Culture contributes $86bn to Australian economy

The Australian Bureau of Statistics Australia’s first study into the economic contribution of the Creative and Cultural Industries has found it added $86bn to the national economy.

The study, which covered the period 2008-2009, revealed that the $86bn represented some 6.9% of Australia’s GDP, a larger proportion than that registered by the transport industry.

ABS Director of Culture, Recreation and Migrant Statistics, Andrew Middleton, says, “This new ABS release shows cultural and creative activity is a significant component of the Australian economy, in addition to playing an important role in the wellbeing and quality of life of the community.”

The Creative and Cultural Industries employed 972, 200 people. The largest contributors were design ($26.6 billion), fashion ($11.8 billion) and publishing (literature and print media, $7.6 billion).