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World Labour Report 1997-98
Industrial relations, democracy and social stability

Table 1.3. Change in trade union density (%)

  Period Union membership as a percentage of: Trend*
    Non-agricultural labour force Wage and salary earners Formal sector wage earners  
    Change in density  
    In points In % In points In % In points In %  
Africa                
Botswana . . . . . . . .
Cameroon . . . . . . . .
Cape Verde . . . . . . . .
Côte d'Ivoire . . . . . . . .
Egypt 85-95 -9.3 -23.9 -3.9 -9.1 . . -
Eritrea . . . . . . . .
Ethiopia . . . . . . . .
Gabon . . . . . . . .
Ghana . . . . . . . .
Guinea . . . . . . . .
Kenya 85-95 -25.0 -59.6 . . -26.3 -44.2 --
Mali . . . . . . . .
Mauritania . . . . . . . .
Mauritius 85-95 -8.9 -25.7 . . -11.7 -24.2 --
Morocco . . . . . . . .
Namibia . . . . . . . .
Nigeria . . . . . . . .
Senegal . . . . . . . .
South Africa 85-95 6.3 40.7 23.2 130.8 29.1 127.3 ++
Swaziland . . . . . . . .
Tanzania, United Rep. of . . . . . . . .
Tunisia . . . . . . . .
Uganda 89-95 -3.9 -49.9 . . -3.4 -33.3 --
Zambia 85-95 -6.3 -33.5 . . 14.5 36.3 --
Zimbabwe 85-95 2.3 20.1 . . 6.4 41.6 ++
                 
Americas                
Antigua and Barbuda . . . . . . . .
Argentina 86-95 -23.3 -47.9 -28.7 -42.6 . . --
Bolivia . . . . . . . .
Brazil . . . . . . . .
Canada 85-93 -0.2 -0.6 0.7 1.8 . . =
Chile 85-93 4.3 37.2 . . . . ++
Colombia 85-95 -4.2 -37.3 . . . . --
Costa Rica 85-95 -9.8 -42.6 -12.5 -43.0 . . --
Cuba 85-95 0.0 . -29.8 -29.8 . . --
Dominican Rep. 89-95 -1.6 -8.6 . . . . -
Ecuador . . . . . . . .
El Salvador 85-95 -0.6 -8.0 . . . . -
Guatemala 85-94 -3.7 -45.6 . . . . --
Guyana . . . . . . . .
Honduras . . . . . . . .
Mexico 89-91 -23.1 -42.7 -16.8 -28.2 . . --
Nicaragua . . . . . . . .
Panama . . . . . . . .
Paraguay . . . . . . . .
Peru . . . . . . . .
United States 85-95 -2.3 -15.2 -3.8 -21.1 . . --
Uruguay 90-93 -8.2 -41.4 . . . . --
Venezuela 88-95 -11.0 -42.5 -12.7 -42.6 -12.0 -26.9 --
                 
Asia                
Australia 85-95 -12.0 -29.6 -14.8 -29.6 . . --
Bangladesh 85-95 -11.0 -71.9 . . . . --
China 85-95 -4.6 -7.8 . . . . -
Hong Kong (before 1.7.97) 85-94 4.4 30.8 5.7 33.7 . . ++
India 80-91 -1.2 -18.2 . . -3.7 -14.0 -
Indonesia . . . . . . . .
Japan 85-95 -4.0 -17.7 -4.8 -16.7 . . -
Jordan . . . . . . . .
Korea, Rep. of 85-95 0.4 4.7 0.3 2.4 . . =
Malaysia 86-95 -1.8 -13.4 . . . . -
New Zealand 86-95 -23.9 -50.7 -29.8 -55.1 . . --
Pakistan 87-95 -0.9 -13.4 . . . . -
Philippines 85-95 4.4 24.1 17.5 84.9 . . ++
Singapore 84-95 -3.5 -20.4 -3.5 -18.1 . . -
Sri Lanka . . . . . . . .
Taiwan, China 87-95 -2.3 -7.6 -9.8 -22.8 . . --
Thailand 85-95 -0.2 -7.4 -0.1 -2.5 . . =
                 
Europe                
Austria 85-95 -15.1 -29.2 -9.8 -19.2 . . -
Azerbaijan 85-95 -24.6 -24.6 -32.5 -33.7 . . --
Belarus 85-95 -3.9 -3.9 -12.0 -12.0 . . -
Belgium 85-95 -3.9 -9.2 -0.1 -0.2 . . =
Bulgaria 91-93 -10.5 -17.0 -4.1 -6.6 . . --
Cyprus 85-95 -9.1 -14.5 . . . . -
Czech Rep. 90-95 -40.5 -52.8 -34.1 -44.3 . . --
Denmark 85-94 0.8 1.2 1.8 2.3 . . =
Estonia 85-95 . . -46.4 >-56.3 . . --
Finland 85-95 -1.7 -2.8 11.0 16.1 . . +
France 85-95 -5.5 -47.4 -5.4 -37.2 . . --
Germany 91-95 -1.1 -3.5 -6.1 -17.6 . . --
Former German Dem. Rep. 91-93 -7.1 -17.2 -3.8 -8.3 . . --
Germany, Former Fed. Rep. of 85-93 -4.9 -16.8 -6.2 -17.4 . . --
Greece 85-95 -8.1 -34.5 -12.4 -33.8 . . --
Hungary 85-95 -21.6 -29.2 -20.3 -25.3 . . --
Iceland 85-94 -6.0 -7.8 5.0 6.3 . . +
Ireland 85-93 -5.0 -12.3 -7.1 -12.6 . . -
Israel 85-95 -76.9 -76.9 -77.0 -77.0 . . --
Italy 85-94 -2.3 -7.0 -3.5 -7.4 . . -
Luxembourg 87-95 -8.5 -17.7 -9.6 -18.1 . . --
Malta 85-94 12.4 27.3 17.2 35.8 . . ++
Netherlands 85-95 -1.6 -6.7 -3.2 -11.0 . . -
Norway 85-95 1.0 2.0 2.0 3.6 . . =
Poland 89-95 -20.0 -42.6 -25.0 -42.5 . . --
Portugal 86-95 -21.8 -53.7 -25.8 -50.2 . . --
Romania 91-93 -10.0 -19.8 . . . . --
Russian Fed. . . . . . . . .
Slovakia 90-95 -24.5 -31.9 -15.2 -19.8 . . --
Spain 85-94 4.1 56.2 7.1 62.1 . . ++
Sweden 85-94 -2.1 -2.7 7.3 8.7 . . +
Switzerland 85-94 -5.4 -21.2 -6.2 -21.7 . . --
Turkey . . . . . . . .
United Kingdom 85-95 -9.8 -27.2 -12.6 -27.7 . . --
* Trend in union density rates is calculated for wage and salary earners. Where the union density rates for wage and salary earners are not available, the trend is calculated for non-agricultural labour force or for formal sector employment. Key for trend symbols: ++ change in union density rates is larger than +20 per cent; + change in union density rate is larger than +5 per cent, but not larger than +20 per cent; -- change in union density rate is larger than -20 per cent; - change in union density rate is larger than -5 per cent, but not larger than -20 per cent; = change in union density rate is not larger than +5 per cent. The trend is calculated on the basis of a 10-year period. If the number of years is shorter, trend scores are adjusted accordingly.


Updated by MB. Approved by PD. Last Updated 1 Nov 2002.