State Societies of CPAs are shrinking. Is it time to consolidate? (CPA Publisher, June 2025)

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Evidence – empirical and anecdotal – points to a shrinking size of the CPA profession by headcount. While the CPA profession has adapted over time, making it more accessible to women and providing education with a historically higher pass rate[1], membership in CPA Societies – now organized by their respective states – is declining. NASBA reports that in 2019, of approximately 1.4 million accountants 46% were CPAs. A year later, as per NASBA the rate drops to 30%, a marked drop of about 180,000 individuals with a current license. These factors are not coincidental with the evidence that CPA Societies are losing members.