2026
Rakel Vázquez, Jabier Retegi
https://doi.org/10.18543/SUBM7150
Basque Institute of Competitiveness - Deusto Foundation
Abstract
This report presents a demographic analysis of Basque cooperatives over the last decade. Cooperatives are an important business model in the Basque Country, with an estimated 2,576 active cooperatives, of which detailed data is available for 1,848, representing 1.28% of all businesses in the region. According to data from DIRAE-Eustat, the number of cooperatives increased from 1,587 in 2015 to 1,732 in 2020, reflecting a growth of 9.1%. This positive trend continued until reaching 1,848 cooperatives in 2023, representing an increase of 16.4% since 2015 and an increase of 6.7% compared to the situation before the pandemic.
While the number of companies with other legal forms has declined, cooperatives have increased their representation, rising from 1% of all companies in 2015 to 1.3% in 2023. In terms of employment, these cooperatives employed 55,268 people in 2023, with a virtually balanced gender distribution (48.47% women).
The number of cooperatives grew by 11% between 2015 and 2022, reflecting their capacity for renewal and the creation of new businesses.
People's participation is a central element in the cooperative model, which has 1,512,576 user members in consumer, credit, education, agriculture and transport cooperatives, who actively participate in decision-making processes.
In conclusion, cooperatives in the Basque Country have a significant impact on the Basque economy, demonstrating resilience and adaptability since their expansion in the mid-20th century.
