An Official
Statistics in Development publication
Published by: Analytics Division
The creative industries were defined by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in the 2001 Creative Industries Mapping Document as ‘those industries which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property’.
Based on this definition, DCMS determined which occupations and industries should be considered creative. These were determined on the basis of creative intensity:
The creative industries are emerging as one of the fastest growing and increasingly important sectors of the economy. The Department for Communities plays a key role in supporting and nurturing the creative industries across the region, primarily through the work of the Arts Council and Northern Ireland Screen. The Department is also committed to harnessing the catalytic potential of Northern Ireland’s creative and cultural infrastructure to inspire new collaborations, initiatives and innovation.
Gross Value Added (GVA)1 for the creative industries was £1,223 million in 2020, representing 2.9% of Northern Ireland’s total GVA.
12010-2018 estimates were revised in August 2021.
In absolute terms, GVA for the creative industries decreased by 2.3% between 2019 and 2020 (£1,252 million to £1,223 million), in line with a 2.3% decrease for total GVA. This decrease follows a period of general increase in GVA for the creative industries over the trend period from 2010 to 2019.
Among the creative industries groups, IT software and computer services provided the greatest contribution to NI GVA (£842 million). This has been consistently the case throughout the trend period from 2010 to 2020.
The largest increase in GVA from 2019 to 2020 was in the Crafts group (33%). GVA for IT, software and computer services between 2019 and 2020 increased by 9% while there was a 48% decrease in GVA for the Museums, galleries and libraries group between 2019 and 2020.
| Unit: £m | 2019 | 2020 | % change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertising and marketing | 85 | 77 | -9% |
| Architecture | 51 | 49 | -4% |
| Crafts | 3 | 4 | 33% |
| Design and designer fashion | 43 | 32 | -26% |
| Film, TV, video, radio and photography | 131 | 110 | -16% |
| IT, software and computer services | 774 | 842 | 9% |
| Publishing | 61 | 49 | -20% |
| Museums, galleries and libraries | 21 | 11 | -48% |
| Music, performing and visual arts | 85 | 52 | -39% |
| Creative Industries Total | 1,252 | 1,223 | -2% |
In 2021, employment in the creative industries accounted for 37,000 jobs, representing 4.4% of total employment in Northern Ireland. This proportion of all jobs has remained steady at 3-4% throughout the trend period 2011-2021.
The number of jobs in the creative industries increased by 12% compared with 2020, while employment in Northern Ireland decreased by 1%.
Within the creative industries group, IT software and computer services provided the largest level of employment of around 15,000 jobs in 2021.
In 2021, there were 3,500 creative businesses in Northern Ireland, accounting for 3.8% of all business units in Northern Ireland. The number of creative enterprises increased by 1% in 2021 compared with 2020.
Among the creative industries groups, IT software and computer services had the largest numbers of businesses in NI (1,500). The greatest increase in the number of businesses in this sector from 2020 to 2021 was in Crafts (100%).
Publishing business saw the largest decrease from 2020 and 2021, from 150 businesses to 135 over the period.
| Businesses | 2020 | 2021 | % change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertising and marketing | 275 | 285 | 4% |
| Architecture | 420 | 395 | -6% |
| Crafts | 5 | 10 | 100% |
| Design and designer fashion | 305 | 305 | 0% |
| Film, TV, video, radio and photography | 400 | 410 | 2% |
| IT, software and computer services | 1,460 | 1,500 | 3% |
| Publishing | 150 | 135 | -10% |
| Museums, Galleries and Libraries | 165 | 160 | -3% |
| Music, performing and visual arts | 280 | 300 | 7% |
| Creative Industries Total | 3,460 | 3,500 | 1% |
The Department for Communities (DfC) is the government lead on the creative industries in Northern Ireland. This publication covers gross value added (GVA) expressed in current prices (not taking into account inflation), jobs and number of enterprises. The estimates in the publication are sourced from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Economic Estimates reports published from July, September and November 2023.
Sources:
Definitions:
Gross Value Added (GVA) - GVA measures the contribution to the economy of each individual producer, industry or sector in the UK. It is used in the estimation of gross domestic product (GDP). The GVA estimates in this release have been produced to provide a ONS Regional GVA consistent estimate of GVA for Creative Industries Sectors.
Creative Businesses - A business is defined as any Reporting Unit held on the Inter Departmental Business Register (IDBR). A business is held on the IDBR if it is registered for Value Added Tax (VAT) with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), registered for a Pay As You Earn (PAYE) scheme with HMRC or an incorporated business registered at Companies House.
Creative Employment - Employment estimates are made up of all first and second jobs in each of the Creative Industries sectors. The jobs are included if they are in a Creative Industries sector, regardless of the occupation. For example, human resources in an advertising firm would be counted as being in the Creative Industries, despite the occupation not being creative.
The Standard Industrial Classification SIC 2007 - The Standard Industrial Classification is a means of classifying businesses according to the type of economic activity that they are engaged in.
Official Statistics - Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. Contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards - email:analyticsdivision@communities-ni.gov.uk. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.