Canadian 2025 top co-op issues survey report

For the eighth consecutive year, Canadian cooperative leaders have identified a lack of awareness and understanding of the cooperative model as the most significant challenge facing the sector.

Published by the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, The 2025 Top Co-op Issues Survey Report captures the views of 145 cooperative leaders from across Canada, including chief executives, directors, managers, researchers and cooperative developers. The report provides a valuable snapshot of the challenges, opportunities and priorities shaping the future of cooperative enterprise.

While focused on Canada, many of the themes will resonate strongly with coops and mutuals in New Zealand and internationally.

Report at a glance

• Authors: Stan Yu and Syed Jafar Raza Rizvi

• Year: march 2026

• Publisher: Canadian Centre for the Study of Cooperatives, University of Saskatchewan

• Focus: Strategic challenges facing cooperatives

• Geographic scope: Canada

• Format: Survey report (PDF)

• Respondents: 145 cooperative leaders from across Canada

• Methodology: National survey and thematic analysis of qualitative responses

Why this report is useful

Many of the challenges identified in the Canadian survey will feel familiar to cooperative leaders in New Zealand.

The findings reinforce themes frequently raised across the global cooperative movement, including:

• Building awareness of the cooperative difference

• Accessing appropriate forms of capital

• Developing the next generation of leaders

• Maintaining strong governance capability

• Creating policy environments that recognise cooperative ownership structures

• Strengthening collaboration between cooperatives

The report also highlights how interconnected these challenges are. Awareness influences policy. Policy influences access to capital. Leadership and governance influence long-term organisational sustainability.

For co-op leaders, directors, policymakers and sector advocates, the report provides useful evidence of the issues currently shaping co-operative development and resilience.

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