Social Economy Data & Statistics

In 2021, the European Commission launched the Action plan for the social economy: Building an economy that works for people (SEAP), placing the social economy firmly at the heart of Europe’s economic and social ambitions. The Action Plan recognises the social economy as a powerful driver of inclusive growth, job creation and social innovation across the EU. The mid-term review of the Social Economy Action Plan was published in March 2026.

The plan set out concrete actions designed to create the right conditions for social economy organisations to thrive, from improving access to finance and markets to strengthening skills and enabling supportive policy frameworks. A major milestone was reached in 2023 with the adoption of the Council Recommendation on developing social economy framework conditions (2023), a key step in helping Member States translate ambition into action on the ground.

The Recommendation advises Member States to ‘monitor the development and performance of the social economy by stimulating research and collecting statistics and quantitative and qualitative data in a cost-efficient way’. In this context, the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL) organised a series of three mutual learning workshops on ‘Social Economy data and statistics’, aimed at providing national authorities with an overall understanding of the of the purpose for collecting data on the social economy, common obstacles and practical solutions for improving data collection and statistical methodologies and the use of innovative tools. This overview summarises the purpose of collecting data on the social economy, what data should be collected, as well as current practices and challenges in collecting data on the social economy in the EU and internationally.

The workshops welcomed almost 50 public officials from national and regional administrations across 16 Member States,[1] as well as one thematic expert, social economy representatives, OECD and European Commission officials. Participants were invited to identify statistical methodologies, discuss common obstacles and exchange practical solutions for improving data collection for the social economy.

[1] AT, BE, CZ, EE, EL, ES, FI, FR, HR, LV, MT, PL, PT, RO, SI, SK.

WHY COLLECTING DATA ON THE SOCIAL ECONOMY AND WHAT DATA SHOULD BE COLLECTED

Why Statistics Matter

Building visibility, legitimacy, and credibility
Statistics are a strategic tool to raise the profile of the social economy by increasing its recognition and visibility. Reliable statistics on the size and characteristics of the social economy help make its contribution visible, showing why it matters as both an economic force and a social actor, and building a compelling evidence base that strengthens its credibility with policymakers and the wider public.
Evidence to guide policymaking and advocacy efforts
Data and statistics are essential for building and developing effective and targeted public policies that harvest the opportunities for growth and accountability. By showing what is happening in the economy and society, where challenges are most acute, and which groups or territories are affected, data help policymakers move from broad objectives to well‑targeted interventions.
Demonstrating contribution to economy and social cohesion
Sector specific data (healthcare, education, culture, social services) are useful to fully capture social economy’s contribution to the economy and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Besides, sector‑specific data capture non‑market and service delivery contributions that are not visible in economic data collection.
Improving funding access, support better internal management and strengthen transparency/accountability
Data can be used to identify strengths and weaknesses within the organisations to attract funders, investors and partners and access resources. When collected and used systematically, such data move organisations from broad mission statements toward credible, evidence‑based propositions that resonate with decision‑makers and capital providers.

What Data Should Be Collected

While traditional economic indicators remain useful, they do not fully capture the complexity of the social economy. Data should therefore include information on people involved, not only paid employees but also volunteers, and qualitative dimensions such as job quality, equity (a fair and just design, implementation, and outcomes of economic and social activities), and working conditions beyond basic figures such as the number of entities and their economic value. One must also distinguish between economic contribution and economic impact, as there are risks with overestimating results through inappropriate use of counterfactual techniques. It is important to collect a broad set of variables that reflect both economic and social contributions, including resilience, social innovation, and alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Key takeaways on what data to collect:

Reliable data on the number of entities, their economic value, and people involved; across sectors, regions, and organisational forms.
Data collection should include volunteering and membership as key dimensions of participation.
Data should be complemented with information on job creation, working conditions, job quality, and equity.
Capture both quantitative and qualitative dimensions and seek to align with SDGs and public policy goals.
Include non-monetary dimensions of the social economy, its capacity to generate positive externalities, social innovation, and collective resources.

Key actors in social economy statistics

National Statistical Offices (NSOs)
NSOs ensure impartiality, methodological soundness and international comparability. They hold the primary responsibility within the European Statistical System, in close cooperation with Eurostat.
Umbrella organisations
These representative bodies contribute grassroots knowledge and proximity to practitioners, though often constrained by resources and methodological rigour.
Academia
Universities and research centres provide scientific expertise and analytical capacity but lack access to administrative databases and survey authority.
Development partners
Development agencies and other non-state entities generate project-based or thematic statistics, typically narrower in scope.
Government departments and agencies:
Government entities gather data on specific subsectors or policy areas, offering policy insight but limited comparability across countries.
Social economy entities (SEEs)
SEEs can make a substantial and distinctive contribution to data collection as they are at the centre of service delivery, community engagement and lived experience. Their involvement can help address many of the current gaps and improve quality of data collection in the sector.
Eurostat
Eurostat plays a strong role in developing harmonised and comparable data collection across Member States, by setting common definitions, classifications, and methodologies in close cooperation with national statistical authorities.

CURRENT PRACTICES AND CHALLENGES IN COLLECTING DATA ON THE SOCIAL ECONOMY IN THE EU

How To Collect Data On The Social Economy

The fundamental starting point for collecting data on the social economy is creating a statistical representation of the social economy’s size, characteristics, and economic contributions. The most common methodological approaches used for this purpose are outlined below. The last column lists countries which during the workshop identified themselves as using a specific tool.

SATELLITE ACCOUNTS

Extend national accounting systems by providing specific and consistent data on the social
economy within the overall statistical national accounting system.
Enable the integration of cooperatives, mutuals, non‑profit institutions and related
organisations into national economic aggregates through internationally harmonised
standards.
Require a clear and shared definition of the relevant SE units as well as stable funding,
dedicated staff within NSOs, and the technical expertise to design and implement appropriate
methodologies.
Portugal, Poland, Austria

OBSERVATORIES (NATIONAL/REGIONAL)

Tend to emerge through bottom‑up initiatives and are gradually institutionalised through
legislation or formal mandates.
Through structured cooperation with NSOs and public bodies, observatories contribute to a
more dynamic understanding of the sector.
They are more flexible, produce richer qualitative information and respond more quickly to
information needs.
They may offer greater stability, especially when independent from government, and can
better address stakeholder needs.
Effectiveness depends heavily on access to high‑quality administrative data, which is not
always guaranteed.
Differences in financial and technical capacity result in uneven coverage, frequency, and
analytical depth.
Since national legal definitions of the social economy vary between countries, observatories’
outputs are not easily comparable across countries.
Wallonia (BE), France, Portugal, Spain

ENTERPRISE-LEVEL SURVEYS

Provide a comprehensive and coherent framework of information, particularly on economic
value and organisational characteristics.
Enable collecting a broader and more detailed range of data to illustrate the economic value
of SE, than censuses or administrative registers can.
Variables capturing volunteering and membership face challenges of double counting, as
individuals may volunteer for or be members of more than one organisation.
Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, France, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain

REGISTERS (STATISTICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE) AND CENSUSES

Provide basic structural information such as the number of active entities, their territorial and
sectoral distribution, employment, and basic performance indicators.
Censuses and registers of non-profit institutions can provide equivalent information on
associations and foundations, thereby supplementing the aforementioned sources.
Do not provide detailed data on the economic value of the SE (both in terms of revenues and
added value) nor capture volunteering and membership.
Austria, Wallonia (BE) Croatia, Czechia, Finland, France, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Malta, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain.

HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS

Capture participation through volunteering and membership and provide a fuller picture of
engagement in the social economy.
Can complement registers, censuses and enterprise-level surveys with more accurate data on
individuals’ involvement in social economy activities such as volunteering.
Lower comparability and provide less consistent outputs compared with satellite accounts.
Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, France, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain

Data Collection Practices in the EU

Across the EU, Member States are at different stages in developing robust statistics on the social economy. Broadly speaking, the 27 EU countries fall into two groups. A first group comprises those where comprehensive statistics covering the social economy as a whole are already available. This includes Belgium, France, Portugal and Spain, where the social economy has long been recognised, as well as Luxembourg and Poland, where more recent legislative and policy developments have strengthened this recognition. In other EU Member States, aggregate statistics are currently not being collected, although in some countries, such as Croatia, data collection is part of their plans to set up a new social economy strategy.

In several of these countries (Portugal, Poland and Spain) the production of social economy statistics is mandatory, either under a dedicated Social Economy Law or through a national Social Economy Development Plan. The presence of permanent social economy observatories (Belgium, France and Spain), alongside the direct involvement of national statistical offices (in France, Luxembourg, Poland and Portugal), play a crucial role in ensuring regular and reliable data production.

As a result, these countries are able to publish recurring statistics on key indicators, including the number of social economy entities and employment levels, and, where available, economic aggregates. In many cases, this core data is complemented by more detailed, sector‑specific information, providing policy makers with a stronger evidence base to design, monitor and refine social economy policies. The examples of the countries below show various possible tools for data collection on the social economy.

Belgium
In Wallonia (BE), data on the social economy are produced through a permanent Social Economy Observatory hosted by ConcertES, the umbrella organisation representing social economy federations. Officially recognised and funded by the Walloon Region since 2008, the Observatory consolidates administrative and statistical data—primarily from business, employment, and financial registers—via the shared Social Profit DataTrust platform. Rather than producing national accounts, the Observatory provides annual statistics, territorial analyses, and policy‑relevant indicators, combining sector expertise with strong dissemination and stakeholder engagement. This bottom‑up, partnership‑based model, ensures continuity and responsiveness, while facing challenges related to data access, perimeter adjustments, and cross‑country comparability.
Report: L’État de lieux de l'Économie Sociale — Édition 2024
Croatia
Croatia is at an early, foundational stage of collecting data on the social economy, with no consolidated statistical system currently in place. Previous efforts linked to the 2015–2020 national strategy relied mainly on project‑based indicators and surveys, often driven by EU funding requirements, but these were not sustained nor integrated into a long‑term monitoring framework. Key challenges remain the absence of a unified definition, fragmented registries across ministries, and limited statistical capacity within the national statistical office. Current efforts focus on developing recognition criteria, a future registry of social economy entities, and a basic monitoring and evaluation framework as part of a new strategic approach.
Portugal
Portugal has the most consolidated system in the EU for social economy data and has published four editions of its satellite account since 2013. Compiled by Statistics Portugal in close partnership with CASES, the system is legally anchored in the Social Economy Framework Law and aligned with European System of Accounts (ESA) 2010, the UN Handbook, and the CIRIEC Manual. Using a modular approach, Portugal combines national accounts data with administrative sources and complementary surveys (notably the Social Economy Sector Survey capturing voluntary work), enabling detailed and comparable measurement of the sector’s economic and employment contribution. The long‑standing institutional mandate and partnership model underpin the continuity and credibility of the data.
Report: Social Economy Satellite Account (2023) – fourth edition
Spain
Spain combines a long‑standing observatory‑based approach with the recent development of its first social economy satellite account, mandated in 2024 and published by the National Statistical Institute (INE) in 2026. Until now, data have been compiled through a mix of administrative registers and sectoral sources, coordinated with key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Labour, International Centre of Research and Information on the Public, Social and Cooperative Economy (CIRIEC), and the Spanish Business Confederation of the Social Economy (CEPES). The new satellite account introduces a structured, national‑accounts‑based methodology, centred on an extended statistical perimeter and a dedicated directory of social economy entities. This represents a major step towards harmonised, comprehensive and internationally comparable statistics, while maintaining strong collaboration with social economy actors.
Social Economy Satellite Account. Results 2026

EUROSTAT
Eurostat is supporting methodological advances in international statistical work on satellite accounts. It has contributed significantly to the development of the publication of the 2018 UN Handbook on Satellite Accounts for Nonprofit and Related Institutions and Volunteer Work. The handbook represents the current international methodological reference for compiling satellite accounts for the social economy (see section on international approaches). In 2018, Eurostat launched two grant calls supporting the development of SESAs, as part of a broader National Accounts call. These grants funded projects in Slovenia, Spain and Poland between 2018 and 2022, functioning as exploratory pilots, helping to test methods, clarify data needs and identify institutional challenges. They illustrated varying levels of national readiness depending on the structure of national statistical offices, data availability and legal frameworks. Eurostat has launched a new call for proposals for publishing satellite accounts aimed at National Statistical Authorities in EU and EFTA countries (with a deadline of 16 June 2026).

POLITICAL AND INSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS
There is a limited political recognition of the value of collecting data and producing statistics on the social economy. There is oftentimes a lack of a clear legal or regulatory framework in combination with a lack of data collection mandates for national statistical offices (NSOs). Weak coordination mechanisms and the non-binding nature of EU recommendations create additional barriers for strengthening data collection on the social economy.

Potential remedies for political and institutional barriers

The six EU Member States collecting data on the social economy have a law on the social economy, granting NSOs a legal mandate to collect data and statistics on the social economy.

TECHNICAL BARRIERS
The absence of a common operational definition of the social economy limits NSOs when setting the statistical perimeter of the social economy and collecting comparable data. Additional barriers are the absence of harmonised methodologies in measuring indicators (across employment, volunteering, membership, job quality and equity), standardised variables, and comparable indicators across Member States.

Potential remedies for technical barriers

Establish a shared operational definition through an EU reference framework to provide NSOs with a
clear and consistent statistical perimeter, while respecting national diversity and existing statistical
infrastructures. By applying a shared operational definition and harmonised methodologies, the
evidence base for designing, monitoring, and evaluating social economy policies at both national
and EU levels can be improved. Granting researchers access to microdata, in line with statistical
confidentiality requirements, would further enable rigorous analysis and strengthen the evidence base
for policymaking.

TRAINING BARRIERS
Many NSOs lack sufficient understanding of the social economy as well as technical and methodological expertise needed to produce reliable social economy statistics.

Potential remedies for training barriers

This highlights the importance of cooperation with SEEs in a bottom-up approach to better
understand the social economy when grounding statistical and analytical work in practical, lived
experience rather than relying solely on top-down measurement approaches. In addition, capacitybuilding
and mutual learning among national statistical offices supported and/or offered by national
and EU policy-makers can increase NSO’s understanding of the social economy sector.

FINANCIAL BARRIERS
Oftentimes, NSOs face challenges of limited resources, staff shortages, weak expertise
and low political demand for data which leads to a de-prioritisation of the production of
social economy statistics.

Potential remedies for financial barriers

It is important to raise awareness among policymakers of the value of satellite accounts (already
used in areas such as culture and tourism) and how these tools could also be applied to the social
economy. Evidence generated through such accounts can support more informed decision making and
strengthen political recognition of the sector. Dedicated financial support and capacity-building are
furthermore essential to overcome these structural limitations and enable the regular production of
robust statistics in the social economy.

INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES ON SOCIAL ECONOMY DATA AND STATISTICS

The International Landscape

Over the past two decades, international organisations have produced a range of conceptual references, methodological tools, and statistical guidance aimed at improving the visibility and comparability of the social economy sector. This section outlines some of the main international statistical frameworks developed to support the measurement of the social economy.

CIRIEC Manual for Drawing up the Satellite Accounts of Companies in the Social Economy (2006)

The CIRIEC Manual was developed to complement existing international statistical guidance by providing a specific methodological framework for measuring cooperatives, mutual societies and other social economy enterprises within satellite accounts. It addresses gaps left by earlier approaches focused mainly on non-profit institutions and supports countries in defining the statistical perimeter of the social economy in a way that is compatible with national accounts, while reflecting the sector’s specific principles and organisational forms.

UN Handbook on Satellite Accounts on Non-profit and Related Institutions and Volunteer Work (2003 and 2018)

The UN Handbook represents a major step towards the international harmonisation of social economy statistics. The 2003 edition introduced a standard framework for measuring non-profit institutions within satellite accounts, while the 2018 update expanded the scope to include related institutions and volunteer work, bridging part of the social economy. Its publication provided countries with a consistent, internationally recognised methodology that can be adopted or adapted by EU Member States when developing their own satellite accounts.

System of National Accounts (2025)

The SNA 2025 integrates key elements of the 2018 UN Handbook into the core system of national accounts, formally embedding the statistical treatment of non-profit and related institutions within the global accounting framework. This represents an important milestone in recognising parts of the social economy within mainstream economic statistics and strengthens the alignment between satellite accounts and internationally comparable national accounts.

WEF’s/Schwab Foundation: Collecting Data on Social Enterprises: A Playbook for Practitioners (2025)

The World Economic Forum (WEF) / Schwab Foundation published a practical resource that distils insights from over 700 survey questions into eight core themes. It proposes a streamlined set of standard questions that social enterprises can use when completing or designing surveys, making it easier to compare data across countries, legal forms and thematic areas such as revenues, barriers and support needs. The Playbook has already been tested in a range of real‑world settings and used to design or adapt surveys. Looking ahead, the next phase of the initiative will focus on strengthening collaboration and interoperability, identifying concrete use cases where social enterprises can access or request data, and expanding the network of participating organisations. The ultimate aim is clear: to move from fragmented efforts towards a more coherent, shared global data ecosystem for social enterprises.

OECD: Insights from social and solidarity economy data (2024)

The OECD has been gathering first‑hand information from countries to build a clearer picture of the social economy worldwide. Drawing on direct input from national authorities, it produced country factsheets for 34 countries, combining quantitative data with qualitative insights on definitions, legal frameworks, fiscal incentives and approaches to impact measurement. To support this work, a dedicated survey was launched in 2022 and sent to ministries responsible for the social economy. Countries were asked about national definitions, legislation, legal forms and employment figures. In many cases, the concept of the social economy first had to be clarified before data could be collected, highlighting just how diverse national approaches remain.

ILO work towards guidelines concerning statistics of the social and solidarity economy (Ongoing)

The ILO is currently developing international statistical guidelines for the social and solidarity economy, building on its long-standing work on cooperative statistics and the 2022 UN resolution recognising the SSE. This work aims to translate agreed principles, such as democratic governance, limited profit distribution and collective interest, into operational statistical criteria. Through guidelines, pilot testing and consultations, the ILO seeks to support countries in producing comparable data while allowing flexibility for different national legal and institutional contexts.

KEY LEARNINGS ON COLLECTING DATA ON THE SOCIAL ECONOMY

Key Takeaways

Comprehensive and harmonised data on the social economy is essential for increasing the sector’s visibility and legitimacy.
EU wide data collection enables sector visibility and improves evidence-based policy design, but methodological and data-source heterogeneity and the lack of a universal operational definition hinder comparability and harmonisation of data methodologies.
Establishing a clear and shared definition of the social economy is essential to enable the identification of relevant units of measure, harmonising methodologies and producing coherent statistics.
Satellite accounts, social economy observatories, registers and (targeted) surveys are most common tools to capture social economy statistics.
While NSOs may have the methodological capacity, they often miss human and financial resources required to handle the complexity of satellite accounts.
Strengthening capacities with the necessary technical expertise, sustainable funding and access to comprehensive data sources are key for long-term development of satellite accounts.
Political support at national/regional level is one of the most decisive enabling factors for mobilising the necessary resources and maintaining the long‑term commitment of data collection.
The SEAP has helped raise political recognition of the social economy, supporting the development of definitions, policy frameworks and national strategies, but implementation of these policy frameworks and strategies remains uneven across Member States due to differing political commitment and institutional capacity.