Co-ops and mutuals in Australia

Co-operatives and mutuals operate across the Australian economy. From farming to finance, health to housing, motoring to manufacturing, they deliver trusted products and services in some of the most competitive domestic and international markets.

Some typical examples are credit unions and mutual banks, roadside assistance and mobility clubs, non-profit health funds, mutual insurers, profit-to-member super funds, retail buying groups, agricultural co-operatives and friendly societies.

Their purpose is to serve their members, who are also their customers, suppliers, their employees or a mixture. They do not exist to serve external capital investors, which means that they can concentrate on returning benefits to members instead of an economic reward for shareholders.

• Co-ops and mutuals exist in every State and Territory.
• Australia has over 1,848 active co-ops and mutuals with a combined membership base of more than 33.3 million.
• Eight in ten Australians are members of at least one co-op or mutually owned organisation in Australia.
• In 2022, Australia’s top 100 co-ops and mutuals had a combined turnover of $40.4 billion (excluding superannuation funds).
• In 2022, Australia’s top 100 co-ops and mutuals collectively held assets of $1.46 trillion (including superannuation funds).

CMEs are significant employers and help thousands of business owners run profitable and sustainable businesses through trade credit and bulk buying groups. In 2022, Australian CMEs directly employed 76,000 and had more than 60,000 small business members.

The BCCM publishes an annual state of the sector report on the size and contribution of the Australian co-operative and mutual sector. Find more about co-ops and mutuals in Australia in the 2023 National Mutual Economy report.