·         Membership and student growth tops 5% worldwide as a result of strong membership admissions

·         Leading professional body strengthens global reach and influence through innovation and new partnerships

·         Reflects the growing prominence of the industry within economies and markets around the world

Publishing its Integrated Report today, ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) reports it is a step closer to achieving its 2020 vision; with significant progress in enhancing its reach, relevance and resources to maintain its pre-eminence in the global profession, and to create value for members and future members alike as it leads the way in the development of professional accountants.

Now in the second year of delivering its 2020 strategy, recognition of the value of attaining the ACCA Qualification continues to grow with worldwide membership growing to over 188,000 over the past year. More than 13,500 new members have joined ACCA during this time, contributing to a 5.6 per cent growth in members.

ACCA also saw 5.5% growth in students to over 480,000, up from 455,000 in 2015-16. The membership figures reflect organic growth, delivered by proactively developing students already in the examining system with the introduction of new support measures that have resulted in a higher pass rate whilst upholding the rigour of the ACCA Qualification.

During 2015, extensive engagement and feedback from members, including the findings of the ‘Professional Accountants – The Future’ report, which included the views of 2,000 professional accountants and 300 leaders in every sector and industry across 19 countries, has resulted in significant strategic investment in ACCA’s exam portfolio and IT infrastructure as the organisation has continued to invest in a world class future-proofed qualification backed by globally and locally available support and insight.  This has included ACCA increasing access to high quality affordable tuition through the launch of its online learning solution ACCA-X, the launch of its globally-available combined Masters programme with the University of London, and moving to four exam sittings a year to respond to the needs of students and employers across the globe.

In addition, ACCA has continued to build relationships that promote the global value of professional accountants. This has included contribution to business and society with new partnership agreements formed in France, Singapore, Pakistan and Turkey. Alongside the recent announcement of the strategic alliance between ACCA and CA ANZ (Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand), this development of ACCA’s global footprint ensures members have access to, and are supported by, an unrivalled network of resources and opportunities to develop their own skills and demonstrate the importance of professional accountants to the broader business communities and industries in which they operate.

Commenting on the report, ACCA’s chief executive, Helen Brand OBE said:

“ACCA is at the forefront of delivering a Qualification that reflects the growing demand for professional, ethical accountants across the globe. The record increase in membership admissions reflects the confidence among professional accountants that ACCA membership will help them achieve their future goals. The rigour of our qualification demands significant dedication from our members and students, and today’s figures are testament to their achievement.

“This is about more than just our size, but about our global reputation, influence and footprint. Together, the Council and our members have made significant progress towards ensuring we continue to be viewed as the pre-eminent professional body by all stakeholders, including governments, employers and regulators.”

Looking ahead to 2017, ACCA’s focus will be on capitalising on the advances made over the past year, and ensuring the ACCA Qualification remains robust, relevant and in demand from businesses globally.  ACCA’s key areas of focus will be delivering enhanced value to members, to ensure their needs are being met, promoting the flexibility in the new four exam sessions model to help students succeed, and being more proactive in helping members and students in their career journey with ACCA.

Helen Brand OBE continued:

“As the accountancy profession changes, so do the demands placed upon our members, from the challenge of keeping up with regulatory requirements through to navigating technological innovation. We want the support we provide members to reflect this, ensuring it is relevant, practical, and enables them to maintain the high practice standards our Qualification is known for.”

The full Integrated Report can be accessed via the ACCA website http://annualreport.accaglobal.com/

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For media enquiries, contact:

Helen Thompson
Head of Corporate Communications , ACCA

Helen.Thompson@accaglobal.com / +44 (0)20 7059 5759

Notes to Editors

About ACCA

ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the global body for professional accountants. It offers business-relevant, first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management.

ACCA supports its 188,000 members and 480,000 students in 181 countries, helping them to develop successful careers in accounting and business, with the skills required by employers. ACCA works through a network of 100 offices and centres and more than 7,110 Approved Employers worldwide, who provide high standards of employee learning and development. Through its public interest remit, ACCA promotes appropriate regulation of accounting and conducts relevant research to ensure accountancy continues to grow in reputation and influence.

Founded in 1904, ACCA has consistently held unique core values: opportunity, diversity, innovation, integrity and accountability. It believes that accountants bring value to economies in all stages of development and seek to develop capacity in the profession and encourage the adoption of global standards. ACCA’s core values are aligned to the needs of employers in all sectors and it ensures that through its range of qualifications, it prepares accountants for business. ACCA seeks to open up the profession to people of all backgrounds and remove artificial barriers, innovating its qualifications and delivery to meet the diverse needs of trainee professionals and their employers. More information is here: www.accaglobal.com