The survey was launched online in June 2011, with all ICF member coaches sent
a personalized invitation and survey link. Strategies were adopted to facilitate
and encourage the widest possible participation by ICF and non-ICF coaches.
Looking ahead, the coaches who responded to the 2012 ICF Global Coaching
Study view their prospects over the next 12 months in a positive light and are
looking confidently to the future. Industry changes expected in the coming
year include:
• More than three in four coaches expect their number of coaching clients to
increase;
• 76 percent of coaches anticipate an increase in annual revenue/income from
coaching;
• Over six in 10 (62 percent) expect their number of coaching sessions to rise.
Every coach who responded to the survey was also asked to glimpse towards
the future and identify the biggest challenges for coaching. Key issues facing the
industry include:
Over 12,000 coaches representing 117 countries throughout Africa, Asia,
Australia, Europe, North America and South America participated in the 2012
ICF Global Coaching Study. Key statistics from the 2012 ICF Global Coaching
Study include:
• Tackling obstacles such as untrained individuals who call themselves coaches;
• Availing of opportunities to increase awareness of coaching benefits; and
• Answering the question of whether coaching should be regulated.
• There are currently an estimated 47,500 professional coaches worldwide, with
areas of increasing maturity, rapid expansion and growth potential;
22 Coaching World | February 2012 | www.coachfederation.org
Research
• The estimated 2011 global revenue from coaching is nearly $2 billion ($1.9
million USD); and
Now that this information is being released, what are coaches supposed to do
with it? What do the results of the 2012 ICF Global Coaching Study actually
mean to seasoned coaches and beginning coaches alike? What could these
results mean to clients or purchasers of coaching?
Marketing
Efforts to maximize participation in the 2012 ICF Global Coaching Study proved
very successful. The survey is large in scale, providing a wealth of detailed
information on the coaching profession.
Benefits
Against that backdrop, the 2012 ICF Global Coaching Study was designed to
be one of the most ambitious pieces of industry research ever conducted on
the field of professional coaching. A primary goal was to engage with as many
coaches as possible on a worldwide basis, thus providing an up-to-date picture
of the profession to help meet the challenges ahead.
• The global average annual revenue that is generated by professionals
providing coaching services is approximately $47,900 (USD).
Profiles
Following a sharp slowdown in 2008, global output fell in 2009 and subsequent
economic recovery has been tentative. Nonetheless, the coaching profession
appears to have continued its expansion. To serve as a reference, the ICF
membership numbers grew from around 11,000 in 2006 to almost 19,000 by the
end of 2011.
Leadership
Executive Summary Now Available