Editing Building society (section)

==List of building societies==

===United Kingdom===

====Current====
{{As of|2024|February}}, there are 42 independent building societies,<ref>{{cite web|date=27 February 2024|title=Building Societies Association Factsheet February 2024|url=https://www.bsa.org.uk/getmedia/d99ff64d-3df7-4fb7-9f4d-7ab28bff815a/Assets_Website_4.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240227193144/https://www.bsa.org.uk/getmedia/d99ff64d-3df7-4fb7-9f4d-7ab28bff815a/Assets_Website_4.pdf|archive-date=27 February 2024|access-date=27 February 2024}}</ref> all of which are members of the [[Building Societies Association]].<ref name="multiple" />

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! rowspan="2" style="width:0%;"|
!  rowspan="2"|Name
!  rowspan="2"|Group assets<br />(millions)<ref>Total group assets of building societies ''(data from last available annual reports as of March 2023)''.</ref>
! rowspan="2" width=125pt|Other trading names
!  colspan="2" align=right|Numbers of
!  rowspan="2" align=right|No. of<br />staff
! rowspan="2" align=right|Provides<br />current<br />account?
|-
!  Branches
!  Agencies
|-
| 1 || [[Nationwide Building Society]]
| £271,893
| [[The Mortgage Works]]
| 605 ||
| 17,680
| [[File:Arbcom ru ready.svg|20px|center]]
|-
|| 2 || [[Coventry Building Society]]{{efn|name=group|These societies do not form part of a corporate business group, although they may own other businesses.}}
| £58,867
|
| 64|| 15
| 2,824
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]] 
|-
| 3 || [[Yorkshire Building Society]]
| £58,754
| [[Chelsea Building Society]];<br/>Accord
| 132 || 99 
| 3,117
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]] 
|-
| 4 || [[Skipton Building Society]]
| £33,571
|
| 82||
| 2,506
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 5 || [[Leeds Building Society]]
| £25,514
|
| 50 || 
| 1,538 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]] 
|-
| 6 || [[Principality Building Society]]
| £11,257
| 
| 54 ||14
| 1,157
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 7 || [[West Bromwich Building Society]]
| £5,689
| 
| 37||
| 633 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 8 || [[Newcastle Building Society]]
| £5,313
| [[Manchester Building Society]]
| 31||
| 1,393 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 9 || [[Nottingham Building Society]]
| £3,813
|
| 31||
| 513 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 10 || [[Cumberland Building Society]] 
| £3,090
| 
| 34||
| 634 
| &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; [[File:Arbcom ru ready.svg|13px]]{{efn|name=branch|If customer resides within their "operating area".}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Current Accounts |url=https://www.cumberland.co.uk/neon/download/file/PDFs/Cumberland-Current-Accounts.pdf |website=Cumberland Building Society}}</ref>
|-
| 11 || [[National Counties Building Society]] 
| £2,402
| [[Family Building Society]]
| 1||
| 196 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 12 || [[Progressive Building Society]]{{efn|name=group}}
| £1,900
| 
| 11 ||36
| 172
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 13 || [[Cambridge Building Society]] 
| £1,859
| 
| 13||
| 236
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 14 || [[Newbury Building Society]] 
| £1,547
| 
| 10||
| 180 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 15 || [[Monmouthshire Building Society]] 
| £1,488
|           
| 11 ||11 
| 145 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 16 || [[Saffron Building Society]] 
| £1,286
| 
| 8|| 
| 181 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 17 || [[Leek United Building Society]] 
| £1,238
| 
| 12 || 
| 164 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 18 || [[Furness Building Society]] 
| £1,236
| 
| 9 ||
| 177
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 19 || [[Darlington Building Society]] 
| £833
| 
| 9 ||
| 113
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 20 || [[Hinckley and Rugby Building Society]] 
| £812
| 
| 7 || 2
| 116 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 21 || [[Suffolk Building Society]]{{efn|name=group}} 
| £799
| 
| 9 ||1 
| 123
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 22 || [[Marsden Building Society]] 
| £734
| 
| 8||
| 79
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 23 || [[Melton Building Society]]{{efn|name=group}} 
| £715
| 
| 5 ||
| 88 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 24 || [[Market Harborough Building Society]] 
| £647
|
| 5 ||
| 118 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 25 || [[Scottish Building Society]] 
| £645
| 
| 6 ||61 
| 71
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 26 || [[Dudley Building Society]] 
| £545
|
| 5 ||
| 91
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 27 || [[Tipton & Coseley Building Society]]{{efn|name=group}} 
| £540
| 
| 4||
| 83 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 28 || [[Loughborough Building Society]]{{efn|name=group}} 
| £533
|
| 5 || 1
| 55
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 29 || [[Swansea Building Society]] 
| £530
| 
| 4 ||
| 36
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 30 || [[Hanley Economic Building Society]] 
| £516
| 
| 7 ||
| 73
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 31 || [[Mansfield Building Society]]{{efn|name=group}} 
| £485
|
| 4 ||
| 73 
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 32 || [[Vernon Building Society]] 
| £417
| 
| 6 ||
| 68
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 33 || [[Teachers Building Society]] 
| £375
| 
| 1 ||
| 39
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 34 || [[Bath Building Society]] 
| £362
| 
| 2 ||
| 67
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 35 || [[Buckinghamshire Building Society]]{{efn|name=group}} 
| £355
| 
| 1 ||
| 39
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 36 || [[Chorley & District Building Society]]{{efn|name=group}} 
| £334
| 
| 3||
| 50
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 37 || [[Harpenden Building Society]]{{efn|name=group}} 
| £306
| 
| 4 ||
| 64
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 38 || [[Ecology Building Society]]{{efn|name=group|These societies do not form part of a corporate business group, although they may own other businesses.}} 
| £304
|
| 1 ||
| 25
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 39 || [[Stafford Railway Building Society]]{{efn|name=group}} 
| £292
| 
| 1 ||
| 31
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 40 || [[Beverley Building Society]]{{efn|name=group|These societies do not form part of a corporate business group, although they may own other businesses.}} 
| £198
| 
| 1 ||
| 22
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 41 || [[Earl Shilton Building Society]]{{efn|name=group|These societies do not form part of a corporate business group, although they may own other businesses.}} 
| £163
| 
| 2 ||
| 27
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|-
| 42 || [[Penrith Building Society]]{{efn|name=group|These societies do not form part of a corporate business group, although they may own other businesses.}} 
| £138
| 
| 1 ||
| 26
| [[File:Arbcom ru withdrawn.svg|20px|center]]
|}
{{notelist}}

====Demutualised====
Ten building societies of the United Kingdom [[Demutualization|demutualised]] between 1989 and 2000, either becoming a bank or being acquired by a larger bank.<ref>[http://www.bsa.org.uk/consumer/factsheets/100010.htm Building Society Takeovers and Flotations] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927225411/http://www.bsa.org.uk/consumer/factsheets/100010.htm |date=27 September 2007 }} Building Societies Association website . Retrieved 5 April 2007.</ref><ref name="pollock">{{Cite news
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7641925.stm
|title=Not such a good idea after all?
|work=[[bbc.co.uk]]
|publisher=BBC News
|author=Pollock, Ian
|date=29 September 2008
|access-date=1 October 2008}}</ref> By 2008, every building society that floated on the stock market in the wave of demutualisations of the 1980s and 1990s had either been sold to a conventional bank, or been [[Nationalization|nationalised]].<ref name="pollock" />

<!-- entries in order of demutualisation -->
{|  class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! width=160pt|Name
! width=140pt|Fate
! width=120pt|Successor
! Year
!class="unsortable" |Current position
|-
| [[Abbey (bank)|Abbey National]] 
|| converted to [[public limited company|plc]] 
||[[Santander UK|Santander]] 
|| 1989 
|| The new bank, also known as "Abbey", was acquired by [[Banco Santander]] and now rebranded as [[Santander UK|Santander]].
|-
| [[Cheltenham and Gloucester]] || taken over by || [[Lloyds Bank (historic)|Lloyds Bank]] || 1994 || Became part of [[Lloyds TSB]], although C&G still had a branch network which became part of [[TSB Bank (United Kingdom)|TSB Bank]] in summer 2013.
|-
| [[National & Provincial Building Society|National & Provincial]]
|| taken over by
|| [[Abbey (bank)|Abbey National]]
|| 1995
|| Business merged into Abbey National (now [[Santander UK|Santander]]), name no longer used.
|-
| [[Alliance & Leicester]]
|| converted to plc
|| [[Santander UK|Santander]]
|| 1997
|| Acquired by [[Banco Santander]], which also owns Abbey, in October 2008, and merged into [[Santander UK|Santander]] in 2010.
|-
| [[Bristol and West]] || taken over by ||[[Bank of Ireland]] || 1997 || Became a division of Bank of Ireland but its savings balances and branch network transferred to [[Britannia Building Society]] in 2005 (which in turn merged with [[Co-operative Financial Services]]). Bristol & West mortgages ceased trading in January 2009.<ref name="Bristol&West">[https://www.theguardian.com/money/2009/jan/10/bristol-west-mortgages After 158 years, the end is nigh for Bristol & West], the Guardian, 10. January 2009</ref>
|-
| [[Halifax (United Kingdom bank)|Halifax]] || converted to plc || || 1997 || Became part of [[HBOS]] in 2001, which itself became part of [[Lloyds Banking Group]] in 2009. Trading name still in use.
|-
| [[Northern Rock]]
|| converted to plc
|| [[Virgin Money UK|Virgin Money]]<br />[[Landmark Mortgages|<small>Northern Rock (Asset Management)</small>]]
|| 1997
|| [[Nationalisation of Northern Rock|Nationalised following near bankruptcy]] in February 2008, due to the [[2008 financial crisis]]. Most of the business bought by [[Virgin Money UK]] in January 2012,<ref name="northern rock">[http://companyinfo.northernrock.co.uk/ Northern Rock Company Information] –  Retrieved 16 June 2012.</ref> with remaining riskier mortgage business retained by the government and renamed NRAM plc (now Landmark Mortgages Limited<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/03273685|title=LANDMARK MORTGAGES LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK}}</ref>).
|-
| [[The Woolwich]]
|| converted to plc
|| [[Barclays]]
|| 1997
|| Now part of [[Barclays|Barclays plc]]. Woolwich brand name now only used for mortgages from Barclays with the Woolwich branch network merging with that of Barclays in 2007.
|-
| [[Birmingham Midshires]]
|| taken over by
|| [[Halifax (United Kingdom bank)|Halifax]]
|| 1999
|| Now owned by [[Lloyds Banking Group]]. The brand name is still retained, but running entirely by post and internet.
|-
| [[Bradford & Bingley]]
|| converted to plc
||
|| 2000
|| [[Nationalization|Nationalisation]] with sale of savings book to Abbey (now [[Santander UK|Santander]]).
|}

====No longer exist====
The following is an incomplete list of building societies in the United Kingdom that no longer exist independently, since they either merged with or were taken over by other organisations.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mergers and Name Changes: extract from BSA Yearbook 2013/14|url=https://www.bsa.org.uk/BSA/files/92/929551d7-df58-4495-ac6b-3b034d2c1c0f.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.bsa.org.uk/BSA/files/92/929551d7-df58-4495-ac6b-3b034d2c1c0f.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|website=Building Societies Association|access-date=10 July 2017}}</ref> They may still have an active presence on the high street (or online) as a trading name or as a distinct brand. This is typically because brands will often build up specific reputations and attract certain clientele, and this can continue to be marketed successfully.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Name !!Fate !! Successor !!Year
|-
|[[Abbey Road Building Society]] and <br /> [[National Building Society]] 
| merged to form the || [[Abbey National Building Society]] || 1944
|-
|[[Bingley Permanent Building Society]] and <br /> [[Bradford Equitable Building Society]] 
| merged to form the || [[Bradford & Bingley Building Society]] || 1964
|-
|[[Co-operative Permanent Building Society]]
| changed its name to || [[Nationwide Building Society]] || 1970
|-
|[[Leicester Permanent Building Society]] and <br /> [[Leicester Temperance Building Society]] 
| merged to form the || [[Leicester Building Society]] || 1974
|-
|[[Bedfordshire Building Society]] and <br /> [[Temperance Building Society]]{{refn|group=‡|name=gateway|The Temperance Permanent was so-called because the directors were required to sign [[Theobald Mathew (temperance reformer)|the pledge]], a requirement which was dropped with the merger and name-change – to the reported dismay of some members. [''[[The Times]]'', Friday, 25 April 1975; pg. 4; Issue 59379; col E, 'Temperance abandoned by building society'.  Retrieved from [[InfoTrac]] on 17 July 2008].}} 
| merged to form || [[Gateway Building Society]] || 1974<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bsa.org.uk/docs/consumerpdfs/yearbooknamechangepart1.pdf |title=retrieved 12 July 2008. |access-date=6 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109054139/http://www.bsa.org.uk/docs/consumerpdfs/yearbooknamechangepart1.pdf |archive-date=9 November 2013 |df=dmy }}</ref>
|-
|[[Leek & Westbourne Building Society]] and <br /> [[Oldbury Britannia Building Society]] 
| merged to form || [[Britannia Building Society]] || 1975
|-
|[[Huddersfield & Bradford Building Society]] <br /> and [[West Yorkshire Building Society]] 
| merged to form || [[Yorkshire Building Society]] || 1982
|-
|[[Coventry Economic Building Society]] and <br /> [[Coventry Provident Building Society]]
| merged to form the || [[Coventry Building Society]] || 1983
|-
|[[Burnley Building Society]] and <br /> [[Provincial Building Society]] 
| merged to form the || [[National & Provincial Building Society]] || 1984
|-
|[[London Permanent Building Society]] (est 1914) 
| merged into || [[Cheltenham and Gloucester]] || 1984
|-
|[[Alliance Building Society]] and <br /> [[Leicester Building Society]]
| merged to form the || [[Alliance & Leicester Building Society]] || 1985
|-
|[[Waltham Abbey Building Society (1847)]] 
| merged with the || [[Cheltenham and Gloucester Building Society]] || 1985
|-
|[[Birmingham & Bridgwater Building Society]] <br />  and [[Midshires Building Society]] 
| merged to form the || [[Birmingham Midshires Building Society]] || 1986
|-
|[[Norwich Building Society]] and <br /> [[Peterborough Building Society]] 
| merged to form the || [[Norwich & Peterborough Building Society]] || 1986
|-
|[[Anglia Building Society]] and <br /> [[Nationwide Building Society]]
| merged to form <br /> which changed name to the || [[Nationwide Anglia Building Society]] <br /> [[Nationwide Building Society]] || 1987 <br /> 1991
|-
|[[Gateway Building Society]] and <br /> [[Woolwich Equitable Building Society]] 
| merged to form the || [[Woolwich Building Society]] || 1988
|-
|[[Wessex Building Society]] and <br /> [[Portman Building Society]] 
| merged to form the || [[Portman Wessex Building Society]] || 1989
|-
|[[Regency & West of England Building Society]] <br />  and [[Portman Wessex Building Society]] 
| merged to form || [[Portman Building Society]] || 1990
|-
|[[Hendon Building Society]]
| was taken over by || [[Bradford & Bingley Building Society]] || 1991
|-
|[[Haywards Heath Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Yorkshire Building Society]] || 1992
|-
|[[Cheshunt Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Bristol & West|Bristol and West Building Society]] || 1992
|-
|[[Heart of England Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Cheltenham & Gloucester Building Society]] || 1993
|-
|[[St. Pancras Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Portman Building Society]] || 1993
|-
|[[Leeds Permanent Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Halifax Building Society]] || 1995
|-
|[[City & Metropolitan Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Stroud & Swindon Building Society]] || 1996
|-
|[[Nottingham Imperial Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Newcastle Building Society]] || 2000
|-
|[[Gainsborough Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Yorkshire Building Society]] || 2001
|-
|[[Ilkeston Permanent Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Derbyshire Building Society]] || 2001
|-
|[[Clay Cross Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Derbyshire Building Society]] || 2003
|-
|[[Padiham Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Bradford & Bingley Building Society]] || 1983
|-
|[[Staffordshire Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Portman Building Society]] || 2003
|-
|[[Lambeth Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Portman Building Society]] || 2006
|-
|[[Mercantile Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Leeds Building Society]] || 2006
|-
|[[Universal Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Newcastle Building Society]] || 2006
|-
|[[Portman Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Nationwide Building Society]] || 2007
|-
|[[Cheshire Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Nationwide Building Society]] || 2008
|-
|[[Derbyshire Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Nationwide Building Society]] || 2008
|-
|[[Barnsley Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Yorkshire Building Society]] || 2008
|-
|[[Catholic Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Chelsea Building Society]] || 2008
|-
|[[Scarborough Building Society]]{{refn|group=‡|name=skipton|Merger of Skipton Building Society and Scarborough Building Society, 29 November 2008. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410073626/https://www.skipton.co.uk/about_us/scarborough.aspx|date=10 April 2009|}}}}
| merged with the || [[Skipton Building Society]] || 2009
|-
|[[Dunfermline Building Society]]
| most assets and liabilities<br /> transferred to || [[Nationwide Building Society]] || 2009
|-
| [[Britannia Building Society]]{{refn|group=‡|name=britannia|[http://www.britannia.co.uk/home/news/news_releases/2009_01/position_statement.html Britannia and Co-operative Financial Services unveil plans for super-mutual] (Retrieved 22 January 2009) {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627142003/http://www.britannia.co.uk/home/news/news_releases/2009_01/position_statement.html |date=27 June 2009 }}}}
| acquired by || [[The Co-operative Bank]] ||2009
|-
|[[Chelsea Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Yorkshire Building Society]] || 2010
|-
|[[Chesham Building Society]]{{refn|group=‡|name=Chesham|Chesham Building Society AGM, 31 March 2010. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100530110548/http://www.cheshambs.co.uk/about-us.html?pgid=106 |date=30 May 2010}}, accessed 1 April 2010}}
| merged with the || [[Skipton Building Society]] || 2010
|-
|[[Stroud & Swindon Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Coventry Building Society]] || 2010
|-
|[[Kent Reliance Building Society]]
| acquired by || OneSavings Plc to form [[OneSavings Bank]] || 2011
|-
|[[Norwich and Peterborough Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Yorkshire Building Society]] || 2011
|-
| [[Century Building Society]] 
|  merged with the || [[Scottish Building Society]]  || 2013
|- 
| [[Shepshed Building Society]] 
|  merged with the || [[Nottingham Building Society]] ||  2013
|-
| [[City of Derry Building Society]]
| merged with the || [[Progressive Building Society]] || 2014
|- 
| [[Holmesdale Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Skipton Building Society]] || 2018
|- 
| [[Manchester Building Society]] 
| merged with the || [[Newcastle Building Society]] || 2023
|}
{{Reflist|group=‡}}

=== Australia ===
In Australia, building societies evolved along British lines. Following the end of [[World War II]], the terminating model was revived to fund returning servicemen's need for new houses. Hundreds were created with government seed capital, whereby the capital was returned to the government and the terminating societies retained the interest accumulated. Once all the seed funds were loaned, each terminating society could reapply for more seed capital to the point where they could re-lend their own funds and thus became a permanent society.

Terminating loans were still available and used inside the permanent businesses by staff up until the 1980s because their existence was not widely known after the early 1960s. Because of strict regulations on banks, building societies flourished until the deregulation of the Australian financial industry in the 1980s. Eventually many of the smaller building societies disappeared, while some of the largest (such as [[Advance Bank|Advance]] and [[St George Bank|St George]]) attained the status of banks.

More recent conversions have included [[Heritage Bank]] which converted from building society to bank in 2011, [[Hume Bank|Hume]] in 2014, while Wide Bay Building Society became [[Auswide Bank]] and [[IMB Bank|IMB]] followed suit in 2015, and Greater Building Society became [[Greater Bank]] in 2016. Building societies converting to banks are no longer required to demutualise.

A particular difference between Australian building societies and those elsewhere, is that Australian building societies are required to incorporate as [[limited companies]].

Current building societies are
*Bass & Equitable Building Society ([[Tasmania]])
*Maitland Mutual Building Society ([[Maitland, New South Wales|Maitland]])

=== Eswatini ===
The Building Societies Act of 1962 allowed for the registration of building societies in Eswatini. For a long time the country only had one building society.  A second was registered in late 2019.

*Swaziland Building Society: Registered in the 1960s, this is the first and oldest building society in Eswatini. It has branches in almost every town and city within the Kingdom and has been known to be conservative. There have been many rumours of this institution wishing to demutualise to the extent that an amendment to the Building Societies Act was passed in 2019 permitting building societies to demutualise and apply for banking licences.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sbs.co.sz/index.php/about-us/background|title=Background . Vision . Mission . Board of Directors|access-date=10 July 2020|archive-date=10 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710134130/https://www.sbs.co.sz/index.php/about-us/background|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*Status Capital Building Society: Status Capital Building Society was registered as the country's second building society and granted a licence in 2019 by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority after approval and recommendation from the Minister of Finance.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.statuscapitalbuildingsociety.com/executive/summary| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200710134131/https://www.statuscapitalbuildingsociety.com/executive/summary| archive-date = 10 July 2020| title = Status Capital Building Society}}</ref>

=== Ireland ===
The [[Republic of Ireland]] had around 40 building societies at the mid-20th century peak.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ibf.ie/Libraries/Guides_Forms/bsnames_1.sflb.ashx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725041606/http://www.ibf.ie/Libraries/Guides_Forms/bsnames_1.sflb.ashx |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 July 2011 |title=List of Building Society Changes |publisher=Irish Banking Federation |access-date=25 April 2013 }}</ref> Many of these were very small and, as the Irish commercial banks began to originate residential mortgages, the small building societies ceased to be competitive. Most merged or dissolved or, in the case of [[First Active|First Active plc]], converted into conventional banks. The last remaining building societies, [[EBS d.a.c.|EBS Building Society]] and [[Irish Nationwide Building Society]], demutualised and were transferred or acquired into Bank subsidiaries in 2011 following the effects of the [[Post-2008 Irish economic downturn|Irish financial crisis]].

[[Leeds Building Society Ireland]] and [[Nationwide UK (Ireland)]] were Irish branches of building societies based in the United Kingdom; both have since ceased all Irish operations.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Name !! Demutualised !! Successor
|-
|Irish Industrial Benefit Building Society (1873–1969)<br/>
Irish Industrial Building Society (1969–1975)<br/>
'''[[Irish Nationwide Building Society]]''' (1975 – Feb 2011)
:''acquired'' Irish Mutual Building Society, 1989
::''formerly'' Allied Irish Building Society(−1976)
:''acquired'' Garda Building Society, 1983
:''acquired'' Metropolitan Building Society, 1991
|February 2011
|''deposit book'' [[Permanent TSB|Permanent TSB Group Holdings plc]] (February 2011–June 2011)<br/>
''loan book'' [[Anglo Irish Bank]] (February 2011–June 2011)<br/>
[[Irish Bank Resolution Corporation]] (July 2011–February 2013<ref>[[Irish Bank Resolution Corporation]]</ref>)
|-
|Educational Building Society (1935−1991)
:''acquired'' The Family Building Society, 1975
'''EBS Building Society''' (1991–2011)
:''acquired'' Midland and Western Building Society, 1994
:''acquired'' Norwich Irish Building Society, 1998
|July 2011
|[[EBS d.a.c.]], subsidiary of [[Allied Irish Banks]]
|-
|Irish Temperance Permanent Building Society (−1888)<br/>
Irish Permanent Benefit Building Society (1888–1940)<br/>
'''Irish Permanent Building Society''' (1940–1994)
:''acquired'' Provident Building Society, 1974
:''acquired'' Cork Mutual Building Society, 1975
:''acquired'' Munster & Leinster Building Society, 1978
:''acquired'' Guinness & Mahon, 1994
|1994
|Irish Permanent plc (1994–1999)<br/>
Permanent TSB Group Holdings plc (1999–)<br/>
''merged with'' TSB Bank, 2001<br/>
[[Permanent TSB|Permanent TSB Group Holdings plc]]
|-
|Irish Civil Services and General Building Society (1864–1867)<br/>
Irish Civil Service and General (Permanent Benefit) Building Society (1867–1874)<br/>
Irish Civil Service (Permanent) Building Society (1874–1969)
:''acquired'' City and County Permanent Benefit Building Society, 1932
'''Irish Civil Service Building Society''' (1969–1984)
:''acquired'' O'Connell Benefit Building Society, 1983
|1984
|subsidiary of [[Bank of Ireland]]
:''renamed'' '''ICS Building Society''' (1986)
|-
|Workingman's Benefit Building Society (−1960)<br/>
'''First National Building Society''' (1960–1998)
:''acquired'' Grafton Savings and Building Society, 1974
:''acquired'' The Guinness Permanent Building Society, 1984
:''acquired'' Ireland Benefit Building Society, 1984
:''acquired'' Postal Service Permanent Building Society, 1985
:''acquired'' Irish Life Building Society, 1993
|1998
|[[First Active|First Active plc]] (1998–2004)<br/>
acquired by [[Ulster Bank]] 2004 and retired in 2009
|}

====Society closures====
* Ballygall Building Society, 1977
* City and Provincial Building Society, 1978
* Dublin Model Building Society, 1984
* Dublin Savings Building Society, 1977
* Four Provinces Building Society, 1978
* Independent Building Society, 1977
* Irish Savings Building Society, 1984
* National Provincial Building Society, 1977
* Progressive Building Society, 1977
* West of Ireland Building Society, 1977

=== Jamaica ===
In [[Jamaica]], three building societies compete with commercial banks and credit unions for most consumer financial services:<ref>{{cite web| url = http://boj.org.jm/financial_sys/buildingsocieties.php| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110705013352/http://www.boj.org.jm/financial_sys/buildingsocieties.php| archive-date = 5 July 2011| title = Bank of Jamaica {{!}} Home}}</ref>

*Jamaica National Building Society
*Victoria Mutual Building Society
*Scotia Jamaica Building Society

=== New Zealand ===

====Regulation====
In [[New Zealand]], building societies are registered with the Registrar of Building Societies under the Building Societies Act 1965.<ref>{{Cite web
| url = http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1965/0022/latest/DLM367768.html?src=qs
| title = Building Societies Act 1965 No 22 (as at 01 December 2014), Public Act Contents – New Zealand Legislation
| website = www.legislation.govt.nz
| access-date = 2016-03-01
}}</ref> Registration as a building society is merely a process of establishing the entity as a corporation. It is largely a formality, and easily achieved, as the capital requirement is minimal (20 members must be issued shares of not less than NZ$1,000 each, with a total minimum foundation share capital of NZ$200,000).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.business.govt.nz/companies/learn-about/other-entities/building-societies/incorporation-information|title=Incorporation information &#124; Companies Office the Official Site|access-date=7 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013002819/http://www.business.govt.nz/companies/learn-about/other-entities/building-societies/incorporation-information|archive-date=13 October 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

As regards prudential supervision, a divide exists between building societies that operate in New Zealand, on the one hand, and those that (although formally registered in New Zealand) operate offshore:
* Building societies that accept deposits from members of the public in New Zealand are regulated as "non-bank deposit takers" under the Non-bank Deposit Takers Act 2013.<ref>{{Cite web
| url = http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2013/0104/latest/DLM3918915.html?search=sw_096be8ed80e4c228_overseas_25_se&p=1#DLM3918919
| title = Non-bank Deposit Takers Act 2013 No 104 (as at 01 December 2014), Public Act Contents – New Zealand Legislation
| website = www.legislation.govt.nz
| access-date = 2016-03-01
}}</ref> Such building societies must (unless they qualify for a particular exemption) comply with the prudential regulations. The [[Reserve Bank of New Zealand]] monitors compliance with the prudential regulations, but does not prudentially supervise individual building societies for financial soundness. Most such building societies are supervised for compliance with the terms of their debt securities by trustees appointed under securities legislation, and those trustees have various reporting requirements to the Reserve Bank.
* Building societies that accept deposits only from offshore customers are not regulated under the Non-bank Deposit Takers Act 2013 or New Zealand's financial markets legislation. Consequently, they are not prudentially monitored by the Reserve Bank or by the [[Financial Markets Authority (New Zealand)|Financial Markets Authority]]. The Reserve Bank cautions on its website that it does not monitor transactions undertaken by New Zealand registered building societies operating in overseas markets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rbnz.govt.nz/regulation_and_supervision/cautions_and_notices/3765520.html|title=Clarification on Building Societies|access-date=2 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817130406/http://rbnz.govt.nz/regulation_and_supervision/cautions_and_notices/3765520.html|archive-date=17 August 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>  The Department of Internal Affairs is ultimately responsible for all entities that do not expressly fall into other categories for [[Money laundering#Enforcement costs and associated privacy concerns|anti money laundering]] purposes.

Building societies' registration details and filed documents are available in the Register of Building Societies held at the New Zealand Companies Office.

====Individual building societies====
Over the years, a number of building societies were established.

Some, including [[Countrywide Bank (New Zealand)|Countrywide Building Society]] and [[United Building Society]], became banks in the 1980s and 1990s.  Heartland Building Society (created in 2011 through a merger of Canterbury Building Society, Southern Cross Building Society, and two other financial institutions) became [[Heartland Bank]] on 17 December 2012.

Remaining building societies include:
* Pacific Eagle Capital (formerly General Equity Building Society) 
* Heretaunga Building Society
* Kiwi Deposit Building Society (in the process of dissolution since 2013)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kiwideposit.com/index.php|publisher=Kiwi Deposit Building Society|title=Notice of Instrument of Dissolution|date=18 April 2013|access-date=2 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130923234040/http://kiwideposit.com/index.php|archive-date=23 September 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Manawatu Permanent Building Society 
* [[Nelson Building Society]]
* [[Southland Building Society]], which in October 2008 became a registered bank known as SBS Bank. However, it remains a building society and retains its mutual structure.
* [[Hastings Building Society]] merged with SBS Bank in October 2010, but with the Hastings Building Society brand continuing to operate as a building society under the name of HBS Bank.  In November 2015, HBS Bank brand was discontinued.
* Wairarapa Building Society.

=== Zimbabwe ===
In [[Zimbabwe]], ''Central Africa Building Society'' (CABS) is the leading building society offering a diverse range of financial products and services that include transaction and savings accounts, mobile banking, mortgage loans, money market investments, term deposits and pay-roll loans.