You’re asking about which countries have the most housing cooperatives per capita, meaning the share of housing stock—or proportion of the population—in cooperative housing. Based on available data, here are the leaders:
Top Countries by Share of Cooperative Housing
1. Sweden
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Around 16% of the population lives in apartments managed by housing cooperatives Wikipedia on IPFSWikipedia.
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A Housing Europe analysis also notes Sweden has one of the highest housing co-op units per capita in Europe—almost a quarter of all housing European Housing Coop.
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That places Sweden at or very near the top globally for cooperative housing density.
2. Poland
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Approximately 3,500 housing cooperatives managing 2.58 million housing units, which equates to nearly 20% of housing stock in the country European Housing Coop.
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With Poland’s population around 38 million, this actually suggests a very high per-capita presence — second only to Sweden in Europe.
3. Estonia
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More than 60% of apartment buildings are cooperatives, largely due to transfer of state housing to cooperative ownership after the Soviet era European Housing Coop.
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Still, these are largely management cooperatives, meaning owners manage common areas, while individual units are privately owned. Nonetheless, this represents a significant per-capita share.
4. Norway
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Cooperative housing comprises about 23% of Norway's housing stock tomorrow-building.com.
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In addition, a CECODHAS/Cooperatives Europe report confirms around 15% of housing stock in Norway is cooperatively managed Cooperatives Europe.
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Norway ranks highly in terms of cooperative housing share per capita.
5. Czech Republic & Sweden (Historical)
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A 2009 report cites cooperatives managing around 17% of total housing stock in Sweden and Czechia Cooperatives Europe.
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Czechia’s more recent data (2021) indicates 3.1% of all housing units are cooperative apartments, showing a significant decline from earlier levels European Housing Coop.
6. Switzerland
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About 5.1% of all housing units are in cooperative ownership, with 1,500 cooperatives managing roughly 160,000 housing units Wikipedia on IPFSHisourtomorrow-building.com.
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In major cities like Zurich, cooperatives can represent up to 20% of the housing stock European Housing Cooptomorrow-building.com.
Summary Table: Cooperative Housing Share
| Country | Approx. Share of Housing Stock in Cooperatives |
|---|---|
| Sweden | ~16% nationally; up to ~25% in multifamily housing |
| Poland | ~20% (2.58 million units across ~3,500 co-ops) |
| Estonia | >60% of apartment buildings managed by co-ops |
| Norway | ~23% of housing stock |
| Switzerland | ~5% nationally; up to ~20% in cities like Zurich |
| Czechia | ~3.1% (down from ~17% in 2009) |
Final Take
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Estonia leads in terms of share of apartment buildings structured as cooperatives—but these are often management-oriented, not ownership-based.
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Poland and Norway have substantial national shares (around 20–23%).
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Sweden, with around 16% of people living in cooperative apartments (and nearly 25% in larger cities), remains one of the strongest cooperative housing systems per capita in Europe.
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Switzerland is notable for marked concentrations in urban areas, though its overall share is more modest.
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Czechia shows that historical prevalence of cooperatives can significantly decline over time.
Let me know if you'd like insights into other regions (like North America or Asia), or a focused comparison between ownership vs. rental cooperative models!
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