The New Zealand Cooperative Economy Report 2025

Using 2024 financial data

The New Zealand Cooperative Economy Report 2025 is the most current and comprehensive snapshot of the scale, structure, and contribution of cooperatives and mutuals to New Zealand’s economy.

It is the primary reference point for policymakers, media, researchers, and sector leaders seeking evidence-based insight into member-owned business in Aotearoa. It offers valuable insight into how cooperatives operate at scale across different sectors and regions, and how they contribute to economic resilience, employment, and long-term value creation.

What this edition focuses on

The 2025 report provides an up-to-date view of the cooperative economy using 2024 financial data, with a particular emphasis on:

• The current scale and economic significance of New Zealand’s largest cooperatives and mutuals

• Revenue, assets, employment, and membership trends across key sectors

• New Zealand’s cooperative economy in a global context, including comparison with international benchmarks

• Structural changes since previous editions, including accounting standards, ownership models, and sector composition

• The contribution of cooperatives to people, communities, and long-term economic resilience.

This edition reflects the cooperative model’s continued relevance at a time of economic transition, productivity challenge, and growing interest in inclusive and sustainable business models.

How this report is used.

The 2025 report is most commonly used to:

1. Support media reporting on the scale and contribution of cooperatives

2. Inform policy discussions across economic development, productivity, primary sector, and financial services

3. Provide baseline evidence for advocacy and submissions

4. Support academic and student research on member-owned business models

5. Ground international conversations about New Zealand’s cooperative economy

It is intended as a national reference document, not a ranking of performance or financial health of individual organisations.

Report at a glance

• Publisher: Cooperative Business NZ 

• Author: Cooperative business NZ

• Year: 2025 

• Focus: history, size and scale of the cooperative and mutual economy

• Geographic scope: new zealand

• Format: PDF report 

• Audience: Policymakers, researchers, cooperative leaders, media 

About the New Zealand Cooperative Economy reports

These reports provide infrequent but comprehensive snapshots of the scale, structure, and contribution of cooperatives and mutuals in New Zealand. Produced using consistent definitions and methodologies, they are designed to support longitudinal analysis over time and are widely used by researchers, policymakers, and media.