Espriu Foundation once again among the top four health co-operatives in the world

In the classification ordering all co-operatives irrespective of their business sector, the Espriu Foundation climbs seven places compared with the previous year, to stand 224th.

In the field of health, the study gathered information on 158 organisations in 18 countries, mainly in Europe, where 123 entities were analysed. Around the world, there are 10 health co-operatives with an annual turnover of more than 100 million dollars (22.6 million euros), accounting for an overall total of 36.91 billion dollars (34.193 billion euros).

The Top300
This year’s edition studies figures for 2,370 co-operatives in 63 countries. An analysis of the three hundred leading co-operatives in the world in terms of turnover, the report’s ‘Top300’, reveals growth of 7.3% compared with the previous year, with a turnover in excess of 2.5 trillion dollars (2.35 trillion euros).

The Monitor also analyses an index linking turnover to the per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of the country to which each organisation belongs, an indicator which assists in comparing the figures of co-operatives in operation in economies with very different levels of purchasing power. If we focus on this classification, it should be emphasised that Unimed health co-operative in Brazil is ranked fourth in the whole world.

New developments
Two new developments are included in this 2016 edition. First, a chapter studying the capitalisation of co-operative enterprises. The results reveal a well capitalised sector in terms of its financial balance, with the profitability required to support growth. While the research is confined to the largest co-operatives, it shows that these organisations would not seem to face any difficulty in obtaining capital, or at least no more than other forms of enterprise. Meanwhile, the current edition places a particular emphasis on consumer co-operatives, with the aim of providing readers with an insight that goes beyond just the names, to consider the major contributions made by a sector of huge social and economic importance.

All the data and information gathered together by the World Co-operative Monitor correspond to companies linked to the co-operative movement, including co-operatives, mutuals, second-degree co-operatives, co-operative groups and networks and enterprises owned by co-operative structures.
Produced by the European Research Institute on Co-operative and Social Enterprises and the International Co-operative Alliance, and sponsored by the Espriu Foundation, the World Co-operative Monitor aims to enhance the information available about co-operatives so as to present a detailed view of their genuine contribution to well-being in countries worldwide Now in its fifth year, it has established its position as a useful tool in increasing the recognition of the distinctive characteristics of co-operative enterprises.