Antalya, 11 November 2015 – This year’s World Co-operative Monitor looks at data for 2013, and shows that the total turnover of the world’s Top 300 co-operatives and mutuals increased from USD $2,205.70bn to USD $2,360.05bn. The Top 300 were spread over 25 countries, with 40% based in the insurance sector, 32% in agriculture and food industries, and 17% in wholesale and retail trade.
Zenkyoren (The National Mutual Insurance Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives) of Japan holds the number one position for the fourth year in a row.
Dame Pauline Green, President of the International Co-operative Alliance: “This year's 6.9% increase in the figures for the world's largest 300 co-operative and mutual businesses is a great tribute to the growing strength of our sector of the global economy. These figures are based on the 2013 results, and represent the fourth year in a row of consistent growth i.e. from 2010 to 2013 - the years in which the financial collapse and global recession still dominated. This is a remarkable achievement for a model of business that is not present on the world's stock markets and is often invisible to the economic commentators and political leaders. No wonder that one billion world's citizens have chosen to invest some part of their life in a co-operative!”
The World Co-operative Monitor is produced in partnership by the International Co-operative Alliance and the European Research Institute on Cooperative and Social Enterprises (Euricse). The full data covers 2,829 organisations from 76 countries, including 1,658 co-operatives across 55 countries with a turnover over USD $100m.
As well as providing analysis of the Top 300, the Monitor also gives the listings of the largest co-operatives engaged in insurance, agriculture and food, wholesale and retail trade, industry and utilities, health and social care, banking and financial services.
Now in its fourth edition, the Monitor collects and analyses economic and social data on co-operatives, and is becoming a key reference point for research and policy into the impact of co-operatives and mutuals in the global economy.
Photo: Gianluca Salvatori, Chief Executive, Euricse
