Co-op Facts

* In Colombia, the over 7,300 co-operatives are responsible for 5.61% of the GDP in 2007 - up from 5.37% in 2006 and 5.25% in 2005. They employ over 110,000 people and some sectors are providing a significant proportion of the jobs - 24.4% of all health sector jobs are provided by co-operatives, 18.3% of the jobs in the transport sector, 8.3% in agriculture and 7.21% of the jobs in the financial sector. (Source: Sector Cooperativo Colombiano 2007

* In Belgium, co-operative pharmacies have a market share of 19.5%.

* In Brazil, co-operatives are responsible for 40% of the agricultural GDP and for 6% of total agribusiness exports. In 2006 Brazilian co-operatives 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 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 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, 9 out of 10 farmers are members of agricultural co-operatives; co-operative banks handle 60% of the total deposits and 25% of all retailers in France are co-operatives. (Source: GNC Newsletter, No 348, June 2007)

* 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 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, dairy co-operatives are responsible for 99% of the milk production; consumer co-operatives held 24.1% of the market (Source: Coop Norden AB annual report 2007); fisheries co-operatives were responsible for 8.7% of total Norwegian exports; forestry co-operatives were responsible for 76% of timber and that 1.5 million people of the 4.5 million Norwegians are member of co-operatives.

* 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 and have a turnover of USD 700 million.

* 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 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, co-operatives contribute 8.6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

* In the United States more than 30 co-operatives have annual revenue in excess of USD 1 billion. In 2003 the top 100 US co-operatives had combined revenues of USD 117 billion. In addition, approximately 30% of farmers' products in the US are marketed through 3,400 farmer-owned co-operatives.

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 111,951 jobs through direct employment and an additional 500,450 jobs as owner-workers in workers co-operatives - providing 3.49% of all jobs in the country. The provide 24.41% 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, 8.31% in the agricultural sector and 7.21% in the financial sector. (Source: CONFECOOP. Sector Cooperativo Colombiano 2007)

* In France, 21,000 co-operatives provide over 4 million jobs. (Source: GNC Newsletter, No 348, June 2007)

* 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 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.

Source: International Co-operative Alliance