Executive summary
ISO has just released the results of its 2012 survey of certifications. This is an annual study showing the number of certificates issued to management system standards in the past year.
A summary of the statistics is shown in the table below.
| Standard | Number of certificates in 2012 | Number of certificates in 2011 | Evolution | Evolution in % |
| ISO 9001 | 1 101 272 | 1 079 647 | 21 625 | 2 % |
| ISO 14001 | 285 844 | 261 957 | 23 887 | 9 % |
| ISO 50001 | 1 981 | 459 | 1 522 | 332 % |
| ISO 27001 | 19 577 | 17 355 | 2 222 | 13 % |
| ISO 22000 | 23 231 | 19 351 | 3 880 | 20 % |
| ISO/TS 16949 | 50 071 | 47 512 | 2 559 | 5 % |
| ISO 13485 | 22 237 | 19 849 | 2 388 | 12 % |
| TOTAL | 1 504 213 | 1 446 130 | 58 083 | 4 % |
Main trends
The results of the 2012 edition reveal healthy growth across the board for all certifications to ISO management systems, with all seven standards showing an increase compared to 2011. Of particular note is the significant jump in the food safety (ISO 22000) and energy management (ISO 50001) sectors and, to a lesser extent, in the medical devices field (ISO/TS 13485).
Certification to ISO 9001, which lays down the requirements for quality management systems, remains stable, up slightly from 2011. Europe, in particular, shows an increased uptake by 3 %. Figures for the information technology and environmental management sectors also reflect a steady progress, with growth curves for ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO 14001 rising consistently since the previous year.
Only in its second year, ISO 50001 on energy management has shown impressive growth (332 %), generating special enthusiasm in Europe and South-East Asia. In fact, these two regions are still showing the highest demand for certification in general, boasting shares of between 25 % and 55 % for each standard.
Detailed findings
Asia comes up trumps once again in this year's survey. Spurred by continued economic growth and important industrial and manufacturing production, China remains in the top 10 countries for six out of the seven standards covered in this survey and is the uncontested leader in the number of certificates issued to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 22000 and ISO/TS 16949 (automotive sector). However, it is Japan that takes the lead in the information security sector (ISO/IEC 27001), with around 35 % of the certificates delivered, reflecting the importance of IT in the country.
Certification to ISO/TS 16949 – an adaptation of ISO 9001 requirements for the automotive field – shows an excellent growth rate, largely due to the strong automobile industry in the USA that rakes in almost 20 % of the total number of certificates issued.
Finally, the survey results suggest that the new energy policy of the German government (the German Energy Transition which was implemented in 2011) is the driving force behind the unprecedented growth in certifications to ISO 50001, placing Germany far ahead of other countries. This trend is expected to rise over the next few years as the short-term benefits of energy efficiency become noticeable.
Overall, the ISO survey provides a useful barometer of the evolving global economy. Figures bear out, once again, the sustained demand for certification in the Asia-Pacific region as well as in lower-cost labour markets (such as India) as a means of reinforcing their quality credentials in the world marketplace. With a worldwide total of 1 504 213 certificates across 191 countries, the survey underscores more tangibly than ever the global market relevance of ISO management systems.
Here is a summary of the principal results:
ISO 9001:2008
ISO 9001:2008 gives the requirements for quality management systems. Certification to the standard is used in global supply chains to provide assurance about suppliers' ability to satisfy quality requirements and to enhance customer satisfaction in supplier-customer relationships.
Up to the end of December 2012, at least 1 101 272 certificates had been issued in 184 countries and economies, four more than in the previous year. The 2012 total represents an increase of 2 % (+21 625) over 2011.
The top three countries for the total number of certificates issued were China, Italy and Spain, while the top three for growth in the number of certificates in 2012 were Spain, China and Romania.
ISO 14001:2004
ISO 14001:2004, which gives the requirements for environmental management systems, retains its global relevance for organizations wishing to operate in an environmentally sustainable manner.
Up to the end of December 2012, at least 285 844 ISO 14001:2004 certificates, a growth of 9 % (+ 23 887), had been issued in 167 countries, nine more than in the previous year.
The top three countries for the total number of certificates issued were China, Japan and Italy, while the top three for growth in the number of certificates in 2012 were China, Spain and Italy.
ISO/TS 16949:2009
ISO/TS 16949:2009 gives the requirements for the application of ISO 9001:2008 by suppliers in the automotive sector. Up to the end of December 2012, at least 50 071
ISO/TS 16949:2009 certificates, a growth of 5 % (+2 559), had been issued in 83 countries and economies, three less than in the previous year.
The top three countries for the total number of certificates were China, the Republic of Korea and the USA, while the top three for growth in the number of certificates in 2012 were China, India and the Republic of Korea.
ISO 13485:2003
ISO 13485:2003 gives quality management requirements for the medical devices sector for regulatory purposes. Up to the end of December 2012, at least 22 237 ISO 13485:2003 certificates, a growth of 12 % (+2 388), had been issued in 97 countries and economies, two more than in the previous year.
The top three countries for the total number of certificates issued were Germany, the USA and Italy, while the top three for growth in the number of certificates in 2012 were Italy, Germany and the USA.
ISO/IEC 27001:2005
ISO/IEC 27001:2005 gives the requirements for information security management systems. At the end of December 2012, at least 19 577 ISO/IEC 27001:2005 certificates, a growth of 13 % (+2 222), had been issued in 103 countries and economies, three more than in the previous year.
The top three countries for the total number of certificates issued were Japan, the United Kingdom and India, while the top three for growth in the number of certificates in 2012 were Romania, Japan and China.
ISO 22000:2005
ISO 22000:2005 gives the requirements for food safety management systems. Up to the end of December 2012, at least 23 231 ISO 22000:2005 certificates, a growth of 20 % (+3 880), had been issued in 142 countries and economies, two more than in the previous year.
The top three countries for the total number of certificates issued were China, India and Greece, while the top three for growth in the number of certificates in 2012 were China, Romania and Japan.
ISO 50001:2011
ISO 50001:2011 gives the requirements for energy management systems. It was published in mid-June 2011. Up to the end of December 2012, at least 1 981 ISO 50001:2011 certificates, a growth of 332 % (+1 522), had been issued in 60 countries and economies, 28 more than in the previous year.
The top three countries for the total number of certificates were Germany, Spain and Denmark, while the top three for growth in the number of certificates were Germany, Denmark and Italy.
ISO and the ISO Survey
ISO and international standardization
ISO is the International Organization for Standardization. It has a membership of 163* national standards bodies from industrialized and developing countries in all regions of the world. ISO's portfolio of 19 971* standards provides practical tools to help businesses, government and society tackle the most demanding challenges of our modern world.
ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 27001 are among our best-known and most widely implemented standards ever. Providing the benchmark for management systems, they are used worldwide by businesses and organizations in all fields of activity.
The dilemma of certification
Many organizations and companies want to be certified to ISO's management system standards. This means that an organization's management system has been audited to the requirements of a standard by an independent certification body. If it meets all the requirements, it will be issued a certificate of conformity to that standard.
Certification is not a requirement of any of ISO's standards; organizations can benefit from the global management experience and good practice without certification. Nevertheless, many thousands of organizations have chosen to be certified because they feel that third-party confirmation of conformity will give them added value and a commercial advantage.
ISO itself does not perform certification or control the certification process performed independently by other organizations. It does, however, frequently receive requests for information about the number of certificates issued, which has been the catalyst for undertaking the ISO Survey.
* At end September 2013
How the ISO Survey is carried out
Sourcing the data
The ISO Survey is published annually by the ISO Central Secretariat (ISO/CS) since January 1993. It is presented in Excel files covering the period from 1993 to 2012, which allows users to draw comparisons since the survey began.
As was the case for the 2011 edition, the survey covers only certificates issued by certification bodies accredited by national members of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF – www.iaf.nu)*. The IAF is an international organization comprised of national accreditation bodies established in countries across the globe to oversee the competence of local certification bodies. ISO/CS would like to thank all sources for their participation and assistance.
Many of the certification bodies that contribute data are business competitors. Therefore, the information they supply is treated by ISO/CS in the strictest confidence and their names are not mentioned in the survey.
The task of collating the data for the 2012 survey was outsourced for the ninth consecutive year to the market research firm The Nielsen Company, Austria. The statistics were then analysed by ISO Central Secretariat.
Seven best-sellers surveyed
This year's survey gives an overview of certification to seven popular ISO management system standards at the end of 2012:
- ISO 9001:2008 – quality management systems
- ISO 14001:2004 – environmental management systems
- ISO/TS 16949:2009 – quality management system requirements for the automotive sector
- ISO 13485:2003 – quality management system requirements for medical devices
- ISO/IEC 27001:2005 – information security management systems
- ISO 22000:2005 – food safety management systems
- ISO 50001:2011 – energy management systems
Certificates only
The ISO Survey reflects the number of certificates issued worldwide – it does not identify the individual organizations that hold the certificates. ISO/CS is therefore unable to satisfy requests for lists of certified organizations in a particular country or business sector. The survey does not indicate the number of sites covered by a given certificate either. This is because many organizations are choosing to have a single certificate covering multiple sites. ISO/CS asks certification bodies to distinguish between single-site and multiple-site certificates when replying to the survey and, happily, the response has been improving. This is why the ISO Survey includes tables – when sufficient data has been received – giving a country-by-country breakdown of the number of certified sites (single-site and multiple-site certificates cumulated).
Our quest for improvement
In line with ISO 9001's requirement for continual improvement, we have worked hard to enhance the quality of the data we receive by harmonizing the collection methodology. Starting with last year's edition, the directory of accredited certification bodies used for the survey is now systematically updated, with the help of IAF national members, before launching the data collection. This has enabled us to compile the most comprehensive and up-to-date list possible. So, although the number of certification bodies surveyed since 2011 has been reduced, the reliability of the overall figures has increased.
Fluctuating participation
For some countries, there can be major discrepancies in the figures from one year to the next. Although this can be explained in part by changes occurring in the market, the difference is largely ascribed to fluctuations in participation to the survey. Some certification bodies join the survey for the first time while others do not participate systematically each year. A contributor reporting – or failing to report – a large number of certificates has an immediate impact on the figures of a given country in the survey.
Enquiries about the ISO Survey should be addressed to:
Mr. Laurent Charlet
ISO Central Secretariat
E-mail: charlet@iso.org
* Russian certificates are an exception as they were accredited locally and not by an IAF member.
About The Nielsen Company
Founded in 1923, the Nielsen Company is the leading global provider of marketing research information, analytical systems and tools, and professional client services that help businesses win in the marketplace. The clients of Nielsen include the world’s top manufacturers and retailers of consumer packaged goods, as well as companies that market many other types of consumer products and services. The Austrian office, created in 1961, became active in consumer research in 1990. Nielsen's operations span more than 100 countries.
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