The Bureau of Communications and Arts Research (BCAR) has released its latest analysis of the value of art and culture to the Australian economy, finding the sector contributed $111.7 billion in 2016-17.
The BCAR’s new working paper, Cultural and Creative Activity in Australia 2008-09 to 2016-17, shows a 30 per cent increase in the value of cultural and creative activity in eight years, from $86 billion in 2008-09 to $111.7 billion in 2016-17.
This equates to 6.4 per cent of Australia’s Gross Domestic Product in 2016-17.
Cultural and creative activity relates to the arts, media, heritage, design, fashion and information technology.
In a statement, BCAR said the working paper tracked annual growth in cultural and creative activity, based on data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
“The analysis measures the economic activity driven by cultural and creative industries as well as the wages received from cultural and creative occupations,” the statement said.
“It identifies how this activity has evolved over time, the drivers of change and how it contributes to Australia’s overall economy.”
The Bureau said activities contributing the most to the economy were design ($42.8 billion), fashion ($14.2 billion), and broadcasting, electronic or digital media and film ($9.7 billion) in 2016-17.
It found design had experienced significant growth over the past decade, driven mainly by computer system design and related services.
BCAR’s 56-page paper can be accessed at this PS News link.
