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.8% on the previous year and down 27.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, trade union density rate in Portugal peaked at 22.4 in 2001 and was at its lowest, 15.29, in 2016.

That places Portugal 50th out of 86 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.

Trade union density rate in Portugal, year by year

Annual values for Trade union density rate in Portugal, 2000 to 2016.
Year Value Change
2000 21.6
2001 22.4 +3.7%
2002 20.7 -7.6%
2003 21.3 +2.9%
2004 21.7 +1.9%
2005 21.6 -0.5%
2006 21.2 -1.9%
2007 21.2 +0.0%
2008 20.9 -1.4%
2009 20.6 -1.4%
2010 19.8 -3.9%
2011 18.8 -5.1%
2012 18.9 +0.5%
2014 17.1 -9.5%
2015 16.05 -6.1%
2016 15.29 -4.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 21.32 20.6 22.4 10
2010s 17.66 15.29 19.8 6

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 47 Japan 16.8 compare
  2. 48 Germany 16.25 compare
  3. 49 Netherlands 15.39 compare
  4. 51 Switzerland 14.43 compare
  5. 52 Bulgaria 13.7 compare
  6. 53 Australia 13.66 compare

See the full ranking of 86 places →

More work & labour data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is trade union density rate in Portugal?
Trade union density rate in Portugal was 15.29 in 2016, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest trade union density rate recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 22.4 in 2001.
What is the lowest trade union density rate recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 15.29 in 2016.
How does Portugal rank for trade union density rate?
Portugal ranks 50th out of 86 countries with data for 2016.
Is trade union density rate rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is down 27.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Portugal 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 Portugal. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/trade-union-density-rate/portugal/

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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.