Statistical Information on the Co-operative Movement

The Co-operative Movement brings together over 800 million people around the world. The United Nations estimated in 1994 that the livelihood of nearly 3 billion people, or half of the world's population, was made secure by co-operative enterprise. These enterprises continue to play significant economic and social roles in their communities. Below are some facts about the Movement that demonstrate their relevance and contribution to economic and social development.
Large segments of the population are members of cooperatives
In Argentina, there are over 17,941 co-operative societies with 9.1 million members.
In Belgium, there were 29,933 co-operative societies in 2001.
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 3.3 million people are members of cooperatives or 8.01% of the population. (Source: CONFECOOP. Sector Cooperativo Colombiano 2005)
Costa Rica counts over 10% of its population as members of cooperatives.
Finland, S-Group has a membership of 1,468,572 individuals which represents 62% of Finnish households. (Source: SOK Corporation Annual Report 2004)
In Germany, there are 20 million people who are members of cooperatives, 1 out of 4 people.
In Indonesia, 27.5% families representing approximately 80 million individuals are members of cooperatives. (Source: Ministry of Co-operative & SMEs, Indonesia,2004)
In Japan, 1 out of every 3 families is a member of a cooperatives.
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, 5.9 million people or 24% of the total population are members of cooperatives.(Source: Ministry of Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development, Department of Co-operative Development, Malaysia, December 2006)
In New Zealand, 40% of the adult population are members of cooperatives and mutuals. (Source: New Zealand Co-operative Association, 2007)
In Singapore, 50% of the population (1.6 million people) are members of a co-operative.
In the United States, 4 in 10 individuals is a member of a co-operative (25%).
Co-operative 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, cooperatives are responsible for 40% of the agricultural GDP and for 6% of total agribusiness exports. In 2006 Brazilian cooperatives exported 7.5 million tons of agricultural products for a value of USD 2.83 billion to 137 countries. (Source: Brazil-Arab News Agency, 2 February 2007). . http://www.anba.com.br/ingles/noticia.php?id=13698
In Bolivia, Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito "Jesús Nazareno" Ltda. (CJN) handled 25% of the savings in Bolivia in 2002.
Canadian maple sugar cooperatives produce 35% of the world's maple sugar production.
In Côte d'Ivoire cooperatives invested USD 26 million for setting up schools, building rural roads and establishing maternal clinics.
In Colombia, 6,462 cooperatives were responsible for 5.25% of the GDP in 2005. Saludcoop, a health co-operative, provides health care services for 15.5% of the population. Coffee cooperatives market 33.78% of Colombian coffee. Financial cooperatives hold 5.8% of the financial service market. (Source: CONFECOOP. Sector Cooperativo Colombiano 2005)
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 cooperatives in 2004 held 37% of the market. (Source: Coop Norden AB annual report 2004)
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, 9 out of 10 farmers are members of agricultural cooperatives; co-operative banks handle 60% of the total deposits and 25% of all retailers in France are cooperatives. (Source: GNC Newsletter, No 348, June 2007)
Hungary, consumer cooperatives 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 Japan, the agricultural cooperatives report outputs of USD 90 billion with 91% of all Japanese farmers in membership.
In Kenya, cooperatives 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 cooperatives have a membership of over 2 million farmers (90% of all farmers), and an output of USD 11 billion. The Korean fishery cooperatives also report a market share of 71%.
In Kuwait, the Kuwaiti Union of Consumer Co-operative Societies handled 80% of the national retail trade.
In Latvia, the Latvian Central Co-operative Union is responsible for 12.3% of the market in the food industry sector.
In Moldova, the Central Union of Consumer cooperatives were responsible for 6.8% of the consumer market.
In New Zealand, 22% of the gross domestic product (GDP) is generated by co-operative enterprise. cooperatives 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, dairy cooperatives are responsible for 99% of the milk production; consumer cooperatives held 25% of the market; fisheries cooperatives were responsible for 8.7% of total Norwegian exports; forestry cooperatives were responsible for 76% of timber and that 1.5 million people of the 4.5 million Norwegians are member of cooperatives.
In Poland, dairy cooperatives are responsible for 75% of dairy production.
cooperatives 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 "cooperatives in Scotland: A powerful force....", 2007)
In Singapore, consumer cooperatives hold 55% of the market in supermarket purchases and have a turnover of USD 700 million.
In Slovenia, agricultural cooperatives are responsible for 72% of the milk production, 79% of cattle; 45% of wheat and 77% of potato production.
In Sweden, consumer cooperatives held 17.5% of the market in 2004. (Source: Coop Norden AB annual report 2004)
In the UK, the largest independent travel agency is a co-operative.
In Uruguay, co-operative 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.
In Vietnam, cooperatives contribute 8.6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
In the United States more than 30 cooperatives have annual revenue in excess of USD 1 billion. In 2003 the top 100 US cooperatives had combined revenues of USD 117 billion. In addition, approximately 30% of farmers' products in the US are marketed through 3,400 farmer-owned cooperatives.
cooperatives create and maintain employment
cooperatives provide over 100 million jobs around the world, 20% more than multinational enterprises.
In Canada, cooperatives and credit unions employ over 155,000 people. The Desjardins movement (savings and credit cooperatives) is the largest employer in the province of Québec.
In Colombia, the co-operative movement provides 109,000 jobs and an additional 379,000 as owner-workers in workers cooperatives. The provide 23% of the jobs in the health sector, 18% of the jobs in the transport sector, 13% in the worker/industrial sector, 11% in the financial sector and 9% in the agricultural sector. (Source: CONFECOOP. Sector Cooperativo Colombiano 2005)
In France, 21,000 cooperatives provide over 4 million jobs. (SWource: GNC Newsletter, No 348, June 2007)
In Germany, 8,106 cooperatives provide jobs for 440,000 people.
In Indonesia, cooperatives provide jobs to 288,589 individuals. (Source: Ministry of Co-operative & SMEs, Indonesia, 2004)
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 cooperatives.
In Slovakia, the Co-operative Union represents more 700 cooperatives who employ nearly 75,000 individuals.
Source : www.ica.coop