ISO (International Organization for Standardization) annually conducts a survey of certifications to the standards of its management system. Known as “The ISO Survey”, the survey shows the number of valid certificates to ISO management standards (such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001) reported for each country each year.
The latest search results are for 2021, which show an estimate of the number of certificates valid as of December 31, 2021.
The standard with the highest number of certifications in the world is ISO 9001 – Quality Management System. In 2021, 1,077,884 valid certificates were registered.
193 participating countries were registered and the countries with the highest number of certifications were:
1. China – 426,716 certifications;
2. Italy – 92,664 certifications;
3. Germany – 49,298 certifications
Among the sectors that presented the highest number of certifications are:
1. Metal and metal product manufacturing – 125,454 certifications;
2. Sale and repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles and personal and household items – 108,464 certifications;
3. Electrical and optical equipment – 98,285 certifications
Brazil ranked 10th in the ranking of the highest number of certifications with 16,268 certifications, the same position in 2019 and 2020. Compared to 2020, ISO 9001 had a 10% increase in certifications in the world.
But why is there still a growth in Management Systems certifications?
Large world companies have already adhered to the Management Systems culture as an inevitable reality. These companies have already recognized that it is not possible to become a relevant player without having ISO certifications.
A great example is China, a country previously known for low-quality products, today it has become the country whose companies most obtain certification for ISO standards. To get an idea of the magnitude of this Chinese enterprise, in 2016 alone they obtained 30% of the total certifications issued in the world.
The fruits of the incorporation of internationally recognized Management Systems was what made possible, after a decade in the making, the largest trade agreement in the world in 2020. The mega treaty includes the ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, in addition to China , Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
The agreement, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), is larger than both the European Union and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Members account for nearly a third of the world’s population and 29% of the planet’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Even if your company is not interested in establishing business relations with the new bloc, the demand for efficiency on the part of the consumer market and the most varied control organizations is increasing, so it is imperative for your company’s survival that it obtain the certifications that leading companies in the market in all sectors already possess.1