European Union
2024
EURICSE, CIRIEC, Spatial Foresight and others
This document presents a report on the socio-economic performance of the social economy in the European Union, a comprehensive study conducted in 2024 by researchers from EURICSE, CIRIEC, and Spatial Foresight. The report reveals significant insights into the scale and impact of social economy entities across EU member states, underscoring their importance in the labor market and their contribution to economic turnover. The findings indicate that there are over 4.3 million social economy entities in the EU, employing at least 11.5 million people, which constitutes 6.3% of total employment in the region. The social economy is comprised of various organizational forms, including cooperatives, mutual societies, associations, foundations, and social enterprises. Notably, associations are the most numerous, while cooperatives represent a significant segment of employment opportunities within the sector. Moreover, the report highlights the challenges related to data availability and comparability across countries, with only a few Member States having comprehensive national statistics on the social economy. The recognition and understanding of social economy concepts vary widely, with certain Western European nations exhibiting stronger traditions and frameworks to support these entities. The report aims to enhance data collection and representation of the social economy at both national and EU levels, thereby facilitating better policymaking. By illuminating the size and scope of the social economy, this study serves as a crucial resource for stakeholders interested in promoting social innovation and sustainable economic practices within the EU.
This report summarizes the findings of a major study on the socio-economic performance of the social economy in the European Union, conducted in 2024 by researchers from EURICSE, CIRIEC, and Spatial Foresight. Some key findings include:
- There are over 4.3 million social economy entities in the EU, employing at least 11.5 million people (6.3% of total employment) and generating turnover of over €912 billion.
- The social economy includes cooperatives, mutual societies, associations, foundations, and social enterprises. Associations are the most numerous (3.8 million), followed by cooperatives (240,000).
- An estimated 246,000 social enterprises exist, of which about 43,000 are legally recognized and 203,000 are de facto.
- Employment is highest in associations (6.2 million) and cooperatives (3.3 million). At least 3.3 million are employed in health/social care, 702,000 in education, and 622,000 in arts/culture/entertainment.
- Data availability and comparability remain challenging across countries. Only a few Member States have comprehensive national statistics on the social economy.
- Recognition and understanding of the social economy concept varies greatly between countries, with stronger traditions in some Western European nations.
- The study aimed to improve data collection and representation of the social economy at national and EU levels, working closely with researchers in all 27 Member States.
The report provides the most comprehensive overview to date of the size and scope of the EU social economy, while highlighting areas for further statistical development. It was commissioned as part of the European Commission's 2021 Social Economy Action Plan.
Citations: [1] https://ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws.com/web/direct-files/14348946/4f9799c9-2ac4-4961-ac16-7da5c199e07a/benchmarking-the-socio-economic-performance-of-the-EA0224285ENN.pdf [2] https://ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws.com/web/direct-files/14348946/4f9799c9-2ac4-4961-ac16-7da5c199e07a/benchmarking-the-socio-economic-performance-of-the-EA0224285ENN.pdf