Trade Union density refers to the percentage of the workforce who belong to a trade union.
Since 1989, trade union density has declined from 39% to 22%
However, there is a big split between the private and public sector. In 2025, only 11.7% of private sector jobs were unionised. But this was 49.9% for the public sector.
Since the early 1980s, there has been a steady decline in the density of trade union membership in the UK workforce.
Trade union membership has decline since the 1970s peak, but since 2009, the decline has stabilised.