The 2024 social elections in 5 numbers
The 2024 social elections are behind us, and their figures set the backdrop for preparing 2028. No need for a fifty-page report: five numbers are enough to capture the essentials. Here they are.
1.4 million: the workers concerned
Nearly 1.4 million workers were entitled to vote in the 2024 social elections, across every company that reached the thresholds of 50 workers (CPPW) or 100 workers (works council). That is the scale of the Belgian social vote: massive, but concentrated on medium and large companies.
842,000: the voters
Of these 1.4 million, about 842,000 actually voted. That is the real volume of Belgian workplace democracy in a social elections year, a figure that gives the measure of the logistical challenge for organisers.
60%: the turnout
Related to registered voters, these 842,000 voters give a turnout of about 60%. For a workplace vote, that is high, well above many professional elections elsewhere. But this raw figure hides a less flattering dynamic.
-6.4% and -6.85%: the drop since 2020
Turnout is falling: about -6.4% for the works council and -6.85% for the CPPW compared with 2020. And 2020 was already down on 2016 and 2012. In other words, it is not an accident: turnout erodes edition after edition. This is the number to remember for 2028, because the default trend is downward.
42%: young workers, against the current
Only one indicator is rising. Turnout among under-25s, historically the lowest, climbs clearly: 30% in 2016, 39% in 2020, 42% in 2024. It is the good surprise of the edition, and a concrete lead for anyone wanting to lift overall turnout.
In short
In five numbers: 1.4 million eligible voters, 842,000 voters, 60% turnout, a drop of about 6% since 2020, and young workers climbing to 42%. The message for 2028 is clear: turnout does not hold up on its own, but some segments respond when you reach out to them.
For the full analysis of these numbers, segment by segment, read What the 2024 turnout data tells us about social elections. And if you want to run a vote that mobilises in 2028, let's talk.
