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Cooperative Facts


  • 29,000 cooperatives operate in every sector of the U.S. economy.

  • 1 billion people are members of cooperatives worldwide.

  • 1 in 3 Americans are co-op members holding 350 million co-op memberships worldwide.

  • U.S. cooperatives generate 2 million jobs each year, contribute $652 billion in annual sales, and possess $3 trillion in assets.

  • 92 million Americans turn to 7,500 credit unions – which are cooperatives – for their financial services.

  • Most of the America’s 2 million farmers are farmer co-op members providing 250,000 jobs and $8 billion in annual wages.

  • 1.2 million U.S. families of all income levels live in homes owned and operated through cooperatives.

  • 42 million Americans rely on electricity from 900 rural electric co-ops in 47 states – making up 42% of the nation’s electric distribution and covering 75% of our land mass.

  • 233 million people are served by co-op-owned and affiliated insurance companies.

  • 1.2 million rural Americans are served by 260 telephone cooperatives in 31 states.

  • 50,000 U.S. families rely on cooperative daycare facilities and preschools for the care of their children.

Source:https://www.iwdc.coop/why-a-coop/facts-about-cooperatives-1

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