List of European cooperative banks

This list of European cooperative banks includes individual cooperative banks, integrated cooperative banking groups, and loose nationwide networks, the latter typically tied together by an institutional protection scheme.

Overview

European cooperative banks have developed since the mid-19th century, principally on the basis of early pioneering initiatives in the German confederation led by Franz Hermann Schulze-Delitzsch[1] and Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen.[2] The German model was emulated in France from 1878[3] (1882 in German-ruled Alsace–Lorraine[4]), in Italy from 1883,[5] in Austria-Hungary from 1886,[6] in the Netherlands from 1895, and in Spain from 1901.[7] Similar developments occurred in other European countries.

Cooperative banks expanded dynamically in Europe during the 20th century.[8] In some instances, they have largely or entirely demutualized, as in the case of Italy's banche popolari in the 2010s.[9] Conversely, some banking groups that were not originally organized as cooperatives have eventually adopted that form, such as France's Groupe Caisses d'Épargne (now part of BPCE) in 1999.[10]

The European Association of Co-operative Banks, initially established in 1970 as the Association of Cooperative Savings and Credit Institutions of the European Economic Community, is the sector's umbrella association, based in Brussels.[11]

Austria

  • Alpen Privatbank
  • Austrian Raiffeisen Banking Group
  • Volksbank Group

Bulgaria

  • Bulgarian Development Bank
  • Bulgarian Postbank
  • MKB Unionbank

Belgium

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Ireland

Italy

Luxembourg

  • Banque Raiffeisen

Netherlands

Poland

  • BPS Group
  • SGB Group
  • Bank Spółdzielczy w Brodnicy in Brodnica
  • Krakowski Bank Spółdzielczy and Bank Spółdzielczy Rzemiosła w Krakowie, both in Kraków
  • Bank Spółdzielczy w Bydgoszczy in Bydgoszcz
  • Wschodni Bank Spółdzielczy w Chełmie in Chełm
  • Warmińsko-Mazurski Bank Spółdzielczy in Olsztyn
  • Bank Spółdzielczy w Rutce – Tartak in Suwałki[12]
  • Spółdzielcza kasa oszczędnościowo-kredytowa or Polish credit unions

Portugal

  • Crédito Agrícola Group
  • Caixa de Crédito Agrícola Mútuo de Bombarral
  • Caixa de Crédito Agrícola Mútuo da Chamusca
  • Caixa de Crédito Agrícola Mútuo de Leiria
  • Caixa de Crédito Agrícola Mútuo de Mafra
  • Caixa de Crédito Agrícola Mútuo de Torres Vedras
  • Caixa Económica da Misericórdia de Angra do Heroísmo

Romania

  • Banca Creditcoop

Spain

  • Grupo Caja Rural
  • Cajamar Cooperative Group
  • Solventia Cooperative Group
  • Eurocaja Rural
  • Caja Rural de Guissona
  • Laboral Kutxa
  • Caja de Ingenieros
  • FIARE Banca Ética, a branch of Italy's Banca Popolare Etica[13]

Sweden

Switzerland

United Kingdom

For a full list of members of the Building Societies Association, see here: Building_Societies_Association,

  • Credit unions in the United Kingdom
  • Building Societies Association
  • The Money Co-op
  • Progressive Building Society
  • Scottish Building Society
  • Shared Interest

See also

  • Central Cooperative Bank, a Bulgarian commercial bank despite its name
  • Unico Banking Group, a defunct attempt at cross-border integration of cooperative banks
  • List of banks in Europe

References

  1. Die Geschichte der Genossenschaftsbanken bvr.de^
  2. the History of DZ Bank: Die genossenschaftlichen Werte DZ Bank^
  3. Notre histoire Archives Banque Populaire, retrieved 2025-7-29^
  4. Our History creditmutuel.com, retrieved 13 November 2023^
  5. Una storia che viene da lontano Credito Cooperativo, retrieved 2025-7-25^
  6. Raiffeisen Geschichte Raiffeisen Bank International^
  7. Gemma Fajardo & Francisco Soler Tormo. The Credit Cooperative System in Spain Springer, 2016^
  8. Wim Fonteyne. Cooperative Banks in Europe — Policy Issues International Monetary Fund, July 2007^
  9. Valter Lazzari & Luigi Vena. Enterprise value and risk taking in the banking industry: Cooperatives vs. corporations Research in International Business and Finance, January 2025^
  10. Coopératives et engagées Fédération National Caisse d'Épargne, retrieved 2025-7-29^
  11. Co-operative Banks in Europe: values and practices to promote development European Association of Co-operative Banks, 2004, retrieved 2025-7-29^
  12. Bankowość spółdzielcza - Lista banków spółdzielczych Krajowy Związek Banków Spółdzielczych, retrieved 2025-7-31^
  13. Datos societarios - Banca Popolare Etica, sucursal en España Fiare Banca Ética, retrieved 2026-1-3^