Main stories
A summary of the main stories for 2024/25 are as follows:
In 2024/25, just under nine in every ten adults in Northern Ireland (88%) had engaged in culture, arts and heritage at least once within the previous year, similar to the 2023/24 figure of 87%.
82% of adults had engaged with the arts; 30% of adults had participated in an arts activity and 79% of adults had attended at least one arts event.
Just over two-fifths of adults (42%) had visited a museum or science centre.
Just under a quarter (23%) of the adult population had used the public library service.
6% of adults had used PRONI services within the previous year.
64% of adults in Northern Ireland had visited a place of historic interest.
Introduction
The Department for Communities (DfC) is the lead department for arts and creativity, heritage, museums, libraries and public records. This report brings together information on the experience of the arts, libraries, museums, heritage and PRONI.
Experience of culture, arts and heritage includes:
- Engagement in the arts (includes both arts participation and arts attendance)
- Usage of the public library service
- Visits to museums and science centres
- Visits to the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
- Visits to a place of historic interest
This report presents the findings from the 2024/25 Continuous Household Survey (CHS) in relation to experience of culture, arts and heritage in Northern Ireland. These findings are used to inform the development, monitoring and evaluation of policy. More information relating to the CHS, methodology, definitions and the interpretation of the figures can be found in the Technical notes and Definitions sections. Data tables accompanying this publication and the questions that were asked in the CHS 2024/25 are available on the DfC website.
Note: Data collection for the 2024/25 CHS was carried out using a mix of telephone and face-to-face interviewing modes, a similar approach to that used in 2022/23 and 2023/24. For 2020/21 and 2021/22 data collection was by telephone interviewing due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. There was also a reduction in the number of questions between 2020/21-2022/23. As a result, the figures from 2020/21 onwards are not directly comparable to previous years due to the significant changes to the survey in terms of methodology and content. While comparisons can be made for the years 2021/22 onwards, it is important to note that engagement in 2021/22 would have been impacted by closures due to COVID-19. More information is available on the NISRA website.
Lead statistician: Clair Stewart
Culture, arts and heritage
Engagement with culture, arts, and heritage
In 2024/25, just under nine in every ten adults in Northern Ireland (88%) had engaged in culture, arts and heritage at least once within the previous year, similar to the 2023/24 figure of 87%. The proportion of adults engaging in culture and the arts had increased compared to 2023/24 (85% and 83%, respectively).
In 2024/25, females were more likely to have engaged in culture, arts and heritage within the previous year than males (90% and 86% respectively). When looking at age group, the proportions of adults who engaged with culture, arts and heritage generally decreased as age group increased, particularly beyond the 45-54 years age group.
Adults with a disability were less likely to have engaged with culture, arts and heritage compared to those without a disability (80% and 92% respectively). There was also a difference in engagement rates between adults with dependants and those without dependants (92% and 85% respectively).
Analysis by deprivation shows that adults living in the least deprived areas were more likely to have engaged in culture, arts and heritage than those living in the most deprived areas (94% and 82% respectively). Similar proportions of adults living in a rural area (88%) and those living in an urban area (89%) had engaged with culture, arts and heritage.
Arts
Engagement with the arts - Trends
In 2024/25, just over four out of every five adults (82%) had engaged with the arts within the previous year, i.e. either participated in arts activities or attended arts events, an increase on the 2023/24 figure of 80%.
Three out of every ten adults (30%) participated in an arts activity at least once within the previous year, similar to the 2023/24 figure of 30%. Just under four out of every five adults (79%) had attended at least one arts event within the previous year, an increase on the 2023/24 figure of 76%. Consistently over the trend period, engagement with the arts has been largely driven by attendance at art events.
Engagement in the arts
In 2024/25, females were more likely to have engaged with the arts within the previous year compared with males (84% and 79% respectively). When looking at age group, there is a relationship between engagement in the arts and age, with engagement generally decreasing as age increases.
There were differences in the proportions of adults engaging in the arts when analysed by disability, deprivation and whether they had dependants. Adults who do not have a disability (86%), those who live in the least deprived areas (87%) and those who have dependants (87%) were more likely to engage with the arts than their respective counterparts, adults who have a disability (71%), live in the most deprived areas (75%) and those without dependants (79%).
Participation in arts activities
In 2024/25, a higher proportion of females than males participated in arts activities within the previous year (35% and 26% respectively). When looking at age, participation in arts activities fell from 39% for the 16-24 age group to 26% for those aged 35-44 before increasing for older age groups.
More adults from the Protestant community participated in arts activities within the previous year (31%) than those from the Catholic community (24%). Similarly, adults without dependants (32%) were more likely than those with (28%) to have participated in arts activities. In addition, adults living in the least deprived areas (34%) were more likely to participate in the arts than those living in the most deprived areas (24%).
There was no difference in the proportion of adults who have a disability participating in arts activities compared to those who do not have a disability (32% and 30% respectively). Similarly, there was no difference in art activity participation between adults living in an urban area or a rural area (31% and 30% respectively).
Types of arts activities
The most popular arts activities that adults participated in within the previous year were: ‘Textile crafts such as embroidery, crocheting or knitting’ (10%), ‘Painting, drawing, printmaking or sculpture’ (9%), ‘Sang or played a musical instrument to an audience or rehearsed for performance’ (7%) and ‘Took photographs or made films or videos as an artistic activity’ (7%).
Attendance at arts events
In 2024/25, more females than males had attended an arts event within the previous year (81% and 77% respectively). There is a relationship between arts attendance and age, with attendance generally decreasing as age increases.
There were differences in the proportions of adults attending arts events when analysed by disability, having dependants, deprivation and whether they lived in an urban or rural area. Adults with a disability were less likely to attend an art event than adults without a disability (67% and 84% respectively), while a higher proportion of adults with dependants attended art events than those without dependants (85% and 75% respectively).
Furthermore, adults who lived in the least deprived areas were more likely to have attended an arts event (84%) than those who live in the most deprived areas (73%). In addition, those adults who lived in urban areas were more likely to have attended an arts event than those who lived in rural areas (80% compared to 77%).
The most popular arts events attended by adults over the previous year were ‘Film at cinema or other venue’ (55%), ‘A live music performance’ (43%), ‘Visited a national or local museum’ (38%) and ‘A play, drama other theatre performance’ (29%).
When adults who only attend a cinema are excluded from the analysis attendance at arts events reduces to 70% (compared to 79% for all types of arts events).
Benefits to engaging in the arts
Just over four out of every five adults (81%) who had engaged in the arts cited having fun as a benefit, while just over three out of five (62%) stated that it had a positive impact on their well-being as a main benefit. Other popular benefits cited include; ‘Enabled me to communicate with family / friends’ (31%), ‘Improved my knowledge’ (24%) and ‘I made new friends’ (20%). Less than one out of every twenty adults (4%) felt that they ‘Did not feel any benefits’ from engaging in the arts.
Museums and Science centres
In 2024/25, just over two-fifths of adults (42%) had visited a museum or science centre within the previous year, an increase on the 2023/24 figure of 39%.
While similar proportions of males and females had visited a museum or science centre within the previous year (42% and 43% respectively), there was a difference when analysed by age. Adults aged 45 and over (36%) were less likely to have visited a museum or science centre than those aged 44 and under (50%) within the previous year.
There were also differences in the proportions of adults visiting a museum or science centre when analysed by religion, dependants and disability. Adults from a Protestant background were more likely to visit a museum or science centre than adults from a Catholic background (44% and 38% respectively). In addition, adults with dependants were more likely to have visited than adults without dependants (49% and 38% respectively). However, adults with a disability (34%) were less likely to visit a museum or science centre than those without a disability (46%).
Analysis by area shows that adults who lived in the least deprived areas (54%) and those who lived in urban areas (44%) were more likely to have visited a museum or science centre than their respective counterparts, those who lived in the most deprived areas (32%) and those living in rural areas (38%).
Visited a NMNI museum
National Museums Northern Ireland (NMNI) has four museums across Northern Ireland. Just over a quarter of adults (26%) had been to a NMNI museum within the previous year, an increase on the 2023/24 figure of 24%.
Similar proportions of males and females had visited a National Museum in 2024/25 (both 26%). Adults aged 45 and over were less likely to have visited a national museum (20%) than those aged 44 and under (32%).
As with visits to museums and science centres as a whole, there were differences in the proportions of adults visiting a national museum when analysed by dependants, disability, deprivation and urban and rural areas. Adults with dependants were more likely to have visited a national museum in the past year than adults without dependants (30% and 23% respectively). However, adults with a disability were less likely to visit a national museum (20%) than adults without a disability (29%).
Adults living in the least deprived areas were more likely to have visited a national museum (36% compared to 21% for most deprived areas). Similarly, those living in urban areas were more likely to have visited a national museum (29% compared to 20% for rural areas).
Visited a local museum
In 2024/25, 24% of adults in Northern Ireland had visited a local museum at least once within the previous year, an increase on the 2023/24 figure of 22%.
There was no significant difference in the proportions of adults who visited a local museum within the previous year regarding sex or for those aged under and over 45 years.
When analysed by religion, disability and deprivation, there were differences in the proportions of adults visiting a local museum. Adults from a Protestant background were more likely to have visited a local museum than adults from a Catholic background (29% and 19% respectively).
In contrast, adults living in the most deprived areas (13%) and adults with a disability (21%) were less likely to have visited a local museum within the past year than their respective counterparts, adults from the least deprived areas (35%) and adults without a disability (25%).
Visited a science centre
Over one in ten of adults (13%) had visited a science centre at least once within the within the previous year, the same as the 2023/24 figure of 13%. Females were more likely to have visited a science centre than males (15% and 11% respectively). In addition, adults aged 45 and over were less likely to have visited a science centre (6%) than those aged 44 and under (23%).
Further analysis showed differences in the proportions of adults visiting a science centre in relation to dependants, disability, religion and deprivation. Adults with dependants were more likely to have visited a science centre in the past year than adults without dependants (22% and 6% respectively). However, adults with a disability were less likely to have visited a science centre than those who do not have a disability (8% and 15% respectively).
Adults from a Catholic community were more likely to have visited a science centre in the past year than adults from a Protestant community (14% and 11% respectively). Analysis by area showed that adults living in the least deprived areas were more likely to have visited a science centre (17% compared to 9% for most deprived areas).
Popular museum and science centres visited
In 2024/25, the most popular museum or science centre visited was Ulster Museum (19%). Whilst around one in every ten adults had visited W5 (10%), the Ulster Folk Museum (8%) and Mount Stewart (8%).
Reasons for visiting a museum or science centre
Around two-fifths of adults cited having a ‘general interest in the subject of the museum/collection’ (44%) and ‘something to interest the children’ (38%) as reasons for visiting a museum or science centre. Just over a third of adults (34%) said they visited a museum or science centre ‘to see a specific exhibition/display’.
Benefits experienced from visiting a museum or science centre
Around three out of every five adults who had visited a museum or science centre in the last year cited ‘I had fun’ (68%) and ‘Improved my knowledge’ (62%) as benefits of their visit. Furthermore, around three in every ten adults cited that the visit had ‘helped me to teach my children’ (28%) and ‘made me feel better about myself’ (27%). Just over a quarter of adults (26%) said it ‘enabled me to communicate with family/friends’. However, 1% of adults stated that they felt no benefits from having visited a museum or science centre in the last year.
Libraries
Used the public library service
In 2024/25, just under a quarter (23%) of the adult population had used the public library service at least once within the previous year, the same proportion as 2023/24.
Females were more likely to have used the public library service than males (28% and 17% respectively). Similarly, adults aged 44 and under were more likely to have used the public library service (30%) than those aged 45 and over (18%).
There was no difference in the use of the public library service when comparing those living in urban and rural areas, however there were differences when analysing by dependants, disability and deprivation. Adults with dependants were more likely to have used the public library service (28%) compared to adults who do not have dependants (19%). In contrast, adults with a disability were less likely to have used the public library service than those without a disability (21% and 24% respectively).
Furthermore, adults living in least deprived areas were more likely to have used the public library service than those living in the most deprived areas (27% and 19% respectively).
Frequency of use of the public library service
In 2024/25, around one in every ten adults used the public library service once a month or more (10%) or less than once a month but at least once a year (12%) within the previous year, whilst just over three-quarters of all adults in Northern Ireland (77%) had not used the public library service in the last year.
Online services used
Around a third of adults stated that they used the public library online services to ‘reserve a book’ (35%) or ‘renew a book’ (30%), whilst around one-fifth ‘searched the library catalogue’ (23%) or ‘downloaded free eBooks/eAudiobooks’ (19%).
Reasons for not using public library service
Over two fifths of adults (44%) who didn’t use the public library service cited ‘I get my books elsewhere’ as a reason for not using the public library service, whilst around a fifth of those adults said, ‘I have good Internet access at home’ (21%), ‘I don’t have time to read books’ (18%) and ‘Other reason’ (19%). Other reasons provided for not using the public library service included having access to a school/university library, using a kindle to read and health reasons such as reduced mobility and poor eyesight.
Encourage use of public library service
When asked what would encourage you to use the public library service more often, just under one-tenth of all adults cited ‘libraries stay open until 8pm’ (9%) and ‘activities for children’ (8%) as encouraging factors. However, 28% stated that they already use the public library service as much as they want to, whilst just under half of adults (49%) stated they have no interest in using the public library service.
Aware of services offered by the public library service
The majority of adults (94%) were aware of the ability to borrow books as a service offered by the public library service. Following this, just over seven out of ten adults (71%) were aware of being able to use free Wi-Fi. Around three-fifths of respondents said they were aware of photocopying/printing/scanning (64%), somewhere to study/do homework (61%) and the use of computers for personal use (59%) as a service offered.
Satisfaction with the Public Library Service
In 2024/25, two-thirds of adults (66%) were satisfied with the public library service in Northern Ireland. Only 1% stated that they were dissatisfied. A third of the adult population (33%) stated that they were ‘neither satisfied nor dissatisfied’ with the public library service in Northern Ireland.
Satisfaction with the public library service was greater among adults
who had used the public library service within the previous year (93%)
than it was among adults who had not used the public library service
within the previous year (57%).
Visited a public or mobile library
In 2024/25, one in every seven adults (15%) had visited a public or mobile library.
Nearly two-thirds (63%) of those adults who had visited a public or mobile library had travelled a distance of less than 2 miles. Just under a quarter (24%) had travelled a distance of 2 miles or more but less than 5 miles whilst 14% reported travelling a distance of 5 miles or more to visit a public or mobile library.
Just over three-fifths of adults (61%) who had visited a public or
mobile library travelled by car, whilst a third of adults (33%) visited
by foot. Other methods of travel used to visit a public or mobile
library include public transport (5%) or by bicycle (1%).
Reading books
When asked in what format they read books, just over three-fifths of adults (62%) said they read a traditional paper book. In addition, 29% reported reading eBooks and 12% cited an eAudiobook. Just under a quarter of adults (23%) reported not reading books.
Just under two-thirds of adults (63%) said reading helped them to relax. Around three in every ten adults said reading books helped them sleep (31%), helped them to feel better (31%) or helped them to concentrate (29%). Only 6% of adults said reading books did not help them in any of the ways listed.
PRONI
In 2024/25, 6% of adults had used PRONI services within the previous year, an increase on the 2023/24 figure of 5%. Use of PRONI services includes visiting PRONI, using the PRONI website, engaging with PRONI through social media, attending an online PRONI event, workshop or lecture, contacting PRONI to request information or viewing a PRONI exhibition at PRONI or another public building.
In 2024/25, males were more likely than females to have used PRONI services (7% and 5% respectively). Similarly, adults aged 45 and over were more likely to have used PRONI services (8%) than those aged 44 and under (4%) in the last 12 months. Adults living in the most deprived areas were less likely to have used PRONI services compared to adults living in the least deprived areas (4% and 8% respectively).
PRONI services used
In 2024/25, 3% of adults reported they had used the PRONI website or engaged with PRONI through social media, whilst 2% visited PRONI, or contacted PRONI by correspondence or email to request information.
Frequency of use of PRONI services
When asked how often they have used PRONI services over the previous year, respondents had cited using PRONI services ‘less often than once a month but at least 3 or 4 times a year’ (1%), ‘twice in the last 12 months’ (1%) or ‘once in the last 12 months’ (3%).
Heritage
Visited a place of historic interest
In 2024/25, just under two-thirds of adults (64%) in Northern Ireland had visited a place of historic interest, the same as the 2023/24 figure.
While there was no difference in the proportions of males and females who had visited a place of historic interest within the previous year (64% and 65% respectively), there was a difference when analysed by age. The proportion of adults visiting a place of historic interest increased from those aged 16-24 to those aged 35-44 before dropping for adults aged 55 and over.
A higher proportion of adults from the Protestant community had visited a place of historic interest within the previous year (70%) than those from the Catholic community (57%). Similarly, adults with dependants were more likely to have visited a place of historic interest (69%) compared to adults who do not have dependants (60%). In contrast, adults with a disability were less likely to have visited a place of historic interest than those without a disability (56% and 67% respectively).
Analysis by deprivation level showed that adults living in the least deprived area were more likely to have visited a place of historic interest than those living in the most deprived areas (77% and 51% respectively). In addition, those living in urban areas were more likely to have visited a place of historic interest than those living in a rural area (65% and 62% respectively).
Heritage sites visited
More than two-fifths of adults had visited a city or town with historic character (44%) or a historic park or garden open to the public (42%). Over a quarter of adults (28%) had visited a monument such as a castle, fort or ruin, whilst 22% had visited a historic building open to the public.
Frequency of visits to a heritage site
Just under one fifth of adults (19%) said they visited a place of historic interest less often than once a month but at least 3 or 4 times a year. Around one in every ten adults said they visited a heritage site either at least once a week (10%), less often than once a week but at least once a month (13%), twice in the last year (12%) or once in the last 12 months (10%).
Technical notes
Continuous Household Survey
The Continuous Household Survey is a Northern Ireland wide household survey administered by Central Survey Unit, Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. The sample for this survey consisted of a systematic random sample of 8,940 addresses selected from the NISRA Address Register. The findings reported for 2024/25 are based on 4,584 respondents, aged 16 and over.
Note: Data collection for the 2024/25 CHS was carried out using a mix of telephone and face-to-face interviewing modes, a similar approach to that used in 2022/23 and 2023/24. For 2020/21 and 2021/22 data collection was by telephone interviewing due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. There was also a reduction in the number of questions between 2020/21-2022/23. As a result, the figures from 2020/21 onwards are not directly comparable to previous years due to the significant changes to the survey in terms of methodology and content. While comparisons can be made for the years 2021/22 onwards, it is important to note that engagement in 2021/22 would have been impacted by closures due to COVID-19. More information is available on the NISRA website.
Results of the user survey conducted during summer 2025
An online public survey on the use of the culture, arts, heritage, sport and language official statistics publications produced by Analytics Division was carried out during the summer 2025. The report linked below summarises the findings from that survey which were used to inform the content of the 2024/25 edition of this report: Outcomes of the survey on the use of the culture, arts, heritage, sport and language official statistics publications. Analytics Division welcomes further feedback on the publications, contact us directly with any comments – email: analyticsdivision@communities-ni.gov.uk.
Weighting the Continuous Household Survey
Analysis of the culture, art and heritage modules of the CHS has been weighted for non-response. A chi square goodness-of-fit test showed that the CHS sample (4,584) was not representative of the population by age and sex when compared with the 2023 Mid Year Estimates for Northern Ireland NISRA 19 September 2024. As a result, separate weights were produced for age, sex and age and sex combined.
Non-response weighting sometimes increases standard errors, although the impact tends to be fairly small, i.e. the adjustment may be less or greater than 1, but will generally be reasonably close to 1. In the case of the culture, arts, heritage and sport modules of the CHS, the values of the adjustment for all three weighting systems are so close to one, it is not necessary to take account of this in the calculation of standard error and confidence intervals.
While weighting for non-response (also called post-stratification) should reduce bias, it must be acknowledged that it will not eliminate bias. The reasons individuals choose to take part in surveys are complex and depend on lots of factors specific to the individual. As a result, the non-response biases in surveys are likely to be complex. Post-stratification works on the assumption that, by aligning the survey to the population along a small number of dimensions such as age and sex, many of these complex biases will reduce. However, it would be misleading to suggest that they will be eliminated.
Statistical significance in this report
Any statements in this report regarding differences between years and groups are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. This means that we can be 95% confident that the differences between groups are actual differences and have not just arisen by chance. The base numbers and sizes of the percentages have an effect on statistical significance. Therefore on occasion, a difference between two groups may be statistically significant while the same difference in percentage points between two other groups may not be statistically significant. The reason for this is because the larger the base numbers or the closer the percentages are to 0 or 100, the smaller the standard errors. This leads to increased precision of the estimates which increases the likelihood that the difference between the proportions is actually significant and has not just arisen by chance.
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.
Other notes
The following should be noted when interpreting figures and tables:
Definitions
Engaged in culture, arts and heritage - Have done at least one of the following in the 12 months prior to the CHS:
Engaged in culture and arts - Have done at least one of the following in the 12 months prior to the CHS:
Arts engagement - Either participated in arts activities or attended arts events in the 12 months prior to the CHS.
Arts participation - Participated in at least one of the following arts activities in the 12 months prior to the CHS:
Arts attendance – Attended at least one of the following arts events in the 12 months prior to the CHS:
A National Museum - visited any of the following museums in the past 12 months:
Local Museum - visited any of the following museums in the past 12 months:
Visited a museum or science centre – Visited a museum or science centre in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months prior to CHS:
Or Which, if any, of the following science centres have you visited in the last 12 months?
Used the public library service – Used the public library service at least once in the 12 months prior to the CHS:
Used PRONI services – Have done one of the following in the 12 months prior to the CHS:
Heritage – have visited any of these places in the 12 months prior to the CHS: