An Official
Statistics 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) for the creative industries was £1,601 million in 2022, representing 3.2% of Northern Ireland’s total GVA.
Taking into account inflation, GVA for the creative industries grew by 8.0% between 2021 and 2022 (£1,482 million to £1,601 million), compared with a 2.9% growth for total GVA. Overall, GVA for the creative industries has generally increased over the trend period from 2010 to 2022.
Among the creative industries subsectors, ‘IT software and computer services’ was the largest component of the Creative Industries by GVA (£1,072 million). This has been consistently the case throughout the trend period from 2010 to 2022.
Taking into account inflation, the largest percentage increase in GVA from 2021 to 2022 was in the ‘Museums, galleries and libraries’ subsector (53.8%), followed by ‘Publishing’ which increased by 41.5%.
All creative industries subsectors GVA grew from 2021 to 2022, apart from ‘Advertising and marketing’ and ‘Architecture’, which fell by 9.5% and 4.4% respectively.
| Unit: £m | 2021 | 2022 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertising and marketing | 74 | 67 | -9.5% |
| Architecture | 68 | 65 | -4.4% |
| Crafts |
|
|
NA% |
| Design and designer fashion | 36 | 45 | 25.0% |
| Film, TV, video, radio and photography | 148 | 159 | 7.4% |
| IT, software and computer services | 1,004 | 1,072 | 6.8% |
| Publishing | 41 | 58 | 41.5% |
| Museums, galleries and libraries | 13 | 20 | 53.8% |
| Music, performing and visual arts | 90 | 110 | 22.2% |
| Creative Industries Total | 1,482 | 1,601 | 8.0% |
In 2023, employment in the creative industries accounted for 39,000 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 2011-2023.
The number of jobs in the creative industries decreased by 1% compared with 2022, while employment in Northern Ireland increased by 2%.
Within the creative industries subsectors, ‘IT software and computer services’ provided the largest level of employment with 17,000 jobs in 2022.
In 2024, there were 3,695 creative business sites in Northern Ireland, accounting for 3.9% of all business sites in Northern Ireland. The number of creative business sites has increased by 2% when compared to 2023.
Among the creative industries subsectors, ‘IT software and computer services’ had the largest number of business sites in NI in 2024 (1,420). The greatest increase in the number of business sites from 2023 to 2024 was in the ‘Music, performing and visual arts’ subsector (11%).
‘Publishing’ saw the largest decrease from 2023 and 2024, from 135 business sites to 130 over the period.
| Businesses | 2023 | 2024 | % change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertising and marketing | 295 | 300 | 2% |
| Architecture | 405 | 420 | 4% |
| Crafts | 15 | 15 | 0% |
| Design and designer fashion | 340 | 355 | 4% |
| Film, TV, video, radio and photography | 490 | 500 | 2% |
| IT, software and computer services | 1,405 | 1,420 | 1% |
| Publishing | 135 | 130 | -4% |
| Museums, Galleries and Libraries | 165 | 160 | -3% |
| Music, performing and visual arts | 355 | 395 | 11% |
| Creative Industries Total | 3,605 | 3,695 | 2% |
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), gross value added expressed in chained volume measures (adjusted for inflation), employment and number of business sites in the creative sector.
Economic estimates data sources:
The estimates in the publication are sourced from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Economic Estimates accredited official statistics reports published in June and December 2024.
Notes:
Technical and quality assurance reports:
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 enterprise 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. A business site (local unit) represents an individual site (for example a factory or shop) in a business (enterprise).
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.