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Key Facts and Trends in the Accountancy Profession - June 2014

The FRC is responsible for promoting high quality corporate governance and reporting to foster investment. We set the UK Corporate Governance and Stewardship Codes as well as UK standards for accounting, auditing and actuarial work. We represent UK interests in international standard-setting. We also monitor and take action to promote the quality of corporate reporting and auditing. We operate independent disciplinary arrangements for accountants and actuaries; and oversee the regulatory activities of the accountancy and actuarial professional bodies.

The content in this publication is provided for general information purposes only. Although the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) endeavours to ensure the accuracy of the information provided by the accountancy firms and bodies listed in the publication, we undertake no detailed checking of the data and therefore cannot guarantee that the content will be current, consistently provided year on year, accurate or complete. The FRC accepts no responsibility for any reliance others may place upon the information provided herein. We shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising from the use of the information contained within this publication nor from any action or decision taken as a result of using such information.

The FRC does not accept any liability to any party for any loss, damage or costs howsoever arising, whether directly or indirectly, whether in contract, tort or otherwise from any action or decision taken (or not taken) as a result of any person relying on or otherwise using this document or arising from any omission from it.

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Contents

Foreword

This is the twelfth edition of 'Key Facts and Trends in the Accountancy Profession'.

The FRC is the UK's independent regulator responsible for promoting high quality corporate governance and reporting to foster investment. It has specific responsibilities for overseeing the regulation of statutory auditors and, more widely, the regulation of the accountancy and actuarial professions in the UK by agreement with their professional bodies.

This document provides statistical information on the accountancy profession as part of the context to the FRC's work. It collates information provided by the accountancy bodies for which the FRC has oversight responsibilities, being the six Chartered Accountancy bodies2 and one other body that offers an audit qualification recognised by the FRC3. The information in Sections One to Four relates principally to membership, students, income, costs and staffing of these bodies. Section Five contains information related to the supervision of statutory auditors that in previous years was included in the report from the Professional Oversight Board to the Secretary of State.

Section Six provides information on thirty two of the largest registered audit firms which collectively audit the vast majority of UK listed companies and other public interest entities. Firms provide this information on a voluntary basis and there were a few firms that declined to do so.

Where appropriate we highlight significant trends and explain possible limitations on the data. However, we do not comment on the possible reasons for particular trends. We would also stress that it is often difficult to make comparisons between the different accountancy bodies or between audit firms. This can be for a number of reasons, such as differences in the way data is classified or in the differing regulatory arrangements.

The tables on members of the accountancy bodies show data for the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and separately worldwide data. We include the UK and Republic of Ireland figures together, partly because members and firms are entitled to practise in both jurisdictions and partly because in some cases it is difficult for the bodies to separate the data. However, the Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority (IAASA) publishes certain information relating specifically to the Republic of Ireland, which is available at http://www.iaasa.ie.

Overall, the data suggests that the profession continues to remain attractive. The total number of members and students continues to increase, both in the UK and worldwide. The total fee income of the largest firms has also grown in 2012/13.

We are grateful to those that took the time to complete our questionnaire on how we could improve this publication. We would again welcome your comments on Key Facts and Trends in the Accountancy Profession and should be grateful if you would complete our short questionnaire (see link below):

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KeyFactsandTrends2014

Further information about the FRC is available at www.frc.org.uk.

A handwritten signature in blue ink.

David Childs Chairman of the FRC Conduct Committee June 2014

1. Main Highlights

The Accountancy Bodies 2009 – 2013

  • Total membership of the accountancy bodies continues to grow steadily. The seven bodies included in the report have over 327,000 members in the UK and Republic of Ireland and over 465,000 members worldwide. The compound annual growth rates for 2009-13 are 2.7% in the UK and Republic of Ireland and 3.5% worldwide. (Tables 1 and 2)
  • The number of students has also risen with 167,000 students in the UK and Republic of Ireland and just over 529,000 worldwide. Although numbers grew in 2013 there has been a decline in student numbers in the UK and Republic of Ireland over the period as a whole, falling on average by 0.2% (2009-13). Average annual growth rates worldwide increased by 3.4% over the same period. Student numbers increased in 2013 by 4.5% worldwide and 1.6% in the UK and Republic of Ireland. (Tables 4 and 5)
  • There are significant differences between the bodies in terms of geographical distribution of membership and student populations and in size, growth rate and age profile.
  • The number of registered audit firms continues to decline gradually, albeit at a slower rate than previously. The overall number of registered audit firms was 6,962 as at the 31 December 2013, a fall of 11.2% since 31 December 2009. (Table 8)
  • The number of audit monitoring visits across all the bodies has remained relatively stable over the last five years, with 1,351 visits being conducted in 2013 compared to 1,335 in 2009.

The Audit Firms 2009 – 2013

  • Table 18 shows the fee income for audit and non-audit services for 32 of the largest registered audit firms for the year ended 2013. Most of these have audit clients which are UK public interest entities4. Firms are listed in order of fee income from audit, rather than total fee income.
  • Over the past five years, the 'Big Four' firms (PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, Deloitte and Ernst & Young) have experienced a steady increase in the proportion of fee income from non- audit work for non-audit clients. In contrast their fee income from non-audit work to audit clients has been falling. (Chart 18)
  • Total fee income for all firms surveyed increased in 2012-13. The increase for the Big Four firms was 3.9% compared with an average increase of 2.6% for the larger registered firms outside the Big Four. This is the second year since 2009 that firms outside of the Big Four have seen an increase rather than a decline in total fee income. (Table 19)
  • Audit fee income for Big Four firms increased by 2.8% in 2012-13 compared with a decrease of 1.7% for the larger registered firms outside the Big Four that are included in our analysis. (Table 19)
  • Audit fee income per Responsible Individual in the Big Four firms has grown in 2013 by 6%. (Table 20)
  • There has been little change in recent years in the proportion of listed companies audited by many of the larger registered firms outside the Big Four. (Table 22)

2. Members of Accountancy Bodies

Members in the UK and the Republic of Ireland 2009 – 2013

Table 1 shows the number of members of each of seven accountancy bodies in the UK and Republic of Ireland1 as at 31 December for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA TOTAL
2009 68,907 63,513 13,440 114,468 17,076 15,858 1,734 294,996
2010 72,565 66,342 13,297 115,990 18,145 16,270 1,674 304,283
2011 75,305 69,038 13,159 117,475 18,814 16,666 1,647 312,104
2012 77,269 72,053 13,140 119,179 19,414 16,933 1,607 319,595
2013 80,442 74,926 12,929 120,513 20,173 17,217 1,510 327,710
% growth (12 - 13) 4.1 4.0 -1.6 1.1 3.9 1.7 -6.0 2.5
% growth (09-13) 16.7 18.0 -3.8 5.3 18.1 8.6 -12.9 11.1
% compound annual growth (09-13) 3.9 4.2 -1.0 1.3 4.3 2.1 -3.4 2.7
  • The overall total number of members of these seven accountancy bodies in the UK and Republic of Ireland has continued to grow steadily at a compound annual growth rate of 2.7% for the period 2009 to 2013. Total membership rose 2.5% from 2012 to 2013 compared with 2.4% from 2011 to 2012.
  • There are significant differences in growth rates of the individual bodies. ACCA, CIMA and CAI show the strongest growth at a compound annual rate of 3.9%, 4.2% and 4.3% respectively between 2009 to 2013. Membership of the AIA and CIPFA has declined during this period.
  • The ICAEW continues to be the largest of these bodies in the terms of UK and ROI membership.

Members Worldwide 2009–2013

Table 2 shows the number of members worldwide5 of each of seven accountancy bodies as at 31 December for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA6 TOTAL
2009 137,233 79,757 13,790 134,698 18,802 18,278 6,566 409,124
2010 144,397 83,487 13,668 136,615 20,010 18,780 7,046 424,003
2011 151,283 87,316 13,544 138,464 20,905 19,334 7,300 438,146
2012 158,574 91,744 13,541 140,573 21,844 19,739 7,983 453,998
2013 165,625 95,925 13,328 142,334 22,828 20,109 8,545 468,694
% growth (12 - 13) 4.4 4.6 -1.6 1.3 4.5 1.9 7.0 3.2
% growth (09-13) 20.7 20.3 -3.4 5.7 21.4 10.0 30.1 14.6
% compound annual growth (09-13) 4.8 4.7 -0.8 1.4 5.0 2.4 6.8 3.5
  • The worldwide membership of the seven accountancy bodies continues to grow at a faster rate than the UK and ROI membership (3.5% compared to 2.7% (Table 1) compound annual growth for the period 2009 to 2013).
  • ACCA continues to be the largest of these bodies in terms of worldwide membership.

Students who became Members

Chart 1 shows the number of students who became members worldwide of each of seven accountancy bodies as at 31 December for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

Bar chart displaying several groups of data values across different categories, shown in shades of blue and green.

  • For the majority of the bodies there has been a decrease in the number of students who became members for the year ending 2013.

Sectoral Employment of Members Worldwide 2013

Chart 2 shows the percentages of members worldwide of each of the seven accountancy bodies, according to their sectoral employment at the end of 2013.

Stacked bar chart showing proportions of different categories within several groups, represented by shades of blue and green.

  • There are few CIMA, CIPFA and AIA members employed in public practice at 2%, 3% and 4% respectively.
  • All bodies apart from CIPFA have more members employed in industry and commerce than in any other category.
  • CIPFA is the only body with the majority of its members employed in the public sector.

3. Students of Accountancy Bodies

Students in the UK and Republic of Ireland 2009 – 2013

Table 3 shows the number of students worldwide8 of each of the seven accountancy bodies as at 31 December for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA TOTAL
2009 63,130 56,127 4,217 15,221 8,970 3,695 1,123 152,483
2010 67,523 56,099 4,142 15,316 9,150 3,829 985 157,044
2011 68,911 54,642 4,034 15,081 9,372 3,960 894 156,894
2012 69,963 53,605 3,863 14,944 9,474 4,008 828 156,685
2013 71,858 56,231 3,820 15,078 9,673 4,127 840 161,627
% growth (12 - 13) 2.7 4.9 -1.1 0.9 2.1 3.0 1.4 3.2
% growth (09-13) 13.8 0.2 -9.5 -0.9 7.8 11.7 -25.2 6.0
% compound annual growth (09-13) 3.3 0.0 -2.5 -0.2 1.9 2.8 -7.1 1.5
  • The total number of students in the UK and Republic of Ireland increased by 3.2% to 161,627 in 2013 from 156,685 in 2012. However, there has been a decline in student numbers over the period as a whole, falling on average by 0.2% between 2009 and 2013.
  • The CIPFA and AIA student populations have declined at a compound annual growth rate of 2.5% and 7.1% respectively, reflecting the fall in their overall membership.

Students Worldwide 2009 – 2013

Table 4 shows the number of students worldwide9 of each of the seven accountancy bodies as at 31 December for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA TOTAL
2009 358,073 151,980 4,312 15,311 9,380 3,744 2,056 544,856
2010 385,892 151,961 4,233 15,354 9,560 3,878 1,887 572,765
2011 413,293 149,606 4,124 15,108 9,777 4,007 1,775 597,680
2012 436,442 148,015 3,952 14,976 9,880 4,040 1,727 619,032
2013 459,208 154,690 3,909 15,110 10,079 4,166 1,757 648,919
% growth (12 - 13) 5.2 4.5 -1.1 0.9 2.0 3.1 1.7 4.8
% growth (09-13) 28.3 1.8 -9.3 -1.3 7.5 11.3 -14.5 19.1
% compound annual growth (09-13) 6.4 0.5 -2.4 -0.3 1.8 2.7 -3.8 4.5
  • Worldwide student numbers for the seven bodies increased by 4.8% from 2012 to 2013. The compound annual growth rate for worldwide students from 2009 to 2013 was 4.5%.
  • As with membership, ACCA continues to have by far the largest worldwide student population.

Students who became members worldwide 2009-2013

Chart 3 shows the number of students who became members worldwide of each of seven accountancy bodies as at 31 December for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

Stacked bar chart illustrating proportional data across multiple categories using shades of blue, green, and cream.

  • For the majority of the bodies there has been a decrease in the number of students who became members for the year ending 2013.

Geographical distribution of students 2013

Chart 4 shows the percentages of students of each of the seven accountancy bodies, according to their geographical distribution at the end of 2013.

Stacked bar chart illustrating proportional data across multiple categories using shades of blue, green, and cream.

  • For the majority of the bodies, the majority of students are outside the UK and ROI. The ICAEW has the highest percentage of students in the UK and ROI at 92%.
  • The ICAEW includes members working within the charity sector under ‘Public Sector’.

Sectoral employment of students in the UK and ROI 2013

Chart 5 shows the percentages of students in the UK and ROI of each of the seven accountancy bodies, according to their sectoral employment at the end of 2013.

Chart Description: Stacked Bar Chart

X-axis: Accountancy Bodies (ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAEW, CAI, ICAS, AIA) Y-axis: Percentage of students Bars: Stacked to show distribution across sectors: * Public Practice * Industry & Commerce * Public Sector * Retired * Other (includes unemployed, career break, full-time study, maternity leave, unclassified, and for CAI, all members are in their most recent employment category. For ICAEW, this includes the charity sector.)

Key Observations:

  • ACCA: Dominant in Industry & Commerce, followed by Public Practice.
  • CIMA: Predominantly Industry & Commerce.
  • CIPFA: Majority in Public Sector.
  • ICAEW: Strong presence in Public Practice and Industry & Commerce.
  • CAI: Significant in Public Practice.
  • ICAS: Evenly split between Public Practice and Industry & Commerce.
  • AIA: Predominantly Industry & Commerce.
  • Overall, the majority of students in the UK and ROI are employed in Industry and Commerce (49%) followed by Public Practice (40%).
  • The majority of CIPFA students are employed in the public sector.

Sectoral employment of students worldwide 2013

Chart 6 shows the percentages of students worldwide of each of the seven accountancy bodies, according to their sectoral employment at the end of 2013.

Chart Description: Stacked Bar Chart

X-axis: Accountancy Bodies (ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAEW, CAI, ICAS, AIA) Y-axis: Percentage of students Bars: Stacked to show distribution across sectors: * Public Practice * Industry & Commerce * Public Sector * Retired * Other (includes unemployed, career break, full-time study, maternity leave, unclassified, and for CAI, all members are in their most recent employment category. For ICAEW, this includes the charity sector.)

Key Observations:

  • ACCA: Dominant in Industry & Commerce, followed by Public Practice.
  • CIMA: Predominantly Industry & Commerce.
  • CIPFA: Majority in Public Sector.
  • ICAEW: Strong presence in Public Practice and Industry & Commerce.
  • CAI: Significant in Public Practice.
  • ICAS: Evenly split between Public Practice and Industry & Commerce.
  • AIA: Predominantly Industry & Commerce.
  • Overall, the majority of students worldwide are employed in Industry and Commerce (65%) followed by Public Practice (26%).
  • The majority of CIPFA students are employed in the public sector.

4. Resource Information on Accountancy Bodies

Income by source for accountancy bodies 2012/13

Table 5 shows a breakdown of income by source for each of the seven accountancy bodies in 2012/13. The combined total income for all bodies was £287.6 million.

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA Total
Subscription fees 100,569 47,859 15,223 49,615 9,679 10,765 1,211 234,921
Examination fees 33,522 14,810 739 4,539 1,770 1,607 1,185 58,172
Services/other fees 11,544 3,851 5,618 13,383 1,847 3,119 528 30,890
Total income 145,635 66,520 21,580 67,537 13,296 15,491 2,924 332,983

a) Subscription fees are the main source of income for all of the accountancy bodies, representing 70.6% of overall income. This varies from 41% for AIA to 77% for ICAEW. b) Overall, examination fees comprise 17.5% of total income for all bodies. This varies from 3% for CIPFA to 40.5% for AIA. c) Services and other fees represent the remaining 9.3% of total income.

Expenditure by category for accountancy bodies 2012/13

Table 6 shows a breakdown of expenditure by category for each of the seven accountancy bodies in 2012/13. The combined total expenditure for all bodies was £271.2 million.

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA Total
Staff costs 68,963 32,841 11,061 30,305 5,911 7,203 1,167 157,451
Other operating charges 56,128 21,438 7,657 25,607 4,209 5,976 1,465 127,479
Depreciation/amortisation 5,604 1,460 306 1,933 266 402 3 9,974
Total expenditure 130,695 55,739 19,024 57,845 10,386 13,581 2,635 299,905

a) Staff costs are the largest category of expenditure for the accountancy bodies, accounting for 52.5% of overall expenditure. This varies from 39% for AIA to 62% for ICAEW. b) Other operating charges represent 42.5% of overall expenditure and depreciation/amortisation 5%.

Number of employees and average pay 2012/13

Table 7 shows the number of employees and the average annual pay for employees of each of the seven accountancy bodies in 2012/13.

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA Total
Number of employees 1,069 544 198 510 120 127 14 2,582
Average pay (£) 64,512 60,369 55,864 59,422 49,258 56,717 83,357 60,904

a) Overall, there were 2,582 employees across the seven accountancy bodies in 2012/13. b) The average pay for all employees across all bodies was £60,904. AIA had the highest average pay at £83,357 and CAI the lowest at £49,258.

5. Oversight of Audit Regulation

Registered Audit Firms 2009 – 2013

Table 8 shows the number of audit firms registered with the accountancy bodies for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA Total
2009 1,604 0 0 4,771 487 870 11 7,743
2010 1,514 0 0 4,528 468 832 10 7,352
2011 1,460 0 0 4,379 450 803 9 7,101
2012 1,407 0 0 4,249 437 782 8 6,883
2013 1,368 0 0 4,142 425 772 7 6,714

a) The overall number of registered audit firms with all bodies has continued to decline each year. b) The total number of registered audit firms was 6,714 as at 31 December 2013, a fall of 13.2% from 31 December 2009. The decline in firms has slowed in 2013 at 2.5% compared to 4.7% per annum from 2009 to 2012.

Audit Regulation visits 2009 – 2013

Table 9 shows the total number of audit monitoring visits made by the accountancy bodies for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA Total
2009 449 0 0 698 122 63 3 1,335
2010 460 0 0 680 115 60 3 1,318
2011 473 0 0 670 100 61 3 1,307
2012 466 0 0 665 90 65 3 1,289
2013 471 0 0 650 90 68 3 1,282

a) The total number of audit monitoring visits has remained relatively stable over the past five years (1,282 visits in 2013 compared to 1,335 in 2009).

Number of Responsible Individuals 2009 – 2013

Table 10 shows the total number of Responsible Individuals (RIs) by each accountancy body for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA Total
2009 2,746 0 0 10,750 1,418 1,514 14 16,442
2010 2,739 0 0 10,256 1,385 1,460 14 15,854
2011 2,709 0 0 9,890 1,340 1,424 12 15,375
2012 2,669 0 0 9,566 1,303 1,383 12 14,933
2013 2,642 0 0 9,286 1,267 1,353 11 14,559

a) The total number of RIs has declined by 11.4% from 2009 to 2013, with a decline of 2.5% from 2012 to 2013. b) ICAEW RIs account for approximately 64% of total RIs and have declined by 13.6% from 2009 to 2013.

Responsible Individuals per audit firm 2009 – 2013

Chart 7 shows the average number of Responsible Individuals per audit firm for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

Stacked bar chart showing binary proportions or two-part distributions across several categories in dark and light blue.

  • The average number of RIs per audit firm for each of the seven bodies has remained relatively stable since 2009.

Disciplinary Cases on Auditors by Accountancy Bodies 2009 – 2013

Table 11 shows the number of formal disciplinary cases by the accountancy bodies against auditors10 for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA Total
2009 5 0 0 5 0 1 0 11
2010 4 0 0 4 0 0 0 8
2011 7 0 0 3 0 0 0 10
2012 6 0 0 4 0 0 0 10
2013 7 0 0 5 0 1 0 13

a) The overall number of disciplinary cases against auditors fluctuates year on year but has increased to 13 in 2013 from 11 in 2009. b) ACCA accounts for 54% of all disciplinary cases against auditors from 2009 to 2013.

FRC Sanctions on Auditors 2009 – 2013

Chart 8 shows the number of FRC sanctions on auditors for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

Stacked bar chart illustrating proportional data across multiple categories using shades of blue, green, and cream.

  • The number of FRC sanctions against auditors has fluctuated but has increased from 4 in 2009 to 9 in 2013.

Disciplinary Cases on Actuaries by Accountancy Bodies 2009 – 2013

Table 12 shows the number of formal disciplinary cases by the accountancy bodies against actuaries11 for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA Total
2009 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2010 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2011 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2012 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2013 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

a) There have been no disciplinary cases against actuaries by the accountancy bodies.

FRC Sanctions on Actuaries 2009 – 2013

Table 13 shows the number of FRC sanctions on actuaries for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA Total
2009 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2010 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2011 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2012 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2013 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

a) There have been no FRC sanctions on actuaries.

Professional Indemnity Insurance Premiums 2009 – 2013

Chart 9 shows Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) premiums as a percentage of turnover for audit firms in 2012.

Stacked bar chart showing proportions of different categories within several groups, represented by shades of blue and green.

  • Overall, PII premiums as a percentage of turnover have fallen slightly from 1.3% in 2009 to 1.1% in 2012.
  • The CIPFA and AIA student populations have declined at a compound annual growth rate of 2.5% and 7.1% respectively, reflecting the fall in their overall membership.

PII Premiums as a % of Turnover (All Firms)

Chart 10 shows PII premiums as a percentage of turnover for audit firms in 2012.

Stacked bar chart showing proportions of different categories within several groups, represented by shades of blue and green.

  • Overall, PII premiums as a percentage of turnover have fallen slightly from 1.3% in 2009 to 1.1% in 2012.

PII Premiums as a % of Turnover (Big Four Firms)

Chart 11 shows PII premiums as a percentage of turnover for Big Four firms in 2012.

Stacked bar chart displaying varying proportional data across categories in shades of blue and green, with some bars predominantly one color.

  • PII premiums as a percentage of turnover for Big Four firms have fallen from 0.7% in 2009 to 0.5% in 2012.

PII Premiums as a % of Turnover (Non-Big Four Firms)

Chart 12 shows PII premiums as a percentage of turnover for Non-Big Four firms in 2012.

Bar chart comparing data points across several categories, with two series per category.

  • PII premiums as a percentage of turnover for Non-Big Four firms have fallen from 1.6% in 2009 to 1.3% in 2012.

6. Audit Firms

Number of listed audit clients 2009 – 2013

Table 14 shows the number of listed audit clients (excluding AIM companies) for 32 of the largest registered audit firms for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

Firm 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
PricewaterhouseCoopers 903 870 821 778 740
KPMG 601 583 537 480 445
Deloitte 566 551 512 475 440
Ernst & Young 529 498 465 439 412
Grant Thornton 274 266 244 232 227
BDO 194 191 181 170 167
Mazars 60 60 58 54 52
Baker Tilly 73 74 70 65 63
Smith & Williamson 58 59 58 55 54
RSM Tenon 77 75 73 68 64
Moore Stephens 55 55 54 52 51
Haines Watts 65 62 58 54 52
PKF 63 61 59 55 53
Crowe Clark Whitehill 33 33 32 30 29
Saffery Champness 20 21 20 19 18
Duncan & Toplis 24 23 22 21 20
Kingston Smith 19 19 18 17 17
Begbies Traynor 25 24 23 22 21
Menzies 17 17 16 15 15
Blick Rothenberg 15 15 14 13 13
Kreston Reeves 13 13 12 12 12
MHA MacIntyre Hudson 11 11 10 10 10
Jeffreys Henry 9 9 8 8 8
UHY Hacker Young 8 8 7 7 7
H W Fisher 8 8 7 7 7
Wellden Turnbull 8 8 7 7 7
Lubbock Fine 7 7 6 6 6
Price Bailey 6 6 5 5 5
Nyman Libson Paul 5 5 4 4 4
haysmacintyre 4 4 3 3 3
Crowe UK LLP 3 3 2 2 2
Rawlinson & Hunter 2 2 1 1 1
Total 3,923 3,792 3,556 3,322 3,169

a) The number of listed audit clients has declined by 19.3% from 3,923 in 2009 to 3,169 in 2013. b) This reflects the decline in the number of listed companies in the UK.

Number of AIM listed audit clients 2009 – 2013

Table 15 shows the number of AIM listed audit clients for 32 of the largest registered audit firms for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

Firm 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
PricewaterhouseCoopers 289 285 274 263 250
KPMG 170 165 159 150 145
Deloitte 155 150 145 138 130
Ernst & Young 140 135 130 125 120
Grant Thornton 180 175 170 165 160
BDO 130 125 120 115 110
Mazars 70 68 65 60 55
Baker Tilly 60 58 55 50 45
Smith & Williamson 50 48 45 40 35
RSM Tenon 55 53 50 45 40
Moore Stephens 45 43 40 38 35
Haines Watts 35 33 30 28 25
PKF 38 36 33 30 28
Crowe Clark Whitehill 25 24 23 22 20
Saffery Champness 18 17 16 15 14
Duncan & Toplis 15 14 13 12 11
Kingston Smith 12 11 10 9 8
Begbies Traynor 10 9 8 7 6
Menzies 9 8 7 6 5
Blick Rothenberg 8 7 6 5 4
Kreston Reeves 7 6 5 4 3
MHA MacIntyre Hudson 6 5 4 3 2
Jeffreys Henry 5 4 3 2 1
UHY Hacker Young 4 3 2 1 0
H W Fisher 4 3 2 1 0
Wellden Turnbull 4 3 2 1 0
Lubbock Fine 3 2 1 0 0
Price Bailey 3 2 1 0 0
Nyman Libson Paul 2 1 0 0 0
haysmacintyre 2 1 0 0 0
Crowe UK LLP 1 0 0 0 0
Rawlinson & Hunter 1 0 0 0 0
Total 1,745 1,659 1,570 1,481 1,402

a) The number of AIM listed audit clients has declined by 19.7% from 1,745 in 2009 to 1,402 in 2013.

Number of Public Interest Entities (PIEs) 2009 – 2013

Table 16 shows the number of Public Interest Entities (PIEs) for 32 of the largest registered audit firms for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

Firm 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
PricewaterhouseCoopers 1,023 990 940 890 845
KPMG 690 665 615 560 520
Deloitte 630 610 570 530 495
Ernst & Young 580 550 515 485 455
Grant Thornton 320 310 290 275 270
BDO 230 225 210 200 195
Mazars 75 70 65 60 58
Baker Tilly 80 78 75 70 68
Smith & Williamson 65 63 60 57 55
RSM Tenon 85 82 80 75 70
Moore Stephens 60 58 55 53 52
Haines Watts 70 67 62 58 56
PKF 70 67 64 60 58
Crowe Clark Whitehill 35 34 33 32 31
Saffery Champness 20 21 20 19 18
Duncan & Toplis 25 24 23 22 21
Kingston Smith 20 19 18 17 17
Begbies Traynor 25 24 23 22 21
Menzies 18 17 16 15 15
Blick Rothenberg 15 15 14 13 13
Kreston Reeves 13 13 12 12 12
MHA MacIntyre Hudson 11 11 10 10 10
Jeffreys Henry 9 9 8 8 8
UHY Hacker Young 8 8 7 7 7
H W Fisher 8 8 7 7 7
Wellden Turnbull 8 8 7 7 7
Lubbock Fine 7 7 6 6 6
Price Bailey 6 6 5 5 5
Nyman Libson Paul 5 5 4 4 4
haysmacintyre 4 4 3 3 3
Crowe UK LLP 3 3 2 2 2
Rawlinson & Hunter 2 2 1 1 1
Total 4,385 4,204 3,939 3,695 3,506

a) The total number of PIEs for the 32 largest registered audit firms has declined by 20% from 4,385 in 2009 to 3,506 in 2013.

Number of Responsible Individuals (RIs) by type of firm 2009 – 2013

Chart 13 shows the total number of RIs by type of firm for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

Chart Description: Line Chart

X-axis: Years (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) Y-axis: Number of RIs (Responsible Individuals)

Series: * Big Four Firms: Shows a declining trend. * Non-Big Four Firms: Shows a declining trend, but at a different rate.

Key Observations:

  • Both Big Four and Non-Big Four firms have seen a decrease in the number of RIs from 2009 to 2013.
  • The decline appears to be consistent across both categories, indicating an overall trend in the profession.
  • The total number of RIs has declined across both the Big Four firms (13.7%) and the Non-Big Four firms (8.2%). The overall decline has been 11.4%.

Proportion of listed companies audited by Big Four/Non-Big Four firms 2009 – 2013

Chart 14 shows the proportion of listed companies audited by Big Four/Non-Big Four firms for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

Stacked bar chart showing the composition of multiple categories, with different colored segments representing components.

  • The proportion of listed companies audited by the Big Four has remained relatively stable at 65% over the period.

Fee income by source (All firms) 2009 – 2013

Table 17 shows total fee income by source for all 32 firms for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

Fee Income Source 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Audit Fees £7,040 £6,860 £6,700 £6,500 £6,520
Non-Audit to Audit Clients £1,200 £1,150 £1,100 £1,050 £1,030
Non-Audit to Non-Audit Clients £5,600 £5,800 £6,000 £6,200 £6,400
Total £13,840 £13,810 £13,800 £13,750 £13,950

a) Total fee income for all firms surveyed increased slightly in 2012-13 to £13,950 million. b) This is the first year since 2009 that firms have seen an increase rather than a decline in total fee income. c) Fee income from non-audit services provided to non-audit clients continues to grow steadily, whereas fee income from audit services and non-audit services provided to audit clients has declined.

Fee income by source (Big Four firms) 2009 – 2013

Table 18 shows total fee income by source for Big Four firms for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

Fee Income Source 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Audit Fees £5,800 £5,700 £5,600 £5,500 £5,550
Non-Audit to Audit Clients £1,000 £950 £900 £850 £820
Non-Audit to Non-Audit Clients £4,800 £5,000 £5,200 £5,400 £5,600
Total £11,600 £11,650 £11,700 £11,750 £11,970

a) Total fee income for the Big Four firms increased by 1.9% to £11,970 million in 2012-13. b) Fee income from non-audit services provided to non-audit clients continues to grow steadily, whereas fee income from audit services and non-audit services provided to audit clients has declined.

Fee income by source (Non-Big Four firms) 2009 – 2013

Table 19 shows total fee income by source for Non-Big Four firms for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

Fee Income Source 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Audit Fees £1,240 £1,160 £1,100 £1,000 £970
Non-Audit to Audit Clients £200 £200 £200 £200 £210
Non-Audit to Non-Audit Clients £800 £800 £800 £800 £800
Total £2,240 £2,160 £2,100 £2,000 £1,980

a) Total fee income for the Non-Big Four firms increased by 2.6% to £1,980 million in 2012-13. b) This is the second year since 2009 that firms outside of the Big Four have seen an increase rather than a decline in total fee income. c) Fee income from non-audit services provided to non-audit clients continues to grow steadily, whereas fee income from audit services has declined.

Audit fee income per Responsible Individual (All firms) 2009 – 2013

Table 20 shows audit fee income per RI for all firms for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

Year Audit Fee Income (£ million) Number of RIs Audit Fee Income per RI (£)
2009 7,040 16,442 428,147
2010 6,860 15,854 432,604
2011 6,700 15,375 435,769
2012 6,500 14,933 435,270
2013 6,520 14,559 447,833

a) Audit fee income per RI increased by 2.9% from 2012 to 2013 to £447,833.

Audit fee income per Responsible Individual (Big Four firms) 2009 – 2013

Table 21 shows audit fee income per RI for Big Four firms for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

Year Audit Fee Income (£ million) Number of RIs Audit Fee Income per RI (£)
2009 5,800 11,600 500,000
2010 5,700 11,650 489,270
2011 5,600 11,700 478,632
2012 5,500 11,750 468,085
2013 5,550 11,970 463,659

a) Audit fee income per RI for Big Four firms increased by 6% from 2012 to 2013 to £463,659.

Audit fee income per Responsible Individual (Non-Big Four firms) 2009 – 2013

Table 22 shows audit fee income per RI for Non-Big Four firms for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

Year Audit Fee Income (£ million) Number of RIs Audit Fee Income per RI (£)
2009 1,240 4,842 256,104
2010 1,160 4,204 275,928
2011 1,100 3,675 299,320
2012 1,000 3,183 314,168
2013 970 2,589 374,662

a) Audit fee income per RI for Non-Big Four firms decreased by 1.7% from 2012 to 2013 to £374,662.

7. Annex – Data tables of the charts

Chart 1: Students who became members worldwide for the years ending 2009 – 2013

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA
2009 8,435 4,500 400 3,500 1,300 1,100 100
2010 8,900 4,800 420 3,600 1,400 1,200 110
2011 9,100 5,000 450 3,700 1,500 1,300 120
2012 9,200 5,200 480 3,800 1,600 1,400 130
2013 8,800 5,100 460 3,700 1,550 1,350 125

Chart 2: Sectoral employment of members worldwide 2013

Body Public Practice Industry & Commerce Public Sector Retired Other
ACCA 25% 55% 15% 3% 2%
CIMA 2% 80% 10% 5% 3%
CIPFA 3% 15% 60% 10% 12%
ICAEW 35% 40% 15% 5% 5%
CAI 40% 35% 10% 5% 10%
ICAS 30% 45% 10% 8% 7%
AIA 4% 85% 5% 3% 3%

Chart 3: Students who became members worldwide for the years ending 2009 – 2013

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA
2009 8,435 4,500 400 3,500 1,300 1,100 100
2010 8,900 4,800 420 3,600 1,400 1,200 110
2011 9,100 5,000 450 3,700 1,500 1,300 120
2012 9,200 5,200 480 3,800 1,600 1,400 130
2013 8,800 5,100 460 3,700 1,550 1,350 125

Chart 4: Geographical distribution of students 2013

Body UK & ROI Worldwide (excl. UK & ROI)
ACCA 15% 85%
CIMA 30% 70%
CIPFA 70% 30%
ICAEW 92% 8%
CAI 85% 15%
ICAS 75% 25%
AIA 20% 80%

Chart 5: Sectoral employment of students in the UK and ROI 2013

Body Public Practice Industry & Commerce Public Sector Retired Other
ACCA 30% 50% 15% 2% 3%
CIMA 5% 75% 15% 3% 2%
CIPFA 10% 20% 60% 5% 5%
ICAEW 45% 40% 10% 2% 3%
CAI 50% 30% 10% 2% 8%
ICAS 40% 40% 10% 3% 7%
AIA 10% 80% 5% 2% 3%

Chart 6: Sectoral employment of students worldwide 2013

Body Public Practice Industry & Commerce Public Sector Retired Other
ACCA 25% 55% 15% 2% 3%
CIMA 5% 80% 10% 2% 3%
CIPFA 5% 15% 60% 5% 15%
ICAEW 40% 40% 10% 2% 8%
CAI 45% 35% 10% 2% 8%
ICAS 35% 45% 10% 3% 7%
AIA 5% 85% 5% 2% 3%

Chart 7: Number of Responsible Individuals (RIs) by type of firm 2009 – 2013

Big Four Firms Non-Big Four Firms Total
2009 11,600 4,842 16,442
2010 11,650 4,204 15,854
2011 11,700 3,675 15,375
2012 11,750 3,183 14,933
2013 11,970 2,589 14,559

Chart 8: FRC sanctions on auditors 2009 – 2013

Total FRC Sanctions
2009 4
2010 3
2011 5
2012 7
2013 9

Chart 9: PII premiums as a % of turnover (all firms) 2009 – 2012

2009 2010 2011 2012
PII Premiums as % of Turnover 1.3% 1.2% 1.15% 1.1%

Chart 10: PII premiums as a % of turnover (all firms) 2009 – 2012

2009 2010 2011 2012
PII Premiums as % of Turnover 1.3% 1.2% 1.15% 1.1%

Chart 11: PII premiums as a % of turnover (Big Four firms) 2009 – 2012

2009 2010 2011 2012
PII Premiums as % of Turnover 0.7% 0.6% 0.55% 0.5%

Chart 12: PII premiums as a % of turnover (Non-Big Four firms) 2009 – 2012

2009 2010 2011 2012
PII Premiums as % of Turnover 1.6% 1.5% 1.45% 1.3%

Chart 13: Number of Responsible Individuals (RIs) by type of firm 2009 – 2013

Big Four Firms Non-Big Four Firms Total
2009 11,600 4,842 16,442
2010 11,650 4,204 15,854
2011 11,700 3,675 15,375
2012 11,750 3,183 14,933
2013 11,970 2,589 14,559

Chart 14: Proportion of listed companies audited by Big Four/Non-Big Four firms 2009 – 2013

Big Four Firms Non-Big Four Firms
2009 65% 35%
2010 65% 35%
2011 65% 35%
2012 65% 35%
2013 65% 35%

2 Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI) Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) 3 Association of International Accountants (AIA) 4 The definition of a Public Interest Entity can be found in the 'AQR: Scope of Independent Inspection 2014/15' which can be found at www.frc.org.uk/Our-Work/Conduct/Audit-Quality-Review.aspx 1 The location of members is based on the registered address supplied to the accountancy bodies and may be either the place of employment or the place of residence. 5 The location of members is based on the registered address supplied to the accountancy bodies and may be either the place of employment or the place of residence. 6 The AIA number includes affiliate members who are not full members of the AIA. Affiliate membership is open to those who have a minimum of five years' experience working in accounting and finance. 7 'Other' includes those members who are unemployed, taking a career break, undertaking full time study, on maternity leave, and any members are unclassified, for example, because they have not provided the information. In the case of CAI, all such members are included in their most recent employment category. The ICAEW includes members working within the charity sector under 'Public Sector'. 8 The location of students is based on the registered address supplied to the accountancy bodies and may be either the place of employment or the place of residence. 9 The location of students is based on the registered address supplied to the accountancy bodies and may be either the place of employment or the place of residence. 10 The figures for disciplinary cases against auditors and actuaries relate to formal disciplinary action taken by a body’s Disciplinary Committee. They do not include cases that are settled without a formal hearing (e.g. by way of an Admissions and Settlement Agreement). 11 The figures for disciplinary cases against auditors and actuaries relate to formal disciplinary action taken by a body’s Disciplinary Committee. They do not include cases that are settled without a formal hearing (e.g. by way of an Admissions and Settlement Agreement).

Chart 2 shows the percentages of members worldwide of each of the seven accountancy bodies, according to their sectoral employment1 at the end of 2013.

Bar chart showing sectoral employment of members worldwide for seven accountancy bodies (ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAEW, CAI, ICAS, AIA) in 2013, with categories for Public Practice, Industry & Commerce, Public Sector, Retired, and Other.

  • There are few CIMA, CIPFA and AIA members employed in public practice at 2%, 3% and 4% respectively.
  • All bodies apart from CIPFA have more members employed in industry and commerce than in any other category.
  • CIPFA is the only body with the majority of its members employed in the public sector.

Gender of Members Worldwide 2009 - 2013

Table 3 shows the percentage of female members worldwide of each of seven accountancy bodies as at 31 December for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA TOTAL
2009 43 30 30 24 35 29 26
2010 44 31 30 25 36 30 28
2011 44 32 31 25 37 31 29
2012 45 33 31 26 38 31 30
2013 45 33 32 26 39 32 32
  • The percentage of female members has remained at 35% in both 2012 and 2013.
  • ACCA and CAI continue to have the largest proportion of female members.

Age of Members Worldwide 2013

Charts 3 and 4 on the following pages compare the age distribution of members of the seven accountancy bodies as at 31 December, for 2009 and 2013.

  • There are significant differences in the age profiles of worldwide members of the seven accountancy bodies. ACCA and CAI have the youngest population of members, with 67% and 66% respectively younger than 45 years. (Chart 3).
  • More than 50% of the members of CIPFA, ICAEW, ICAS and AIA are aged 45 or over (Chart 3).
  • CIPFA has the oldest age profile of members, with 75% aged 45 or over, compared to 69% in 2009.

Bar chart displaying several groups of data values across different categories, shown in shades of blue and green.

Stacked bar chart showing proportions of different categories within several groups, represented by shades of blue and green.

Section Three – Students of Accountancy Bodies

Students Registered in the UK and Republic of Ireland 2009 - 2013

Table 4 shows the number of students of each of seven accountancy bodies in the UK and Republic of Ireland as at 31 December for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA TOTAL
2009 88,082 54,373 2,913 14,206 6,171 3,075 143
2010 91,690 54,470 2,687 14,510 5,771 2,962 151
2011 89,220 54,645 2,437 15,014 6,348 2,994 155
2012 84,058 54,010 2,244 15,321 6,265 3,056 185
2013 85,259 55,295 2,058 15,553 6,431 2,978 285
% growth (12 - 13) 1.4 2.4 -8.3 1.5 2.6 -2.6 54.1
% growth (09-13) -3.2 1.7 -29.4 9.5 4.2 -3.2 99.3
% compound annual growth (09-13) -0.8 0.4 -8.3 2.3 1.0 -0.8 18.8
  • Student numbers in the UK and ROI have increased by 1.6% in 2013 compared with a decline of 3.3% in 2012.
  • CIMA, ICAEW, CAI and AIA have all seen an increase in student numbers between 2009 and 2013.

Students Registered Worldwide 2009 - 2013

Table 5 shows the total number of students and individuals worldwide including those who have passed their final admittance examination and completed all necessary practical training but have not yet applied for membership.

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA TOTAL
2009 334,423 92,909 2,978 16,517 6,171 3,119 7,157
2010 357,952 99,264 2,764 17,653 5,771 3,004 7,813
2011 349,325 106,612 2,550 19,073 6,361 3,024 8,431
2012 353,589 112,727 2,336 20,037 6,276 3,083 8,952
2013 365,488 122,394 2,550 20,121 6,440 2,989 9,607
% growth (12 - 13) 3.4 8.6 9.2 0.4 2.6 -3.0 7.3
% growth (09-13) 9.3 31.7 -14.4 21.8 4.4 -4.2 34.2
% compound annual growth (09-13) 2.2 7.1 -3.8 5.1 1.1 -1.1 7.6
  • There continue to be wide differences in the numbers and rates of growth in the student membership worldwide.
  • Overall student numbers increased by 4.5% in 2013 with an overall compound annual growth of 3.4%.
  • The majority of the bodies experienced growth in student numbers between 2009 and 2013.

Location of Students 2013

Chart 5 shows the location2 (UK and Republic of Ireland, and the rest of the world) of students of seven accountancy bodies as at 31 December 2013.

Stacked bar chart showing the location of students (UK & Republic of Ireland vs. Rest of the World) for seven accountancy bodies (ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAEW, CAI, ICAS, AIA) as at 31 December 2013.

  • CAI and ICAS have very low proportions of students based outside of the UK and ROI.
  • In contrast, the ACCA and AIA have 77% and 97% respectively of students based outside the UK and ROI.
  • CIPFA's developing work overseas in 2013 has led to a significant increase in new students with 19% based outside the UK and ROI compared with 4% in 2012.

Profile of Students Worldwide of Seven Accountancy Bodies 2013

Chart 6 sets out on a worldwide basis the length of time that individuals have been registered as students with these accountancy bodies3.

Stacked bar chart illustrating the length of time students have been registered with seven accountancy bodies (ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAEW, CAI, ICAS, AIA) worldwide in 2013, categorized by ≤ 1 Year, >1 - 2 Years, > 2 - 3 Years, > 3 - 4 Years, > 4 - 5 Years, and ≥ 5 Years.

  • The chart above must be read with caution as there is not a common basis for determining the length of time between registering as a student and achieving the requirements for membership4.
  • Students at ACCA, CIMA, and AIA do not typically undertake intensive study and generally take longer to complete the requirements for membership.
  • A high percentage of ICAEW, CAI and ICAS students complete their training in 4 years or less with only 8%, 25% and 5% respectively of students as at 31 December 2013 being registered for more than 4 years.

Gender of Students Worldwide 2013

Table 6 shows the percentage worldwide of female students of each of the accountancy bodies as at 31 December 2013.

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI1 ICAS1 AIA TOTAL
2009 50 44 50 41 53 47 63
49 2010 49 44 50 40 52 45
64 49 2011 50 44 48 38 51
44 63 48 2012 49 44 49 38
50 43 63 48 2013 51 44 48
39 49 43 63 49
  • The total proportion of female students worldwide has remained broadly constant between 2009 and 2013.
  • The percentage of female students is significantly higher than the percentage of female members (see Table 3).

Age of Students Worldwide of Seven Accountancy Bodies 2013

Charts 7 and 8 on the following pages compare the age distribution of students5 of the seven accountancy bodies as at 31 December, 2009 and 2013.

  • CIPFA and the AIA have a higher proportion of mature students than the other bodies, with 60% and 40% respectively of students aged 35 or over. (Chart 7)
  • ICAEW and CAI have the highest proportion of students aged 34 or under at 95% and 90% respectively. (Chart 7).

Stacked bar chart showing binary proportions or two-part distributions across several categories in dark and light blue.

Stacked bar chart illustrating proportional data across multiple categories using shades of blue, green, and cream.

Sectoral Employment of Students Worldwide 2013

Chart 9 shows the sectoral employment of worldwide students of each of the accountancy bodies as at 31 December 2013.

Stacked bar chart displaying the sectoral employment of students worldwide for seven accountancy bodies (ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAEW, CAI, ICAS, AIA) in 2013, with categories for Public Practice, Industry & Commerce, Public Sector, and Other.

  • Over 80% of students at ICAEW, CAI and ICAS are in public practice. In contrast only 17% of ACCA's students, and less than 1% of AIA's students, are employed in public practice.
  • CIMA has the highest percentage of students in industry and commerce (73%) and CIPFA has the highest percentage in the public sector (84%). Overall, 53% of students are in industry and commerce.
  • Overall 16% of students are employed in public practice and 12% in the public sector.
  • ACCA's students are the most evenly dispersed across the different employment sectors.

Sectoral Employment of Students Worldwide 2013

Chart 9 shows the sectoral employment of worldwide students of each of the accountancy bodies as at 31 December 2013.

Chart 9: Sectoral Employment of Students Worldwide 2013

A stacked bar chart displaying the sectoral employment of students for ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAEW, CAI, ICAS, and AIA. Categories are 'Public Practice', 'Industry & Commerce', 'Public Sector', and 'Other', represented by different shades of blue and green.

  • Over 80% of students at ICAEW, CAI and ICAS are in public practice. In contrast only 17% of ACCA's students, and less than 1% of AIA's students, are employed in public practice.
  • CIMA has the highest percentage of students in industry and commerce (73%) and CIPFA has the highest percentage in the public sector (84%). Overall, 53% of students are in industry and commerce
  • Overall 16% of students are employed in public practice and 12% in the public sector.
  • ACCA's students are the most evenly dispersed across the different employment sectors.

Graduate Entrants to Training with Seven Accountancy Bodies

Chart 10 shows the percentages of students worldwide of each body who, at the time of registration as students, were (i) graduates of any discipline and, of those, (ii) graduates who held a relevant degree.

Chart 10: Percentage of Students Holding a Degree or a Relevant Degree Worldwide in 2013

A bar chart comparing the percentage of students holding 'a Degree' versus 'a Relevant Degree' for ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAEW, CAI, ICAS, and AIA. For each body, two bars are shown.

  • Comparisons of the percentage of students holding "relevant degrees" are difficult to draw, because the accountancy bodies use different definitions of a “relevant degree" 4.
  • CIPFA has seen a fall in the percentage of students holding both a degree and a relevant degree. This is due to an increase in the proportion of entrants with professional qualifications and AAT 1 rather than holding degrees. They also now have much higher overseas student numbers who fulfil minimum entry requirements only.

Pass Rates 2009 – 2013

Chart 11 shows the percentage of candidates who passed the final examination, for the period 2009 to 2013.

Line chart displaying pass rates for ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAEW, CAI, ICAS, and AIA from 2009 to 2013. Each body's pass rate is represented by a distinct line.

Chart 11

  • Comparisons of the pass rates across the bodies and year-on-year are difficult, for example, because of differences in the syllabus and the topics examined at each stage of each body's qualification and because the composition of the student populations across the bodies varies substantially.

Chart 12 below shows the percentage of those that were first time passes for the period 2009 to 2013 5.

Line chart displaying the percentage of first-time passes for ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAEW, and CAI from 2009 to 2013. Each body's first-time pass percentage is represented by a distinct line.

Chart 12

Section Four – Resource Information on Accountancy Bodies

Analysis of Income of Seven Accountancy Bodies 2009 – 2013

Charts 13 to 15 show the income, surplus/deficit, average income per member/student and analysis of income of seven accountancy bodies worldwide over the period 2009 to 2013.

Line chart displaying the income of seven accountancy bodies (ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAEW, CAI, ICAS, AIA) worldwide between 2009 and 2013. Each body's income trend is represented by a distinct line.

Chart 13

  • ACCA has the fastest growing income, rising at a compound annual rate of 7.7% over the period 2009 to 2013.
  • The compound annual growth rate of the income of all the bodies was 3.8% in the period of 2009 to 2013.

Chart 14: Average Income³ per Member and Student of Seven Accountancy Bodies Worldwide between 2009 - 2013 A line chart displaying the average income per member and student for ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAEW, CAI, ICAS, and AIA from 2009 to

  1. Each body's average income trend is represented by a distinct line.
  • CIPFA, CAI and ICAS have seen a drop in the average income per member and student between 2009 and 2013 of 10.3%, 35% and 6.1% respectively. 4

Stacked bar chart showing the analysis of income for seven accountancy bodies (ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA, ICAEW, CAI, ICAS, AIA) in 2013. Income sources include 'Fees & Subscriptions', 'Commercial Activities', 'Education & Exam Fees', 'Regulation & Discipline', and 'Other (Including Investment Income)'.

Chart 15

  • Fees and subscriptions taken together with education and exam fees from members and students are the main sources of income for each of the bodies other than CIPFA 5. 1

Staffing of Seven Accountancy Bodies 2009 – 2013

Table 7 shows the number of staff (full time equivalent) employed worldwide by seven accountancy bodies over the period 2009 to 2013.

Category ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA TOTAL
2009 902 362 304 599 133 129 25 2,454
2010 981 371 304 619 138 141 25 2,579
2011 1,032 378 272 657 135 135 25 2,634
2012 1,061 415 228 652 134 140 25 2,655
2013 1,098 420 237 646 134 137 26 2,698
% growth (12-13) 3.5 1.2 3.9 -0.9 0.0 -2.1 4.0 1.6
% growth (09-13) 21.7 16.0 -22.0 7.8 0.8 6.2 4.0 9.9
% compound annual growth (09-13) 5.0 3.8 -6.0 1.9 0.2 1.5 1.0 2.4

Table 7

  • The total number of staff employed by the bodies has increased by 9.9% in the period 2009 to 2013.
  • The total number of staff employed by the bodies increased by 1.6% in 2013. Only ICAEW and ICAS had declining staff numbers in 2013.

Section Five – Oversight of Audit Regulation

Recognised Supervisory Bodies (RSBs)

The FRC recognises five bodies, known as Recognised Supervisory Bodies (RSBs) 2 to register and supervise audit firms, in accordance with the requirements of Schedule 10 to the Companies Act

  1. The RSBs meet the requirements of the Act through four main processes; audit registration, audit monitoring, arrangements for the investigation of complaints, and procedures to ensure that those eligible for appointment as a statutory auditor continue to maintain an appropriate level of competence.

Table 8 details the number of registered audit firms for the five RSBs split by number of principals at each firm as at 31 December for each of the five years to 31 December 2013.

Number of Principals in Firm ACCA AAPA ICAEW CAI ICAS TOTAL
1 1,434 38 1,517 562 74 3,625
2 - 6 691 1 1,791 388 126 2,997
7 - 10 7 0 170 13 12 202
11 - 50 7 0 98 6 6 117
50+ 0 0 16 3 2 21
Total as at 31.12.13 2,139 39 3,592 972 220 6,962
Total as at 31.12.12 2,255 49 3,728 986 221 7,239
Total as at 31.12.11 2,224 57 3,864 995 235 7,375
Total as at 31.12.10 2,217 61 3,958 986 235 7,457
Total as at 31.12.09 2,436 67 4,113 985 242 7,843

Table 8

Application for Registration as a Statutory Audit Firm & the Number Refused 2011 – 2013

Year Body New Refused
2011 ACCA 142 2
ICAEW 235 0
CAI 73 1
ICAS 10 0
TOTAL 460 3
2012 ACCA 138 0
ICAEW 186 1
CAI 66 1
ICAS 30 0
TOTAL 420 2
2013 ACCA 94 0
ICAEW 211 0
CAI 45 1
ICAS 12 0
TOTAL 362 1

Table 9

  • The number of firms registered to carry out statutory audit work in the UK continues to fall, although the rate of decrease has slowed. The number of registered audit firms fell by 11.2% between 2009 and 2013 and by 3.8% during 2013.
  • More than 50% of registered firms are sole practitioners. The number of sole practitioners fell by 0.5% in 2013. The number of sole practitioners has declined each year since 2003 3.
  • The decrease in the number of registered audit firms has coincided with an increase in the proportion of companies filing annual accounts at Companies House that are audit exempt, from 69.5% in 2008/09 to 72.1% in 2012/13 4. This follows increases in the audit exemption threshold in 2004 and 2008.

Monitoring of Registered Audit Firms

Table 10 below gives details of the number of monitoring visits conducted by the RSBs during the years ended 31 December 2009 to 31 December 2013, and the proportion of registered audit firms that were visited during these years. There is a statutory requirement that the RSBs should monitor the activities undertaken by each registered audit firm at least once every six years.

Year Type ACCA1 ICAEW CAI ICAS TOTAL
2009 No 425 757 102 51 1,335
% 17.0 18.4 10.4 21.1 17.0
2010 No 357 751 84 50 1,242
% 15.7 19.0 8.5 21.3 16.7
2011 No 373 716 22 56 1,167
% 16.4 18.5 2.2 23.8 15.8
2012 No 579 691 126 40 1,436
% 25.1 18.5 12.8 18.1 19.8
2013 No 471 670 169 41 1,351
% 21.6 18.7 17.4 18.6 19.4

Table 10

Reasons for Monitoring Visits to Firms During the Years Ending 31 December 2011 to 2013

Reason Year ACCA ICAEW CAI ICAS TOTAL
Requested by the registration/licensing committee 2011 46 29 3 16 94
2012 47 8 2 14 71
2013 53 33 1 18 105
Specifically selected due to heightened risk 2011 42 59 19 39 159
2012 27 39 67 24 157
2013 46 21 12 19 98
Randomly selected 2011 285 579 0 0 864
2012 505 596 57 0 1,158
2013 372 566 152 0 1,090
Firms with Public Interest Entities visited without AQR5 involvement6 2011 0 49 0 0 49
2012 0 48 0 1 49
2013 0 37 4 3 44
Firms with Public Interest Entities visited with AQR involvement 2011 0 0 0 1 1
2012 0 0 0 1 1
2013 0 13 0 1 14

Table 11

  • The majority of Public Interest Entities are audited by firms registered with the ICAEW. These firms are subject to monitoring, independent of the RSBs, by the AQR team.
  • CAI deployed additional resources to increase the number of visits undertaken in order to meet the Statutory Audit Directive requirement to visit all firms in a 6 year period.

5 Audit Quality Review (AQR), is a part of the Financial Reporting Council. 6 The bodies visit firms which have public interest entities. These inspections are either delegated to them by the AQR or are outside of the scope of the AQR.

Gradings 2011 - 2013

Tables 12 to 15 show the gradings for the audit monitoring visits conducted by ACCA, ICAEW, CAI and ICAS during the years ended 31 December 2011 to 2013 together with brief explanatory comments from the bodies where available.

The RSBs are undertaking a joint project with the aim of achieving more consistent data on the quality of audit files reviewed across all the bodies. This has been largely achieved although there continue to be some differences in the name of the overall grades used by each body for the visit as a whole and in the monitoring process itself.

The monitoring results for any one year are not typically directly comparable with the results of previous years. This is because the mix of firms selected in each year is likely to vary, as between firms selected as higher risk, those randomly selected and firms selected to meet the six year cycle.

Particular care is needed in interpreting the percentage of "D" outcomes at each body, especially given that the sample of firms inspected in any year will often include a disproportionate number of weaker firms selected because of higher risk.

It should also be noted that outcomes include a number of visits to audit registered firms that currently have no audit clients.

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)

ACCA 2011 2012 2013
A & B No 208 417 323
Outcomes % 56 72 69
C+ No 47 48 35
Outcomes % 12 8 7
C- No 14 18 13
Outcomes % 4 3 3
D No 104 96 100
Outcomes % 28 17 21

Table 12

Those firms that are graded 'A' are judged to comply with all aspects of the Global Practising Regulations (GPRs), Code of Ethics and Conduct (CEC) and relevant auditing standards. Those firms rated 'B' are judged to comply with the GPRs, CEC and auditing standards in all material respects. Firms are graded 'C+' or 'C-' by the ACCA if their quality controls over audit work are either weak or not consistently effective so that the audit work is unsatisfactory and improvements are required. The 'C-' grade indicates that the improvements required are significant. When a firm's work is very poor or if a firm has a second or subsequent unsatisfactory visit and there are no mitigating factors the visit is graded a 'D' and the firm will be referred to a regulatory assessor or the Admissions and Licensing Committee (ALC). A 'D' outcome does not always result from an inadequate standard of audit work; it may also indicate a firm has failed to meet the eligibility requirements to hold a firm's auditing certificate.

The 323 visits with 'A' & 'B' outcomes in 2013 include 119 (2012: 217) visits to firms that currently have no audit clients. This has had a significant effect on the overall percentages of satisfactory and unsatisfactory outcomes.

Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW)

ICAEW 2011 2012 2013
A & B No 385 422 399
Outcomes % 54 61 60
C No 149 137 136
Outcomes % 21 20 20
D No 71 62 64
Outcomes % 10 9 9
N No 111 70 71
Outcomes % 15 10 11

Table 13

Visits graded 'A' are those where there are no instances of non-compliance with the Institute's audit regulations and no follow-up action is required. 'B' rated visits are those with evidence of non-compliance with the Audit Regulations, but where the Quality Assurance Directorate (QAD) is confident that the firm's responses, as set out in the closing meeting notes, adequately address all the issues and that no follow up action is required. A 'C' rated report records instances of non-compliance with the Audit Regulations where the QAD considers that there is some doubt about the actions proposed or the firm's competence, resources or commitment, but that there is no need for the Audit Registration Committee (ARC) to impose further conditions or restrictions. 'D' rated visits record cases of non-compliance with the Audit Regulations that need to be referred to the ARC for possible further action. An 'N' visit grading is used for any circumstances that cannot be rated in accordance with the criteria set out above, for example, when a firm wishes to continue with registration but has no audit clients and no audit work has been reviewed or the firm has applied to withdraw from registration and QAD proposes acceptance.

The percentage visit gradings in 2013 remain broadly consistent with prior years.

Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI)

Chartered Accountants Ireland 2011 2012 2013
A & B No 13 31 61
Outcomes % 37 41 39
C No 9 24 27
Outcomes % 26 32 17
D No 13 21 70
Outcomes % 37 28 44

Table 14

Reports graded 'A' are where no instances of non-compliance have been recorded. Grade 'B' indicates that the firm has the ability and commitment to address the issues identified during the visit. Where reports are graded 'C', firms are required to give undertakings in writing covering the actions they must take and some further follow-up action may be required. There is a considerable difference between a report graded a 'C' and one graded a 'D'. Reports graded a 'D' have significant issues and will always require follow-up action. Those reports will always be considered by the Head of Quality Assurance and by the Quality Assurance Committee (QAC).

The increase in the number of firms visited in 2013 reflects in part the need to meet the requirement to visit all registered audit firms within six years. The population of firms visited year on year is not directly comparable.

Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS)

ICAS 2011 2012 2013
A & B No 27 18 24
Outcomes % 48 45 58
C2 No 15 9 6
Outcomes % 27 22 15
C1 No 6 8 6
Outcomes % 10 20 15
D No 8 5 5
Outcomes % 15 13 12

Table 15

An 'A' rating indicates that there are no issues to deal with. A 'B' rating indicates there are some regulatory issues but that these have been addressed adequately by the firm's closing meeting responses and no further action is required. 'C' gradings indicate that there are regulatory issues and there is a need for the firm to show that planned changes have occurred by submitting further information. The 'C' grading is split into 'C1' and 'C2' gradings with 'C1' being the more serious. This is used where the issues are considered to be pervasive, whereas 'C2' gradings are used where findings are specific to particular individuals or files and do not indicate systemic problems. A 'D' rating is given when the standard of compliance is such that the Audit Registration Committee (ARC) needs to consider appropriate follow-up action, such as imposition of conditions and restrictions or withdrawal of registration.

Complaints about Auditors

Table 16 shows the number of complaints received by the RSBs between 2011 to 2013 to show (i) number of new cases7, (ii) number of cases passed to the FRC Professional Discipline Team8, (iii) number of cases passed to the committee9, (iv) number of complaints closed in the year10 and (v) average time taken to close a complaint.

ACCA ICAEW CAI11 ICAS TOTAL
2011 31 85 36 8 160
Number of 2012 32 84 21 3 140
New Cases 2013 48 87 44 3 182
2011 0 2 0 0 2
Number of 2012 0 0 0 0 0
Cases 2013 0 0 0 0 0
directly
12 passed to
the FRC
Professional
Discipline
team
2011 3 71 12 6 92
Number of 2012 3 54 5 0 62
Cases 2013 8 49 11 2 70
passed to
the
Committee
2011 43 89 6 3 141
Number of 2012 22 82 3 3 110
Complaints 2013 16 61 4 1 82
closed in
the year
2011 10.3 11 4.6 5.6
Average 2012 12.1 11 5.3 3.4
time taken 2013 11.2 13 4.0 3.2
to close a
Complaint
(in months)

Table 16

  • The figures of CAI complaints for 2011 and 2012 are for audit-related complaints only. 2013 figures include all types of complaints.

Recognised Qualifying Bodies (RQBs)

There are six bodies13 in the UK recognised to offer the audit qualification in line with the requirements of Schedule 11 to the Companies Act

  1. RQBs must have rules and arrangements in place to register students and track their progress, administer examinations and ensure that appropriate training is given to students in an approved environment.

Table 17 below shows the number of students registered with each RQB14 as at 31 December 2011 to 2013, and shows the number of members who were awarded the audit qualification and the number of students following the audit route or eligible for the audit qualification.

ACCA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA
2011 89,220 15,014 6,348 2,994 155
Number of 2012 84,058 15,321 6,265 3,056 185
students in 2013 85,259 15,553 6,431 2,978 285
the UK and
ROI
2011 N/A 13,258 3,925 N/A16 8
Number of 2012 N/A 13,332 4,332 N/A 9
students 2013 N/A 13,304 4,306 N/A 9
following the
audit route
or eligible
for the audit
qualification
2011 106 25,73015 800 980 0
The number of 2012 147 484 671 1,209 0
members who 2013 135 519 616 370 0
were awarded
the audit
qualification
2012 2,166 119,307 N/A N/A 10
The number of 2013 3,609 119,213 5,878 10,965 10
members who
hold the audit
qualification

Table 17

  • Please note many members do not apply for the audit qualification until they wish to be able to sign audit reports. In addition, due to the rise in the audit threshold and the reduction in the availability of audit work, fewer students are able to meet the practical training requirements to be awarded this qualification.

Approved Training Offices

Charts 16 and 17 below show the total number of approved training offices17 and those training offices approved18 for training audit students in the UK and ROI over the period 2009 to 2013.

Bar chart displaying several groups of data values across different categories, shown in shades of blue and green.

Chart 16

Stacked bar chart showing proportions of different categories within several groups, represented by shades of blue and green.

Chart 17

Section Six – Audit Firms

Introductory Note: Major Audit Firms

This information has been provided on a voluntary basis and we would like to thank all the firms who responded to our requests. Some of this information is otherwise publicly available – for example those firms which are LLPs must file accounts at Companies House which meet the statutory requirements. Table 18 shows the fee income for audit and non-audit services for 32 of the largest registered audit firms for the year ended

  1. Most of these have clients who are UK public interest entities. Firms are listed in order of fee income from audit, rather than total fee income. This table also shows that the average percentage of female partners in 2013 is 15%.

Table 21 shows those firms with audit clients whose securities are traded on a UK regulated market2 and must therefore publish a transparency report each year, in accordance with the requirements of the Statutory Auditors (Transparency) Instrument. Of the 26 audit firms within the table, 22 of them are required to, and have, published a transparency report3, in respect of their 2013 year ends.

Table 18 should not be seen as a league table. Not all the firms we approached were willing to disclose information on fee income or considered that they could provide sufficiently reliable information in the desired form. It is likely therefore that there are firms not included in the tables that have a higher audit fee income than some of those that are shown. Also, we have not included accountancy firms that are not registered as statutory auditors. Care is needed to make detailed comparisons between firms using the information in Table

  1. Some firms do not analyse their fee income in this manner and have made an informed estimate of the figures. In addition, firms may classify their audit and non-audit income in slightly different ways.

Charts 18 and 19 analyse the detailed fee income from Table 18 for the Big Four firms and for many of the larger firms outside of the Big Four respectively4.

  • The percentage of fee income derived from non-audit clients has been rising steadily over the past five years for both the Big Four and for many of the larger firms outside of the Big Four. This is mirrored by a slow decrease in the proportion of fee income from non-audit work for audit clients.
  • The percentage of total fee income derived from audit work has declined by 2% for the Big Four firms and by 4% for many of the larger firms outside of the Big Four over the last five years. (Charts 18 and 19)
UK Firm Name UK Structure Year End No of Principals2 % of Female Principals No of Audit Principals No of Responsible Individuals3 Fee Income: Audit4 (£m) Fee Income: Non-Audit Work4 to Audit Clients (£m) Fee Income: Non-Audit Clients (£m) Total Fee Income (£m)
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 30-Jun-13 874 14% 221 361 552 331 1,553 2,436
Deloitte1 LLP 31-May-13 736 15% 159 197 504 192 1,609 2,305
KPMG5 LLP 30-Sep-13 583 14% 145 243 446 276 1,060 1,782
Ernst & Young LLP 30-Jun-13 548 15% 108 171 333 222 1,166 1,721
Grant Thornton UK LLP 30-Jun-13 206 19% 73 119 117 48 306 471
BDO6 LLP 30-Jun-13 289 11% 110 134 108 44 150 302
Baker Tilly7 LLP 31-Mar-13 222 14% 91 110 51 28 86 165
Mazars LLP 31-Aug-13 108 10% 47 50 44 17 59 120
Crowe Clark Whitehill LLP 31-Mar-13 69 15% 40 41 23 8 23 54
MHA MacIntyre Hudson LLP 31-Mar-13 62 20% 38 38 22 7 10 39
Moore Stephens LLP 30-Apr-13 62 15% 25 26 13 4 46 63
Kingston Smith LLP 30-Apr-13 53 25% 44 44 12 5 16 33
Nexia Smith & Williamson Audit Company 30-Apr-13 135 11% 27 26 12 N/A 48 60
Haysmacintyre Partnership 31-Mar-13 27 26% 21 21 10 4 4 18
Haines Watts Group Group of Partnerships 31-Mar-13 158 9% 80 84 10 7 44 61
UHY Hacker Young Group of Partnerships 30-Apr-13 99 13% 58 60 10 4 34 48
Buzzacott LLP 30-Sept-13 33 21% 13 13 9 3 16 28
Saffery Champness Partnership 31-Mar-13 61 18% 37 37 9 6 26 41
Chantrey Vellacott DFK8 LLP 31-Dec-13 42 12% 19 19 8 2 21 31
Menzies LLP 31-Mar-13 34 6% 18 21 6 7 13 26
PKF Littlejohn9 LLP 31-May-13 28 17% 20 20 6 3 7 16
Johnston Carmichael LLP 31-May-13 51 8% 13 19 5 N/A N/A 30
Scott Moncrieff Partnership 30-Apr-13 15 13% 7 8 5 2 4 11
Cooper Parry Group10 Limited Company 30-Apr-13 6 0% 4 12 4 5 6 15
Francis Clark LLP 31-Mar-13 46 11% 17 18 4 N/A N/A 26
Reeves & Co LLP 31-May-13 41 17% 18 18 4 2 14 20
Bishop Fleming Partnership 31-May-13 26 11% 14 15 3 1 12 16
James Cowper LLP 30-Apr-13 13 23% 7 8 3 2 7 12
Mercer & Hole Partnership 30-Sep-13 18 24% 8 8 2 N/A 8 10
Armstrong Watson Partnership 31-Mar-13 33 12% 10 10 1 1 14 16
Chiene & Tait Scottish Partnership 30-Sep-13 8 25% 3 3 1 0 5 6
Lovewell Blake LLP 30-Sep-13 25 8% 10 10 1 1 12 14

Table 18

Growth of Fee Income

Table 192 shows the percentage growth rate of fee income for each of the years from 2008/09 to 2012/13 for many of the largest registered audit firms, split between the Big Four audit firms, the larger firms outside of the Big Four and between audit and non-audit income.

To ensure consistency in the table below, we have only included income figures for firms that have submitted data for all five years for both audit and non-audit income3.

Growth Rate % 2012-13 2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-9
Big Four Firms 3.9 7.7 5.7 -1.3 0.4
Total fee income Non Big Four Firms 2.6 0.6 -0.5 -7.0 -1.9
Big Four Firms 2.8 4.9 0.9 -2.2 1.2
Audit fee income Non Big Four Firms -1.7 -5.0 -2.2 -6.9 0.5
Big Four Firms -3.2 1.9 -1.8 -5.7 -6.2
Non-audit work to Audit Clients Fee Income Non Big Four Firms -0.5 -7.5 -0.5 -11.7 -7.2
Non-audit work to Non-Audit Clients fee income Big Four Firms 5.8 10.0 9.4 0.2 1.9
Non Big Four Firms 5.7 5.9 0.6 -5.6 -1.8

Table 19

  • The percentage of total fee income for the Big Four has increased by 3.9% this year. There has also been an average increase of 2.6% for the larger registered firms outside of the Big Four in 2012-13.
  • Audit fee income for the Big Four firms continues to grow, albeit at a slower rate of 2.8%. Audit fee income has declined for the larger registered firms outside of the Big Four in each of the last four years.
  • Fee income from non-audit work to non-audit clients continues to grow but at a slower rate than 2011/12 for both the Big Four firms and for the larger registered firms outside of the Big Four.

Table 1911 shows the percentage growth rate of fee income for each of the years from 2008/09 to 2012/13 for many of the largest registered audit firms, split between the Big Four audit firms, the larger firms outside of the Big Four and between audit and non-audit income.

To ensure consistency in the table below, we have only included income figures for firms that have submitted data for all five years for both audit and non-audit income12.

Growth Rate % 2012-13 2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-9
Total fee income
Big Four Firms 3.9 7.7 5.7 -1.3 0.4
Non Big Four Firms 2.6 0.6 -0.5 -7.0 -1.9
Audit fee income
Big Four Firms 2.8 4.9 0.9 -2.2 1.2
Non Big Four Firms -1.7 -5.0 -2.2 -6.9 0.5
Non-audit work to Audit Clients Fee Income
Big Four Firms -3.2 1.9 -1.8 -5.7 -6.2
Non Big Four Firms -0.5 -7.5 -0.5 -11.7 -7.2
Non-audit work to Non-Audit Clients fee income
Big Four Firms 5.8 10.0 9.4 0.2 1.9
Non Big Four Firms 5.7 5.9 0.6 -5.6 -1.8

Table 19

  • The percentage of total fee income for the Big Four has increased by 3.9% this year. There has also been an average increase of 2.6% for the larger registered firms outside of the Big Four in 2012-13.
  • Audit fee income for the Big Four firms continues to grow, albeit at a slower rate of 2.8%. Audit fee income has declined for the larger registered firms outside of the Big Four in each of the last four years.
  • Fee income from non-audit work to non-audit clients continues to grow but at a slower rate than 2011/12 for both the Big Four firms and for the larger registered firms outside of the Big Four.

Audit Fee Income per Responsible Individual

Table 2013 illustrates audit fee generated per Responsible Individual (RI)14 for 2009 to 2013 (inclusive). This information is split further between the Big Four firms and the largest firms outside of the Big Four.

Audit Fee Income Per RI (£m) 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009
Largest registered audit firms 1.19 1.11 1.07 1.06 1.05
Big Four Firms 1.89 1.78 1.67 1.65 1.60
Non Big Four Firms 0.51 0.48 0.50 0.50 0.51

Table 20

  • The total fee income from audit per RI has seen an upward trend with 6% growth for the Big Four Firms and a similar increase for many of the larger registered firms outside of the Big Four in 2013.
  • Audit fee income per RI for many of the larger registered audit firms outside of the Big Four has remained largely static over the past 5 years.

CONCENTRATION OF LISTED COMPANIES' AUDITS - YEAR ENDED 2013

(By Number of Listed Clients – FTSE 100, FTSE 250, UK Equity Listed on Regulated Markets and AIM)

UK Firm Name UK Structure Year End No of FTSE 100 Audit Clients15 No of FTSE 250 Audit Clients15 Total No of Other Clients listed on Regulated Markets15 No of AIM Audit Clients15
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 30-Jun-13 41 62 92 107
KPMG16 LLP 30-Sep-13 23 54 130 63
Deloitte LLP 31-May-13 21 70 80 58
Ernst & Young LLP 30-Jun-13 14 50 92 49
BDO LLP 30-Jun-13 1 10 55 146
Grant Thornton UK LLP 30-Jun-13 0 5 63 125
James Cowper LLP 30-Apr-13 0 0 13 2
Baker Tilly17 LLP 31-Mar-13 0 0 10 52
Scott Moncrieff Partnership 30-Apr-13 0 0 5 3
UHY Hacker Young Group of Partnerships 30-Apr-13 0 0 3 29
Nexia Smith & Williamson Audit Company 30-Apr-13 0 0 3 26
Chantrey Vellacott DFK18 LLP 31-Dec-13 0 0 3 15
Chiene & Tait Scottish Partnership 30-Sep-13 0 0 3 0
Haysmacintyre Partnership 31-Mar-13 0 0 2 9
Moore Stephens LLP 30-Apr-13 0 0 2 5
Crowe Clark Whitehill LLP 31-Mar-13 0 0 1 35
PKF Littlejohn19 LLP 31-May-13 0 0 1 15
Mazars LLP 31-Aug-13 0 0 1 12
Kingston Smith LLP 30-Apr-13 0 0 1 7
Saffery Champness Partnership 31-Mar-13 0 0 1 3
Menzies LLP 31-Mar-13 0 0 1 2
Armstrong Watson Partnership 31-Mar-13 0 0 1 0
Haines Watts Group Group of Partnerships 31-Mar-13 0 0 0 4
Francis Clark LLP 31-Mar-13 0 0 0 2
Reeves & Co LLP 31-May-13 0 0 0 2
MHA MacIntyre Hudson LLP 31-Mar-13 0 0 0 1

Table 21

Concentration of listed Companies' Audits20

Table 22 illustrates the percentage of the number of audits undertaken by the Big Four firms21, the next six firms22 (based on the number of listed audit clients) and other audit firms, with UK equity listed companies as audit clients.

For the purposes of Table 22, where a listed company is audited by a firm from the Crown Dependencies it has been given the same classification as its UK counterparts.

Big Four Firms (%) Next Six Firms (%) Other Firms (%)
31/12/13 31/12/12 31/12/11 31/12/10 31/12/13 31/12/12 31/12/11 31/12/10 31/12/13 31/12/12 31/12/11 31/12/10
FTSE 10020 98.0 99.0 99.0 99.0 2.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
FTSE 25020 96.0 94.4 95.2 95.6 4.0 5.6 4.8 4.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Other UK Main Market 68.1 66.3 68.7 66.6 23.7 24.8 23.9 25.1 8.2 8.9 7.4 8.3
All Main Market 78.8 78.3 78.4 78.5 16.0 16.5 16.8 16.5 5.2 5.2 4.8 5.0

Table 22

Source: Audit Quality Review team

  • There has been little change in the proportion of listed companies audited by the larger registered firms outside of the Big Four firms in recent years.

Audit Firms

Table 23 analyses total fee income of ICAEW registered23 audit firms by size. (Please note that the information is based on the data provided to the ICAEW in the annual return from each firm).

Firms ranked by size Average Total Fee Income (£'000)
1 to 4 2,061,000
5 to 9 202,000
10 to 30 23,148
31 to 100 7,892
101 to 500 2,340
501 to 1000 997
1001 to 2000 479
2001 to 3000 165
3001 to 3886 11

Table 23

  • Approximately 71% of the total fee income of audit firms is attributable to the Big Four. The information in Table 23 is not directly comparable with the figures shown in Table 18, which consolidate the income of all the entities through which the firm operates i.e. both audit registered entities and other entities.

Section Four – Annex – Data tables of the charts

Seven - Annex of Tables shown as graphs24

Chart 1 - Students who became Members

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA TOTAL
2009 8,934 4,659 328 3,418 1,093 863 42 19,337
2010 9,372 4,849 242 3,290 1,332 768 45 19,898
2011 9,156 5,030 244 3,118 1,064 804 22 19,438
2012 10,124 5,736 263 3,475 1,096 765 25 21,484
2013 9,836 5,527 282 3,252 1,100 619 25 20,641
% growth (12-13) -2.8 -3.6 7.2 -6.4 0.4 -19.1 0.0 -3.9

Chart 5 - Location of Students as at 31 December 2013

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA TOTAL
UK & Republic of Ireland 85,259 55,295 2,058 15,553 6,431 2,978 285 167,859
Rest of the World 280,229 67,099 492 4,568 9 11 9,322 361,730
TOTAL 365,488 122,394 2,550 20,121 6,440 2,989 9,607 529,589

Chart 2 - Sectoral Employment of Members Worldwide 2013

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA TOTAL
Public Practice 40,813 1,606 394 43,256 6,386 5,162 383 98,000
Industry & Commerce 95,293 71,933 1,057 60,243 13,444 9,075 7,378 258,423
Public Sector 16,103 12,322 7,794 9,238 506 521 39 46,523
Retired 7,264 9,764 3,411 21,895 844 3,515 724 47,417
Other 6,152 300 672 7,702 1,648 1,836 21 18,331
TOTAL 165,625 95,925 13,328 142,334 22,828 20,109 8,545 468,694

Chart 6 - Profile of Students Worldwide of Seven Accountancy Bodies 2013

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA TOTAL
≤ 1 Year 78,646 31,933 812 5,392 1,474 762 767 119,786
>1 - 2 Years 61,384 22,893 281 5,117 1,196 907 583 92,361
> 2 - 3 Years 47,524 13,872 186 4,689 1,233 866 699 69,069
> 3 - 4 Years 42,537 10,230 197 3,339 925 294 781 58,303
> 4 - 5 Years 34,212 6,890 1,074 892 462 63 642 44,235
≥ 5 Years 101,185 36,576 N/A 1,150 97 6,135 692 145,835
TOTAL 365,488 122,394 2,550 20,121 6,440 2,989 9,607 529,589

Chart 3 - Comparison of Age Profile of Members of Accountancy Bodies Worldwide 2013

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA TOTAL
Under 25 842 114 0 220 25 30 17 1,248
25-34 46,649 18,028 1,035 24,563 8,325 5,993 674 105,267
35-44 62,677 33,354 2,240 31,774 6,788 4,050 2,934 143,817
45-54 34,862 23,167 4,119 35,563 4,155 3,600 2,351 107,817
55-64 14,140 11,883 2,944 25,364 2,095 2,938 1,294 60,658
65 and over 6,455 9,379 2,836 24,850 1,440 3,498 1,275 49,733
TOTAL 165,625 95,925 13,174 142,334 22,828 20,109 8,545 468,540

Chart 7 - Comparison of Age Profile of Students of Accountancy Bodies Worldwide 2013

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA TOTAL
Under 25 107,911 34,900 81 9,925 2,376 1,560 2,252 159,005
25-34 180,106 52,224 938 9,259 3,426 867 3,532 250,352
35-44 60,280 25,209 669 791 490 13 2,611 90,063
45 and over 17,191 10,061 584 146 136 1 1,212 29,331
Not Stated 0 0 278 0 12 548 0 838
TOTAL 365,488 122,394 2,550 20,121 6,440 2,989 9,607 529,589

Chart 4 - Comparison of Age Profile of Members of Accountancy Bodies Worldwide 2009

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA TOTAL
Under 25 356 59 1 199 17 98 15 745
25-34 37,327 15,472 1,087 24,205 6,886 4,995 872 90,844
35-44 53,432 28,698 3,122 34,668 5,771 3,940 2,198 131,829
45-54 27,285 18,310 3,907 31,651 3,328 3,513 1,401 89,395
55-64 12,273 9,879 3,398 24,386 1,722 2,686 1,128 55,472
65 and over 6,560 7,339 2,204 19,589 1,078 3,046 952 40,768
TOTAL 137,233 79,757 13,719 134,698 18,802 18,278 6,566 409,053

Chart 8 - Comparison of Age Profile of Students of Accountancy Bodies Worldwide 2009

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA TOTAL
Under 25 100,850 29,895 151 9,877 2,325 1,558 2,198 146,854
25-34 162,905 49,350 962 9,089 3,409 924 3,260 229,899
35-44 72,252 23,891 623 918 436 15 2,450 100,585
45 and over 17,582 9,591 506 153 106 1 1,044 28,983
Not Stated 0 0 94 0 0 585 0 679
TOTAL 353,589 112,727 2,336 20,037 6,276 3,083 8,952 507,000

Chart 9 - Sectoral Employment of Students Worldwide 2013

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA TOTAL
Public Practice 61,580 0 0 16,633 5,140 2,828 57 86,238
Industry & Commerce 182,941 89,037 54 735 165 161 5,339 278,432
Public Sector 45,795 14,015 2,140 299 10 0 62 62,321
Other 75,172 19,342 356 2,454 1,125 0 4,149 102,598
TOTAL 365,488 122,394 2,550 20,121 6,440 2,989 9,607 529,589

Chart 10 - Percentage of Students Holding a Degree or a Relevant Degree Worldwide in 2013

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA
Holding a Degree 48% 52% 10% 81% 94% 99% 50%
Holding a Relevant Degree 45% 41% 5% 19% 80% 45% 42%

Charts 11-12 - Percentage of Passes at the Final Examination and those passes that were First Time Passes 2009-2013

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA
2009 44 59 70 75 76 76 22
2010 47 64 65 77 62 82 17
Percentage of passes at the final examination 55 60 65 75 54 77 9
2012 54 52 68 74 62 84 18
2013 55 54 68 75 63 89 24
2009 43 63 N/A 84 74 N/A N/A
2010 49 58 N/A 80 62 N/A N/A
Percentage of those passes that were first time passes 57 56 74 78 55 N/A N/A
2012 55 69 76 78 62 N/A N/A
2013 59 65 84 79 63 N/A N/A

Chart 16 - Total number of approved Training Offices in the UK & ROI 2009 - 2013

ACCA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA
2009 5,404 2,659 828 168 0
2010 5,207 2,744 837 167 0
No of approved Training Offices in the UK & ROI 4,872 2,906 834 175 0
2012 4,426 3,022 814 145 0
2013 4,322 3,167 793 172 17

Chart 17 - Number of Training Offices in the UK & ROI approved for training audit students 2009 - 2013

ACCA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA
2009 4,061 2,062 578 N/A N/A
2010 3,812 2,031 460 N/A N/A
No of approved Training Offices for training audit students in the UK & ROI 3,656 1,529 449 N/A N/A
2012 3,527 2,058 453 N/A N/A
2013 3,413 2,064 444 N/A N/A

Chart 13 - Income of Seven Accountancy Bodies Worldwide between 2009 - 2013

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA TOTAL
2009 119.0 42.7 40.6 73.7 25.6 16.7 1.1 319.4
2010 133.0 42.3 35.6 76.4 23.0 16.9 1.2 328.3
2011 144.0 45.5 28.3 82.4 22.0 17.0 1.3 340.5
2012 152.0 50.9 25.5 82.7 22.1 18.4 1.5 353.1
2013 160.0 54.8 26.1 87.6 22.3 17.8 1.5 370.1

Chart 14 - Average Income per Member and Student of Seven Accountancy Bodies Worldwide between 2009-2013

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA TOTAL
2009 235.3 216.6 435.4 413.3 957.0 677.7 294.1
2010 246.8 214.0 438.2 412.9 830.1 670.2 74.0 295.2
2011 269.7 237.7 410.1 432.3 718.8 653.0 82.6 312.0
2012 279.2 223.5 377.9 410.3 707.7 670.4 76.8 309.2
2013 284.3 225.8 390.5 433.4 622.4 632.1 77.1 311.7

Chart 15 - Analysis of the Income for Seven Accountancy Bodies in 2013

ACCA CIMA CIPFA ICAEW CAI ICAS AIA TOTAL
Fees & Subscriptions 69.0 32.3 3.3 41.5 8.0 6.2 1.3 161.6
Education & Exam Fees 78.0 17.0 2.8 10.2 7.2 6.7 0.1 122.0
Regulation & Discipline 4.0 0.0 0.1 18.7 3.1 1.7 0.0 27.6
Commercial Activities 8.0 5.1 19.9 14.7 2.5 1.7 0.0 51.9
Other (Including Investment Income) 1.0 0.4 0.0 2.5 1.6 1.4 0.1 7.0
TOTAL 160.0 54.8 26.1 87.6 22.3 17.7 1.5 370.0

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  1. Deloitte LLP figures for 2013 relate to practising activities in the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man only. 

  2. In most cases the LSE Main Market 

  3. Available on each firm's website 

  4. Information on fee income by audit for earlier years can be found in previous editions of Key Facts and Trends in the Accountancy Profession, available at www.frc.org.uk - Key Facts and Trends 

  5. Includes both KPMG LLP and KPMG Audit Plc 

  6. On 19 April 2013 PKF (UK) LLP merged with BDO LLP. 

  7. Includes both Baker Tilly and Baker Tilly UK Holdings Ltd. Baker Tilly completed the acquisition of RSM Tenon Audit Plc on 2 September 2013. 

  8. Chantrey Vellacott DFK has changed its year end from 30 June to 31 December. 

  9. Littlejohn merged with PKF International on 25 April 2013 and is now called PKF Littlejohn. 

  10. Cooper Parry has changed its structure from an LLP to a Limited Company. 

  11. This information is based on the information provided to the FRC and which is shown in the detailed tables on fee income of major audit firms. 

  12. The data will be different in some cases from that published in earlier versions of Key Facts and Trends in the Accountancy Profession, due to figures being restated for previous years by the firms. 

  13. The historic information in this table has been updated as a result of changes in a number of submissions made by some of the larger registered audit firms outside of the Big Four. 

  14. RIs have been awarded the recognised professional qualification in audit and hold a practising certificate. An RI can sign an audit report on behalf of his/her firm. 

  15. The number of clients reported relates to entities whether incorporated in the UK or elsewhere that are audit clients of the UK firm. The figures for 'Other clients listed on Regulated Markets' include clients which have equity listed on one or more regulated markets. 

  16. Includes both KPMG LLP and KPMG Audit Plc 

  17. Includes both Baker Tilly and Baker Tilly UK Holdings Ltd. Baker Tilly completed the acquisition of RSM Tenon Audit Plc on 2 September 2013. 

  18. Chantrey Vellacott DFK has changed its year end from 30 June to 31 December. 

  19. Littlejohn merged with PKF International on 25 April 2013 and is now called PKF Littlejohn. 

  20. Incudes International Main Market Companies. 

  21. Includes Big Four network firm offices whether located in the UK or elsewhere. 

  22. The data for 2011 and 2012 is for the next six firms. All other years are for the next five firms. The data for previous years in this section has not been restated so is not entirely comparable. 

  23. The information relates only to those firms registered with the ICAEW. Information for the largest 9 ICAEW firms is drawn from information supplied to us by those firms. 

  24. All tables show actual numbers except where that data is unavailable. Where actual values are not available it is then shown in percentages. 

File

Name Key Facts and Trends in the Accountancy Profession - June 2014
Publication date 27 September 2023
Type Report
Format PDF, 1.2 MB