The 2025 Co-operative and Mutual Economy Report is out!
Last week, on Tuesday 23 September, Co-operatives UK released the 2025 Co-operative and Mutual Economy Report, revealing a record-breaking year for the UK’s co-operative and mutual economy.
The CCF team said: “As an organisation that has been supporting cooperatives for over 50 years, we are incredibly proud to see the power, breadth and strength of the co-op movement demonstrated here.
At this exciting time, with the UK Government pledging to double the size of the co-op sector, and their £5bn community renewal plan including a new Co-operative Development Unit, within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the future feels brighter for co-ops – and for communities.”
Rose Marley, CEO of Co‑operatives UK, said: “From supermarkets to pubs and social housing providers to football clubs, it is wonderful to see record numbers. These figures demonstrate the growing strength of the mutual movement within the economy. Co-operative businesses make an outsized economic contribution, are more resilient and better represent society in the boardroom and within executive teams.”
Key findings:
- 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