Union membership rates dropped in most European countries between 2016 and 2023, with Belgium recording the steepest decline, according to a study by the German Economic Institute (IW) in Cologne.
The study examined union membership rates among workers, excluding the unemployed and retirees, in 14 European countries. The rates fell in 13 of these during this period. Austria was the only exception: union membership there increased from 27.8% in 2016 to 32.1% in 2023.
Belgium saw the sharpest decrease, with its rates dropping from 52.4% in 2016 to 39% in 2023. Union membership in Belgium was highest in manufacturing, at 54.2% and lowest in services – 35%.
Despite the decline, Belgium ranks fourth among the fourteen countries surveyed.
Sweden had the highest unionisation rate in 2023 – 72.3% – followed by Finland (67.8%), Norway (57.5%), and Belgium (39%). At the other end of the spectrum were France (9.1%), Poland (7.8%), and Hungary (5.6%).
The IW report highlights that unions are struggling to attract younger workers, which is a key factor in the overall decline. In Belgium, for instance, only 24.5% of employees aged 16 to 30 were unionised in 2023, compared to 39.8% for those aged 31 to 50 and 47.4% for the 51 to 65 age group.
