Raphael Bohne
Research expert covering professional services
"Big Four" accounting/audit firms - statistics & facts
The term Big Four, in relation to auditing and accounting, refers to the four major professional services networks specializing in accountancy and professional services. These firms are Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young (EY), and KPMG. The Big Four firms serve as auditors to the majority of publicly traded companies and also deal with a number of private companies. In recent years, they have branched out into the outsourcing of public services in some countries, including consultation on government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The combined revenue of the Big Four topped 212 billion U.S. dollars in 2024.
The influence of the Big Four has shown no signs of slowing down. The reliance on the management consulting industry worldwide by government and private companies alike has been growing on a global scale. With this considered, revenue streams and lucrative contracts for these firms have found themselves in increasingly desirable positions when it has come to power and influence and staggering amounts of capital.
Ever-increasing revenues
According to the latest revenue figures, Deloitte had the highest revenue of the Big Four accounting/audit firms worldwide, generating more than 67 billion U.S. dollars. The aggregated gross revenue of PwC grew to reach 55.4 billion U.S. dollars in the same year. The revenue of KPMG worldwide increased by two billion U.S. dollars in 2024, with the combined revenue of EY worldwide coincidentally growing by roughly the same amount. When broken down by function, PwC and EY generated the largest share of their revenue through their audit/assurance branches, while Deloitte and KPMG generated the largest share of their revenue through their advisory/consulting branches.Employee numbers greater than many military forces
The number of employees of the Big Four accounting/audit firms worldwide in 2024 was significant. Deloitte had the most employees at 460,300, whereas KMPG had the least with a workforce of roughly 275,000. In total, the Big Four employed more than 1.5 million people in 2024. Comparatively, the United States, with one of the largest armies in the world, had 1.33 million active military personnel in 2024.The influence of the Big Four has shown no signs of slowing down. The reliance on the management consulting industry worldwide by government and private companies alike has been growing on a global scale. With this considered, revenue streams and lucrative contracts for these firms have found themselves in increasingly desirable positions when it has come to power and influence and staggering amounts of capital.
