New figures recently published by Co-operatives UK show ' a record breaking year' with more than 10,000 co-operatives and mutuals with a income of £179.2 billion and employing over 1.5 million people. This, according to the report, represents a 5.5% income increase year-on-year alongside a 6.5% boost in total business numbers.
Key findings include:
- New-start co‑operatives are more than twice as likely to survive beyond five years as other UK businesses. Co‑operative businesses have an 82% survival rate compared to 39% for companies more widely
- Co‑operatives and mutuals serve 65.7 million memberships – almost matching the UK population
- Women lead nearly a quarter of the UK’s top 100 co‑operatives, more than twice the proportion seen in the FTSE 100
- They also provide fairer workplaces. Co-operatives are four times as likely to be Living Wage Employers. Meanwhile, women earn, on average, 12% less than men across the UK economy. This figure is reduced to 7.5% within co‑operatives
- Community-owned pubs are on the up, with a 51% increase over the last five years and a 13% increase in the last year alone
To find out more, you can download a copy of the report by clicking on the link below:
