At least 12% of people on earth is a cooperator of any of the 3 million cooperatives on earth. Cooperatives provide jobs or work opportunities to 10% of the employed population, and the three hundred largest cooperatives or mutuals generate 2,409.41 billion USD in turnover while providing the services and infrastructure society needs to thrive (World Cooperative Monitor).
Cooperatives are enterprises based on ethics, values, and principles.
Through self-help and empowerment, reinvesting in their communities and concern for the well-being of people and the world in which we live, cooperatives nurture a long-term vision for sustainable economic growth, social development and environmental responsibility.
Cooperatives are not a marginal phenomenon
- More than 12% of humanity is part of any of the 3 million cooperatives in the world!
- The largest 300 cooperatives and mutuals report a total turnover of 2,409.41 billion USD, according to the World Cooperative Monitor (2023).
- Cooperatives contribute to the sustainable economic growth and stable, quality employment, providing jobs or work opportunities to 280 million people across the globe, in other words, 10% of the world’s employed population.
As member-owned, member-run and member-serving businesses, cooperatives empower people to collectively realise their economic aspirations, while strengthening their social and human capital and developing their communities.
The International Cooperative Alliance is one of the largest non-governmental organisations in the world today by the number of people it represents: more than 1 billion cooperative members from any of the 3 million cooperatives worldwide.
Share your statistics!
Please send any statistics you have on your cooperative organisation, members and the movement of your country to Mr. Hyungsik Eum, Director of Research, eum@ica.coop
A strong and healthy movement
The International Cooperative Alliance, with the scientific and technical support of the European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises (Euricse) – publishes an annual report on the cooperative economy: the World Cooperative Monitor.
You can find, download the World Cooperative Monitor and add your cooperative date for the next edition at www.monitor.coop
Cooperatives create and maintain employment
Presented for the first time at the 2014 Summit of Cooperatives, the study “Cooperatives and Employment: a global report” carried out by CICOPA, the International Cooperative Alliance's sector for industrial and service cooperatives, discusses the significance of cooperative employment globally, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Its second edition published in September 2017 and based on data from 156 countries, shows how cooperatives contribute to resilient employment, a sustainable economy and the well-being of people at work.
Database of Cooperative Statistics
There is no global-level comprehensive database of cooperative statistics because statistical offices analyse cooperatives differently from country to country. Therefore, it is difficult to get a complete picture. There are some key reports and tools that provide some global data on cooperatives:
