Statistical Information on the Co-operative Movement

Large segments of the population are members of co-operatives

• In Asia 45.3 million people are members of a credit union. (Source: Association of Asian Confederation of Credit Unions, Annual Report 2007/2008)
• In Argentina, there are 12,670 co-operative societies with over 9.3 million members - approximately 23.5% of the population. (Source: "Las Cooperativas y las Mutuales en la República Argentina", Instituto Nacional de Asociativismo y Economia Social (INAES), 30 June 2008)
• In Belgium, there were 29,933 co-operative societies in 200.
• In Bolivia, 2,940,211 people or one -third of the population is a member of the 1590 co-operatives. ( Source: Diagnóstico Nacional Cooperativo (DNC), 2008 as reported in Boletín Informativo aciaméricas.coop Nº65, December, 2008)
• In Brazil, 7.6 million people are members of 7,600 cooperatives. (Source: Organisation of Co-operatives of Brazil)
• In Canada, four of every ten Canadians are members of at least one co-operative. In Quebec, approximately 70% of the population are co-op members, while in Saskatchewan 56% are members. Source: Co-operative Secretariat, Government of Canada.
• In Colombia over 4.8 million people or 10.6% of the population are members of the 8,124 co-operatives in the country. The movement reports an annual growth rate of 7.78% with 348,249 new members joining co-operatives in 2009. (Source: CONFECOOP. Gestión para construire una mejor opción de vida: Desempeno del Sector Cooperativo Colombiano 2009)
• Costa Rica counts over 10% of its population as members of co-operatives.
• Finland's, S-Group has a membership of 1,468,572 individuals which represents 62% of Finnish households. (Source: SOK Corporation Annual Report 2004)
• In France, 23 million people are members of one or more co-operatives or approximately 38% of the population. 75% of all agricultural producers are members of at least one co-operative and 1 in every 3 persons is a member of co-operative bank. (Source: Top 100 des Entreprises Coopératives et panorama sectoriel, 2010)
• In Germany, there are 20 million people who are members of co-operatives, 1 out of 4 people.
• In Iran, there are over 130,000 co-operative societies with 23 million members or approximately 33% of the population. (Source: http://www.taavongaran.ir/En/)
• In Indonesia, 27.5% families representing approximately 80 million individuals are members of co-operatives. (Source: Ministry of Co-operative & SMEs, Indonesia,2004)
• In Japan, 1 out of every 3 families is a member of a co-operatives.
• in Kenya 1 in 5 is a member of a co-operative or 5.9 million and and 20 million Kenyans directly or indirectly derive their livelihood from the Co-operative Movement.
• In India, over 239 million people are members of a co-operative.
• In Malaysia, 6.78 million people or 27% of the total population are members of co-operatives.(Source: Ministry of Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development, Department of Co-operative Development, Malaysia, Statistics 31 December 2009)
• In New Zealand, 40% of the adult population are members of co-operatives and mutuals. (Source: New Zealand Co-operative Association, 2007)
• In Norway of 4.8 million people, 2 million are members of co-operatives. Many people are members of several co-operatives, therefore, the total number of memberships are much higher. (Source: The Co-operative Centre of Norway)
• In Paraguay, 783,000 people or 18% of the population are members of 1,047 co-operatives. These have a direct impact on the livlihoods of over 6 million people. (Source: Instituto Nacional de Cooperativismo, INCOOP)
• In Spain, in 2008 15% of the population or 6.7 million people are members of a co-operative. (Source: CIRIEC, Las grandes cifras de la economía social)
• In Singapore, 50% of the population (1.6 million people) are members of a co-operative.
• In Uruguay, in 2008-2009 1 out of every 3 persons is member of a co-operative according the National Co-operative Census which reported initial results in February 2011. More information
• In the United States, more than 29,000 co-operatives operate in every sector of the economy and in every congressional district; Americans hold over 350 million co-operative memberships. (Source: National Co-operative Business Association www.ncba.coop/ncba/about-co-ops/research-economic-impact)

Co-operatives are significant economic actors in national economies

• In Belgium, co-operative pharmacies have a market share of 19.5%.
• In Benin, FECECAM, a savings and credit co-operative federation provided USD 16 million in rural loans in 2002.
• In Brazil, co-operatives are responsible for 37.2% of the agricultural GDP in 200 and total GDP of 5.39% in 2009. Brazilian agricultural co-operatives exported their products for a total of USD 3.6 billion. Health co-operatives provided medical and dental services to 17.7 million people. (Source: Organisation of Brazilian Co-operatives: Report 2010)
• In Bolivia, Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito "Jesús Nazareno" Ltda. (CJN) handled 25% of the savings in Bolivia in 2002.
• Canadian maple sugar co-operatives produce 35% of the world's maple sugar production.
• In Côte d'Ivoire co-operatives invested USD 26 million for setting up schools, building rural roads and establishing maternal clinics.
• In Colombia, the 8,124 co-operatives are responsible for 4.96% of the GDP in 2009 . They employ over 137,888 people - 46% of which are men and 54% women. and some sectors are providing a significant proportion of the jobs - 22.27% of all health sector jobs are provided by co-operatives, 14.7% of the jobs in the transport sector, 7.7 % in agriculture and 6.44% of the jobs in the financial sector. Co-ops provide 91% of all microcredit in the country. (Source: CONFECOOP. Gestión para construire una mejor opción de vida: Desempeno del Sector Cooperativo Colombiano 2009)
• In Cyprus, the co-operative movement held 30% of the market in banking services, and handled 35% of all marketing of agricultural produce.
• In Denmark, consumer co-operatives in 2007 held 36.4% of consumer retail market. (Source: Coop Norden AB Annual Report 2007)
• Finnish co-operative groups within Pellervo were responsible for 74% of the meat products, 96% of dairy products; 50% of the egg production, 34% of forestry products and handled 34.2% of the total deposits in Finnish banks.
• In France, the co-operative movement has a turnover of 181 billion Euros. Co-operatives handle 60% of retail banking, 40% of food and agricultural production, and 25% of retail sales. (Source: Top 100 des Entreprises Coopératives et panorama sectoriel, 2010)
• Hungary, consumer co-operatives members of Co-op Hungary are responsible for 14.4% of the national food and general retail sales in 2004. (Source: Co-op Hungary, Statistical Data 2004)
• In Iran, co-operatives contribute 6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). (Source: http://www.taavongaran.ir/En/)
• In Japan, the agricultural co-operatives report outputs of USD 90 billion with 91% of all Japanese farmers in membership. In 2007 consumer co-operatives reported a total turnover of USD 34.048 billion with 5.9% of the food market share. (Source: Co-op 2007 Facts & Figures, Japanese Consumers' Co-operative Union)
• In Kenya, co-operatives are responsible for 45% of the GDP and 31% of national savings and deposits. They have 70% of the coffee market, 76% dairy, 90% pyrethrum, and 95% of cotton.
• In Korea, agricultural co-operatives have a membership of over 2 million farmers (90% of all farmers), and an output of USD 11 billion. The Korean fishery co-operatives also report a market share of 71%.
• In Kuwait, the Kuwaiti Union of Consumer Co-operative Societies whose members are 6.5% of the Kuwaiti population handled nearly 70% of the national retail trade in 2007.
• In Latvia, the Latvian Central Co-operative Union is responsible for 12.3% of the market in the food industry sector.
• In Mauritius, in the agricultural sector, co-operators play an important role in the production of sugar, vegetable, fruit and flower, milk, meat and fish. Nearly 50% of sugar-cane planters are grouped in co-operatives and the share of co-operatives in the National Sugar Production is 10%. Co-operative Societies also account for more than 60% of national production in the food crop sector - 755 of onion consumption, 40% of potatoes and about 70% of fresh green vegetables are produced by co-operatives. In addition, the Co-operative bus sector represents some 30% of the national bus transport. (Source: Ministry of Industry, Small & Medium Enterprises, Commerce & Cooperatives )
• In Moldova, the Central Union of Consumer Co-operatives is responsible for 6.8% of the consumer market.
• In New Zealand, 22% of the gross domestic product (GDP) is generated by co-operative enterprise. Co-operatives are responsible for 95% of the dairy market and 95% of the export dairy market. They hold 70% of the meat market, 50% of the farm supply market, 70% of the fertiliser market, 75% of the wholesale pharmaceuticals, and 62% of the grocery market. (Source: New Zealand Co-operative Association, 2007)
• In Norway, agricultural co-operatives hold 96% of the market for raw milk and 55% of the cheese market, 80% of the imber market, over 70% of the egg and fur markets, and 52% of the seed market. The 130 consumer co-operatives have 24% of the consumer market,   71 co-operative building and housing associations hold 15% of the housing stock in Norway and in urban areas like Oslo hold 40% the housing market; insurance co-operative provide hold 30% of the non-life insurance market. (Source: The Co-operative Centre of Norway and Norwegian Agricultural Statistics, 2008.
• In Poland, dairy co-operatives are responsible for 75% of dairy production.
• In Portugal, approximately 3000 co-operatives are responsible for 5% of the Gross National Product of the country. (Source: Prime Minister of Portugal address to ICA Expo, 23 Oct. 2008)
• Co-operatives and mutuals in Scotland account for 4.25% of the Scottish Gross Domestic Product, having an annual turnover of GBP 4 billion and assets of GBP 25 billion. ( Source: Co-operative Development Scotland web site, and "Co-operatives in Scotland: A powerful force....", 2007)
• In Singapore, consumer co-operatives hold 55% of the market in supermarket purchases. NTUC Fairprice was the 2nd largest retailler in Singapore with a S$1.65 billion in turnover. (Source: AsiaOneBusiness: Dairy Farm is top retailer in S'pore, 20 August 2009)
• In Slovenia, agricultural co-operatives are responsible for 72% of the milk production, 79% of cattle; 45% of wheat and 77% of potato production.
• In Sweden, consumer co-operatives held 17.5% of the market in 2004. (Source: Coop Norden AB annual report 2004)
• In Switzerland, the two largest consumer co-operatives - Migos and Coop - are responsible for 8% of the GDP of Switzerland.
• In the UK, the largest independent travel agency is a co-operative.
• 30,000 co-operatives in the United States that operate 73,000 places of business throughout the U.S. own more than USD 3 trillion in assets, and generate over USD 500 billion in revenue and USD 25 billion in wages. (Source: National Co-operative Business Association www.ncba.coop/ncba/about-co-ops/research-economic-impact)
• In the United States more than 900 rural electric co-operatives deliver electricity to more than 42 million people in 47 states. This makes up 42% of the US electric distribution lines and covers 75% of the US land mass. (Source: National Rural Electrific Cooperative Association: cwww.nreca.org/AboutUs/Co-op101/CooperativeFacts.htm)
• In Uruguay, co-operatives are responsible for 3% of the GDP. They produce 90% of the total milk production, 340% of honey and 30% of wheat. 60% of co-operative production is exported to over 40 countries around the world. More information
• In Vietnam, co-operatives contribute 8.6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Co-operatives create and maintain employment

• Co-operatives provide over 100 million jobs around the world, 20% more than multinational enterprises.
• In Argentina, co-operatives are responsible for providing direct employment to over 233,000 individuals. (Source: Instituto Nacional de Asociativismo y Economia Social (INAES), September 2007)
• In Bolivia, 1590 co-operatives provide 32,323 direct jobs and 128,180 indirect jobs.
  (Source: Diagnóstico Nacional Cooperativo (DNC), 2008 as reported in Boletín Informativo aciaméricas.coop Nº65, December, 2008 )
• In Canada, co-operatives and credit unions employ over 155,000 people. The Desjardins movement (savings and credit co-operatives) is the largest employer in the province of Québec.
• In Colombia, the co-operative movement provides 137,888 jobs through direct employment and an additional 559,118 jobs as worker-owners in workers co-operatives - providing 3.65% of all jobs in the country. (Source: CONFECOOP. Gestión para construire una mejor opción de vida: Desempeno del Sector Cooperativo Colombiano 2009)
• In Czech Republic, 1,298 co-operative societies with 785,202 individual members provide 56,042 jobs. (Source: Selected Data on the Czech Co-operative Movement in 2009)
• In France, 21,000 co-operatives provide over 1million jobs representing 3.5% of the active working population. (Source: Top 100 des Entreprises Coopératives et panorama sectoriel, 2010)
• In Germany, 8,106 co-operatives provide jobs for 440,000 people.
• In Indonesia, co-operatives provide jobs to 288,589 individuals. (Source: Ministry of Co-operative & SMEs, Indonesia, 2004)
• In Iran, co-operatives have created and maintain 1.5 million jobs. (Source: http://www.taavongaran.ir/En/ )
• In Italy, 70,400 co-operative societies employed nearly 1 million people in 2005. (Source: Camere di Commercio d'Italia, "Secondo rapporto sulle imprese cooperative")
• In Kenya, 250,000 people are employed by co-operatives.
• In Slovakia, the Co-operative Union represents more 700 co-operatives who employ nearly 75,000 individuals.
• In Spain, co-operatives provided jobs to 21.6% of the labour market in 2007. (Source: Ministerio de Trabajo e Inmigración. Secretaría General de Empleo. Dirección General de Fomento de la Economía Social, del Trabajo Autónomo y de la Responsabilidad Social de las Empresas)
• In the United States, 30,000 co-operatives provide more than 2 million jobs (Source: National Co-operative Business Association www.ncba.coop/ncba/about-co-ops/research-economic-impact)