Cooperativism; Regional development; Financial inclusion; Socioeconomic indicators.
Cooperativism; Regional development; Financial inclusion; Socioeconomic indicators.
Credit cooperatives have become established as a strategic alternative for financial inclusion and regional development in Brazil. Despite their national expansion, significant disparities persist between the North and South regions regarding the presence, structure, and performance of these institutions. This study aims to analyze the contribution of credit cooperatives to the quality of regional socioeconomic indicators, mainly concerning the reduction of regional inequalities. The research adopts a quantitative and descriptive approach, with the use of k-means for clustering and spatial regression to assess spatial correlations. Data on credit cooperatives cover the period between 2015 and 2020 and are available from sources such as the Central Bank of Brazil, the Organization of Brazilian Cooperatives, and the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. The aim is to identify regional performance patterns and structural asymmetries, highlighting the role of credit cooperatives as instruments for productive inclusion and the promotion of sustainable development, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 8 and 10) of the UN's 2030 Agenda.