In 2021, 7.36 million people were employed in the cultural sector in the EU, representing 3.7% of total employment. At the EU level, the number of people working in culture in the EU recovered after dipping during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns (7.35 million employees in 2019, 7.14 in 2020).
In 2021 compared with 2019, the share of people employed in the cultural sector increased in 14 EU Member States and fell in the other 13. The most significant increases were recorded in Latvia, France (both +13%) and Portugal (+12%). Meanwhile, the biggest decreases were recorded in Romania (-18%), Malta (-11%) and Luxembourg (-10%).
Source dataset: cult_emp_sex
Over the two consecutive years, 2020 and 2021, a continuous increase in cultural employment was recorded in Latvia, France, Portugal, Czechia and Lithuania. Conversely, a progressive decrease in cultural employment was recorded in Estonia, Ireland, Sweden, Italy, Finland, Malta and Romania.
The share of women in cultural employment
Since 2011, the share of women in cultural employment has been increasing. In 2011 there were 3.63 million men and 3 million women working in the cultural sector (55% compared with 45%); in 2021, there were 3.76 million men and 3.60 million women (51% compared with 49%), with the lowest gender employment gap ever recorded in the sector.
Source dataset: cult_emp_sex
The picture varied somewhat between countries, with women surpassing the share of men working in the cultural sector in 14 countries. The highest shares of women were recorded in Estonia (63%), Lithuania (61%) and Latvia (58%). At the other end of the scale, the shares of women were the lowest in Italy (44%) and Malta (30%).
For more information:
- Statistics Explained article on cultural employment
- Dedicated section on culture
- Database on culture
- Statistics Explained article on Sustainable Development Goal 5 – Gender Equality
- Sustainable Development Goal 5 – Gender Equality
Methodological notes:
- Employment in culture includes culture-related occupations in the culture sector e.g. a ballet dancer employed by a ballet company or a journalist working for a daily newspaper, non-cultural occupations in the cultural sector, e.g. an accountant working in a publishing house, and culture-related jobs outside the culture sector, e.g. a designer who works in the motor vehicles industry.
- France and Spain: definition differs.
- Germany and Iceland: break in time series in 2020.
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