List of privatizations by country
This list of privatizations provides links to notable and/or major privatizations.
Privatisation by country
[Argentina]
- Aerolíneas Argentinas - the former national carrier; renationalized in 2009
- Agua y Energía Eléctrica - national electricity-production company; partitioned and sold
- Buenos Aires Metro - given under concession but still owned by the State
- Empresa Nacional de Correos y Telégrafos - given under concession as Correo Argentino. Re-nationalized in 2003
- ENTel - partitioned and sold to France Télécom and to Spanish Telefónica
- Fábrica Militar de Aviones - sold to Lockheed Martin
- Ferrocarriles Argentinos - railway-lines all over the country
- Gas del Estado - national gas company partitioned and sold, among others, to the Spanish Gas Natural
- Obras Sanitarias, given as a concession to the French conglomerate Suez, which operates it under the name Aguas Argentinas; re-nationalized in 2006 as Aguas y Saneamientos Argentinos
- Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales - national oil-company sold to the Spanish Repsol. The Argentinian government in 2004 set up a new state oil company from scratch, which proved of no use. In 2012, the Argentine Government expropriated 51% of the shares of YPF owned by Repsol.
[Australia]
- Commonwealth Oil Refineries 1952 Under Liberal
- Optus 1985 Under Labor
- Commonwealth Bank of Australia 1991 Under Labor
- Qantas 1993 Under labor
- Commonwealth Serum Laboratories 1994 Under Labor
- Electricity and natural gas supply companies in Victoria 1995 Under Liberal
- Telstra 1997 Under Liberal
- Public transport in Melbourne 1999 Under Liberal
- Electricity Trust of South Australia 1999 Under Liberal
- Sydney Airport 2002 Under Liberal
- Medibank 2014 Under Liberal
- Commonwealth Industrial Gases
- Government Cleaning Service in New South Wales
- Government Insurance Office in New South Wales
- Government Printing Service in New South Wales
- State-owned betting-agencies in most states Under Liberal and Labor
- Many long-distance and urban passenger railway services Under Liberal and Labor
- All freight railway services Under Liberal and Labor
- Most State-owned banks Under Liberal and Labor
[Bahrain]
- Bahrain Telecommunications Co.
[Bolivia]
[Brazil]
- Banespa
- CSN
- Embraer
- Embratel
- RFFSA
- Telebrás
- Vale do Rio Doce
- VASP
[Canada]
- Teleglobe - an international telco carrier
- Air Canada
- Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan
- Telus, formerly Alberta Government Telephones
- Petro-Canada
- Nova Scotia Power
- Canadian National Railway
- Saskatchewan Wheat Pool
- Manitoba Telecom Services or MTS
- Highway 407 - leased to private operators
- Ontario Hydro (1999 - only partially privatized with Hydro One and Ontario Power Generation, a publicly owned company and crown corporation respectively
- Uranium industry in Saskatchewan
[Chile]
- CAP
- Chilectra
- Colbún S.A.
- CTC
- Enaex
- Empremar
- Endesa
- Entel
- Esval
- IANSA
- Lan Airlines
- Pension Funds
- Soquimich
[Czechoslovakia]
- Virtually everything after the Velvet Revolution in 1989; see voucher privatization for details.
[Egypt]
- The Shebin spinning and weaving factory in Menoufia in the Nile Delta was on strike against/locked out by its new non-Egyptian owners in the wake of the 2011 revolution. Workers and maybe the military now in control of the state were favoring re-nationalization, according to one report. " iberal economic policy is tarred with corruption," said Michael Wahid Hanna, in Cairo for the U.S.-based Century Foundation. Indorama, the new Indonesian/Thai owner of Shebin, was not quoted in the report. Looking further back to 2000, "well considered public spinners" Shebin El Kom and STIA, were then considered to have a "redundant labor problem... would otherwise be attractive privatization buying or leasing opportunities for private investors." In 2011, STIA, also known as El Nasr Wool & Selected Textiles, of Alexandria, remained "one of the largest public sector textiles companies." See also Privatization#Notable examples.
[Finland]
- Finnair
- Sonera
[France]
1980s
- Compagnie Générale d'Electricité became Alcatel
- Havas
- Matra
- Paribas - privatized in 1987 and merged with BNP to form BNP Paribas
- Saint-Gobain - created in 1665 by minister of Finance Jean-Baptiste Colbert; privatized in 1986
- Société Générale privatized in 1987
- Suez - privatized and merged with the stated-owned Gaz de France in 2008 to form GDF Suez
- TF1 - first TV channel of France, privatized in 1987
1990s
- France Télécom Now Orange S.A
- Arcelor
- Assurances Générales de France
- Groupe Bull
- CNP Assurances
- Compagnie générale transatlantique - merged with CMA to form CMA-CGM
- Crédit Industriel et Commercial
- Crédit local de France now Dexia
- Le Crédit Lyonnais
- Elf Aquitaine - privatized in 1994; absorbed by Total
- Eramet
- Gan
- Pechiney
- Renault - the French state still have 15.01% of the shareholding
- SEITA - now Altadis
- Total
- Union des Assurances de Paris
2000s
- Aéroports de Paris - the French State remains the major shareholder: 52%
- Air France - opening shareholding open in 1999. Merged with KLM and merged to form: Air France-KLM. As of 2012, the French State remains 15.8%.
- Credit Lyonnais
- Électricité de France
- French Highway Concession
- * A'lienor - sold to Eiffage and Société des Autoroutes du Nord et de l'Est de la France
- * Alis - sold to Société des Autoroutes du Nord et de l'Est de la France
- * Société des Autoroutes de Paris Normandie - sold to Vinci
- * Société des Autoroutes du Nord et de l'Est de la France - sold to Abertis ; the rest is owned by other investors
- * Autoroutes Paris-Rhin-Rhône - sold to Eiffage
- * Autoroutes du Sud de la France - sold to Vinci
- * Arcour - sold to Vinci
- * Atlandes - sold to Colas Group and other investors
- * Cofiroute - sold to Vinci
- Gaz de France - Prime minister Dominique de Villepin announced a merger between GDF and Suez; since the state owns 80% of GDF, a privatization of GDF would require the passing of a new law; the state would control only 34% of the capital of the new group: see .
- Orange S.A. - the French State remains : 26,94%
- Pages Jaunes
- Snecma
- Société nationale industrielle aérospatiale - merged with DASA and CASA to form the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company
- Thomson Multimédia
- * Thomson Multimédia - now Technicolor
- * Thomson-CSF - now Thales Group; the French State remains 27%
- SNCM - ferry-company; privatized at the end of 2005; the French State remains 25% in SNCM
[Germany]
- Deutsche Bundespost became in January 1995:
- * Deutsche Post - the state owns 20.5% through the KfW.
- * Deutsche Telekom - the state still owns 32%, partly direct and partly through the KfW.
- * Deutsche Postbank - in 2004 the state floated a minority stake for €2.5 billion
- Deutsche Bundesbahn became Deutsche Bahn in 1994, although it is 100% state owned.
- UFA underwent privatization in 1921
[Ghana]
[Guinea]
[Greece]
- DESFA - On 20 December 2018, a consortium formed by Snam, Enagás and Fluxys completed the acquisition of a 66% stake in DESFA for an amount of €535 million.
- Hellenic Petroleum - Starting from the 1990s, the Greek Government gradually sold its shares in the company, and currently owns only 35.5% of the shares.
- Olympic Airways - at first, then Olympic Airlines; the Hellenic State attempted to privatise the ailing airlines five times, more or less, from 2004 onwards. The company was folded and re-created in 2009, and privatized in 2012, under the supervision of the EU and IMF, as it was part of the debt-restructuring process of 2012.
- OPAP - privatization completed in 2013, when the last remaining government-owned stock was sold
- OTE - became partly privatised in the 1990s, when its only shareholder at the time, the Hellenic State, reduced its share of the company to 36%. Since May 2018, Deutsche Telekom owns 45% of the shares, and the Hellenic State has retained 5%.
- Piraeus Port Authority - In April 2016, HRADF sold 51% of Piraeus Port Authority to the COSCO Group.
- Thessaloniki Port Authority - In March 2018, an international consortium acquired 67% of the shares, with the Hellenic State retaining 7.27%.
- TrainOSE - It was acquired in September 2017 by the Italian railway company, Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane.
[Hong Kong]
- Hong Kong Mail Service
- Link REIT
- MTR Corporation
[Honduras]
[Iceland]
- Búnaðarbanki Íslands hf - privatized in 1999–2003
- Landsbanki Íslands hf - privatized in 1999–2003
- Landssími Íslands hf - privatized in 2005
- Skýrr hf - privatized in 1997–1998
[India]
- Bharat Aluminium Company - in 2005
- Cochin International Airport
- Delhi Airport
- Hindustan Zinc Limited - in 2001
- Hyderabad International Airport
- Maruti Udyog
- Mumbai Airport
- VSNL
[Indonesia]
[Iran]
[Iraq]
- most industries except oil, at the behest of the United States-sponsored government
Ireland">Republic of Ireland">Ireland
- ACCBank - sold to Rabobank
- Aer Lingus - floated on the stock market
- British and Irish Steampacket Company Limited - sold to Irish Continental Group
- Cablelink - sold to NTL Ireland; formerly held 50/50 by Telecom Éireann and Raidió Teilifís Éireann, both state-owned at the time
- ICC Bank - sold to Bank of Scotland
- Irish Life - sold to Irish Permanent
- Irish National Petroleum Corporation - all assets sold to ConocoPhillips, still exists in law
- Irish Steel - transferred ownership to Ispat, firm bankrupt, no longer exists
- Irish Sugar - floated on stock market as Greencore; state retains one share for veto purposes
- Nítrigin Éireann - sold to its other shareholder in Irish Fertiliser Industries, Richardsons, final firm called IFI, no longer exists
- Telecom Éireann - floated on the stock market
- TSB Bank - sold to info unknown
[Israel]
- Bezeq
- El Al
- Bank Hapoalim
- Bank Leumi
- Israel Chemicals
- Israel Discount Bank
- RAFAEL Armament Development Authority
- Zim Integrated Shipping Services
[Italy]
- INA Assitalia
- Enel S.p.A.
- Eni
- IRI
- Telecom Italia
- Terna
[Japan]
- Japan Airlines
- Japan Highway Public Corporation
- Japan Post
- Japan Railways Group
- Japan Tobacco
- New Tokyo International Airport Authority
- Nippon Express
- Nippon Telegraph and Telephone
[Jordan]
- Aramex International
- Jordan Telecom
- Queen Alia's Airport
[Korea]
- Korea Electric Power
- Korea Telecom
- KOGAS
- KT&G
- POSCO
[Kuwait]
- Kuwait Finance House
[Malaysia]
- Johor Water Corporation
- Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad - national railway company
- Malaysia Airlines
- Malaysia Airports Holdings
- Pasir Gudang Local Authority
- Pos Malaysia - national postal services
- Senai International Airport
- Telekom Malaysia
- Tenaga National Berhad - national electricity-generation and distribution
[Mexico]
[Morocco]
[Netherlands]
- PTT, the mail and telecom company
[New Zealand]
- Air New Zealand - privatized in 1989, subsequently rescued by the Government of New Zealand in 2001
- Auckland Airport
- Bank of New Zealand - semi-privatized in 1987; rescued by the Crown in 1990; sold off in 1992
- Electricity Corporation of New Zealand - part of which became privatized as Contact Energy in the period 1995 - 1998
- Government Print
- Ministry of Works and Development
- Natural Gas Corporation, ultimately absorbed into Vector Limited
- New Zealand Steel - privatized from 1987, now part of BlueScope
- The Post Office Savings Bank - bought by the ANZ Bank in 1989
- Telecom New Zealand - privatized in 1990
- New Zealand Rail Limited - privatized in 1993, became Tranz Rail Limited in 1995; the government subsequently repurchased the track lease
- various council-controlled organisations formerly owned by territorial authorities: see also Local Authority Trading Enterprises
[Norway]
- Arcus
- Christiania Bank og Kreditkasse
- DnB NOR
- Finnmark Fylkesrederi og Ruteselskap
- Fredrikstad Energi
- Kongsberg Gruppen
- Norsk Medisinaldepot
- NSB Gods
- Oslo Energi
- Postbanken
- Statkorn
- Statoil
- Telenor
- TrønderBilene
- Østfold Energi
- Årdal og Sunndal Verk
[Pakistan]
- National Refinery Limited
- Pakistan Telecom sold out to Eitisalat in 2006.
[Philippines]
[Poland]
- Telekomunikacja Polska S.A.
[Portugal]
- ANA - Aeroportos de Portugal
- CIMPOR
- CTT - Portuguese post
- EDP - Energia de Portugal
- Fidelidade - the insurance part of the CGD public bank
- GALP - national petroleum company
- Portugal Telecom - national telecommunications company
- REN - Rede Eléctrica Nacional
- TAP - airline
[Qatar]
- Q-Gas
[Romania]
- Rompetrol - petroleum company
- Ursus Breweries - beer brewer and distributor
- Romcim - industrial materials company
- Casial Hunedoara - industrial materials company
- Romtelecom - telecommunications company
- BRD – Groupe Société Générale - bank
- Automobile Dacia - car manufacturer
- Astra Rail Industries - rail vehicle manufacturer
- Petromidia Refinery - oil refinery
- Sidex - steelworks
- Alro - aluminium company
- Petrom - petroleum company
- Banca Comercială Română - bank
- Electrica - electricity distributor
- Automobile Craiova - car manufacturer
[Russia]
- Gazprom
- LUKoil
- Mechel
- MMC Norilsk Nickel
- Novolipetsk Steel
- Surgutneftegaz
- YUKOS
[Saudi Arabia]
- Al-Bilad Bank
- Bank Al-Inma
- Government Hotels
- Maaden
- National Commercial Bank
- Riyad Bank
- SABIC
- Saudi Arabian Airlines
- Saudi Electric Company
- Saudi Ports
- Saudi Real Estate Company
- Saudi Telecom Company
[Singapore]
- Port of Singapore Authority
- Post Office Savings Bank
- Singapore Broadcasting Corporation - owned by the government through government-owned investment firms
- Singapore Post - owned by the government through government-owned investment firms
- Singapore Power - owned by the government through government-owned investment firms
- Singapore Telecommunications - owned by the government through government-owned investment firms
[Slovakia]
[South Africa]
- Iscor - Now known as ArcelorMittal South Africa, the company was privatised in 1989.
- Telkom - Gradually privatised starting with the IPO in 2003. The government currently holds 39%, and is planning on selling its entire stake.
[Spain]
- Aceralia
- Argentaria
- ENDESA
- Gas Natural
- Iberia Airlines
- Indra
- Red Electrica de España
- Repsol
- Retevision
- SEAT
- Tabacalera
[Sweden]
1980s
- ASEA-ATOM - sold to Asea
- Luxor AB
- SSAB
- UV Shipping
1990s
- AssiDomän
- Celsius
- Cementa
- Enator
- Företagskapital
- Industrikredit AB
- Lantbrukskredit AB
- Nordbanken
- OKPetroleum
- Pharmacia
- PharmaciaUpjohn
- SAKAB
- SAQ Kontrol
- SBL Vaccin
- SEMKO
- SSAB
- Stadshypotek AB
- Svalöf
- Svensk Fastighetsvärdering
- Svenska Statens Språkresor AB
- Swedish Real Estate Valuation Corp
- VPC AB
2000s
- Celsius AB
- Grängesbergs Gruvor
- Kurortsverksamhet
- Nordbanken
- OMX - stock exchange - shares sold to Borse Dubai for 2.1 billion SEK.
- SAKAB
- SGAB
- Svenska Lagerhus
- Svenska
- Vin & Sprit - sold to Pernod Ricard for 5.626 billion euro
2010s
- Nordea
Planned privatisations
- Apoteket
- SBAB
- SAS
- Telia Sonera
[Tanzania]
[Turkey]
1980s
- ANKARA ÇIMENTO
- ANSAN-MEDA
- BALIKESİR ÇIMENTO
- PINARHİSAR ÇIMENTO
- SÖKE ÇIMENTO
1990s
- ADIYAMAN ÇİMENTO
- ANADOLUBANK
- AŞKALE ÇİMENTO
- BARTIN ÇİMENTO
- BOZÜYÜK Seramik
- ÇİNKUR
- ÇORUM ÇİMENTO
- DENİZBANK
- DENİZLİ ÇİMENTO
- ELAZIĞ ÇİMENTO
- ERGANİ ÇİMENTO
- ETİBANK
- FİLYOS
- GAZİANTEP ÇİMENTO
- GÜNES SİGORTA
- HAVAŞ
- IPRAGAZ
- İSKENDERUN ÇİMENTO
- KARS ÇİMENTO
- KONYA KROM MAN.A.Ş.
- KÜMAŞ
- KURTALAN ÇİMENTO
- LADİK ÇİMENTO
- LALAPAŞA ÇİMENTO
- METAŞ
- PETLAS
- RAY SIGORTA
- ŞANLIURFA ÇİMENTO
- SİVAS ÇİMENTO
- SÜMERBANK
- TRABZON ÇİMENTO
- TÜRK KABLO
- TOFAŞ Türk Otomobil Fabriskasi Anonim Şirkei
- VAN ÇİMENTO
- YARIMCA PORSELEN T.A.Ş.
2000s
- Adapazarı Sugar Fac.
- ASİL ÇELİK
- ATAKÖY Hotel
- ATAKÖY Marina
- ATAKÖY TOURISM
- BAŞAK INSURANCE
- BAŞAK RETIREMENT FUND
- BET KÜTAHYA ŞEKER
- BURSAGAZ
- ÇAYELİ BAKIR İŞL.A.Ş.
- Cyprus Turkish Airlines
- DENİZ NAKLİYATI T.A.Ş.
- ESGAZ
- ETI ALUMINIUM
- ETİ BAKIR
- ETİ ELEKTROMETALURJI
- ETİ GÜMÜŞ A.Ş.
- ETİ KROM A.Ş.
- GÜVEN SİGORTA
- DİV-HAN
- TAKSAN
- TÜRK TELEKOM
[Ukraine]
- Kryvorizhstal
[United Arab Emirates]
- Damas Jewelry
[United Kingdom]
1970s
- British Petroleum
- International Computers Limited
- Lunn Poly
- Rolls-Royce Motors
- State Management Scheme
- Thomas Cook
1980s
- British Aerospace
- * Alvis
- * Coventry Climax
- Amersham International
- Associated British Ports
- Sealink
- * Jaguar
- Trustee Savings Bank
- British Airways Helicopters
- British Gas
- Rolls-Royce
- Royal Ordnance
- British Airports Authority
- * Danish Automobile Building
- * ISTEL
- * Leyland Bus
- British Airways
- British Leyland
- * Leyland Tractors
- * Leyland Trucks
- * Rover Group
- * Unipart
- British Rail Engineering Limited
- British Shipbuilders
- British Steel plc
- British Sugar
- British Telecom
- British Transport Hotels
- Britoil
- Cable and Wireless
- Council houses - see main article Right to buy scheme
- Enterprise Oil
- Fairey
- Ferranti
- Harland and Wolff
- Inmos
- Municipal bus companies - see main article Bus deregulation in Great Britain
- National Bus Company
- National Express
- National Freight Corporation
- Passenger transport executive bus companies
- Travellers Fare
- Vale of Rheidol Railway
- Water companies - see main article Water privatisation in England and Wales
- * Anglian Water
- * North West Water
- * Northumbrian Water
- * Severn Trent
- * South West Water
- * Southern Water
- * Thames Water
- * Welsh Water
- * Wessex Water
- * Yorkshire Water
1990s
- AEA Technology
- Agricultural Development and Advisory Service
- Belfast International Airport
- Birmingham Airport
- Bournemouth Airport
- Bristol Airport
- British Coal
- British Energy
- British Rail - see main article Privatisation of British Rail
- * 3 rolling stock companies:
- ** Angel Trains
- ** Eversholt Leasing
- ** Porterbrook
- * 6 design office units
- * 6 freight operating companies
- ** Freightliner
- ** Loadhaul
- ** Mainline Freight
- ** Rail Express Systems
- ** Railfreight Distribution
- ** Transrail Freight
- * 6 track renewal units
- * 7 infrastructure maintenance units
- * 25 train operating companies
- * British Rail Research
- * British Rail Telecommunications
- * European Passenger Services
- * Railtrack , now in public ownership as Network Rail
- * Red Star Parcels
- * Union Railways
- British Technology Group
- Building Research Establishment
- Cardiff Airport
- Central Electricity Generating Board
- * National Grid
- * National Power
- * Powergen
- Chessington Computer Centre
- Department for National Savings
- East Midlands Airport
- Girobank
- Humberside Airport
- Kingston Communications
- Laboratory of the Government Chemist
- Liverpool Airport
- London Buses - see main article Privatisation of London bus services
- London Luton Airport
- London Southend Airport
- National Engineering Laboratory
- National Transcommunications Limited
- Natural Resources Institute
- Northern Ireland Electricity
- Property Services Agency
- Regional electricity companies
- * East Midlands Electricity
- * Eastern Electricity
- * London Electricity
- * MANWEB
- * Midlands Electricity
- * Northern Electric
- * NORWEB
- * SEEBOARD
- * Southern Electric
- * SWALEC
- * SWEB Energy
- * Yorkshire Electricity
- Scottish Bus Group
- Scottish Hydro-Electric
- Scottish Power
- Severn Bridge
- The Stationery Office
- Student loans portfolios
- Transport Research Laboratory
- Trust Ports
2000s
- Actis
- BBC Books
- BBC Broadcast
- BBC Costumes and Wigs
- BBC Outside Broadcasts
- BBC Technology
- British Nuclear Fuels Limited
- * AWE Management Limited
- * BNG America
- * BNG Project Services
- * Reactor Sites Management Company
- * Westinghouse Electric Company
- East Thames Buses
- Leeds Bradford International Airport
- National Air Traffic Services
- Newcastle Airport
- Partnerships UK
- Qinetiq
- South Eastern Trains
- Teesside International Airport
- UKAEA Limited
2010s
- BBC Audiobooks
- BBC Magazines
- Behavioural Insights Team
- Bio Products Laboratory
- Constructionline
- Defence Support Group
- Dr Foster Intelligence
- East Coast Trains
- Eurostar International Limited
- Fire Service College
- Food and Environment Research Agency
- Government Pipelines and Storage System
- High Speed 1
- Lloyds Banking Group
- Manchester Airports Group
- NEC Group
- Northern Rock
- Remploy
- Royal Bank of Scotland Group
- Royal Mail
- The Tote
Date | Company | % of equity initially sold | Proceeds £m |
Feb 1981 | British Aerospace | 51.6 | 150 |
Oct 1981 | Cable & Wireless | 50 | 224 |
Feb 1982 | Amersham International | 100 | 71 |
Nov 1982 | Britoil | 51 | 549 |
Feb 1983 | Associated British Ports | 51.5 | 22 |
June 1984 | Enterprise Oil | 100 | 392 |
July 1984 | Jaguar | 99 | 294 |
Nov 1984 | British Telecom | 50.2 | 3,916 |
Dec 1986 | British Gas | 97 | 5,434 |
Feb 1987 | British Airways | 100 | 900 |
May 1987 | Rolls-Royce | 100 | 1,363 |
July 1987 | British Airports Authority | 100 | 1,281 |
Dec 1988 | British Steel | 100 | 2,500 |
Dec 1989 | Regional Water Companies | 100 | 5,110 |
Dec 1990 | Electricity Distribution Companies | 100 | 5,092 |
Mar 1991 | National Power and PowerGen | 60 | 2,230 |
May 1991 | Scottish Power and Scottish Hydro Electric | 100 | 2,880 |