Determining the Value of Cultural
Industries: Considerations
2014 Berlin Research Symposium on Culture and
Creative Industries
José Pessoa, Head of Culture Statistics
UNESCO Institute for Statistics

Is it possible to determine the ‘true’
value of culture and creative
industries through empirical
research?

Yes, but…
But, we need to consider;

Definition of Culture
◦ What to include?

Data requirements
◦ Are the necessary data already available or do
new data need to be collected.

Methodologies for Determining “Value”
◦ Which value? Which methodology?
Definition of Culture

In order to
measure cultural
industries, they
need to be defined.

At the global level,
the 2009 UNESCO
FCS provides a
model definition
for Culture
What is the 2009 UNESCO FCS?
Conceptual
model for defining
culture for
statistical purposes
Tool for
organizing
cultural statistics
internationally and
nationally
Methodology to
support the
production of
harmonized data and
indicators
Classification instrument that includes taxonomies from
recognized international standard classifications for use in
cultural statistics.
Goods and
Services
Occupations
Industries /
Activities
Categorizing Culture
Embody or
convey
cultural
expressions,
irrespective
of the
commercial
value they
may have
2009 UNESCO FCS Domains
CULTURAL DOMAINS
A. CULTURAL
and NATURAL
HERITAGE
- Museums (also
virtual)
- Archeological and
Historical Places
- Cultural
Landscapes
- Natural Heritage
B.
PERFORMANCE
and
CELEBRATION
- Performing Arts
- Music
- Festivals, Fairs
and Feasts
C. VISUAL ARTS
and CRAFTS
- Fine Arts
- Photography
- Crafts
D. BOOKS and
PRESS
- Books
- Newspaper and
Magazine
- Other printed
matter
- Library (also
virtual)
- Book Fairs
RELATED DOMAINS
E. AUDIO-VISUAL
and
INTERACTIVE
MEDIA
- Film and Video
- TV and Radio
(also Internet live
streaming)
- Internet
podcasting
- Video Games
(also Online)
F. DESIGN and
CREATIVE
SERVICES
- Fashion Design
- Graphic Design
- Interior Design
- Landscape
Design
- Architectural
Services
- Advertising
Services
G. TOURISM
- Charter travel
and tourist
services
- Hospitality and
accommodation
H. SPORTS and
RECREATION
- Sports
- Physical fitness
and well being
- Amusement
and Theme
Parks
- Gambling
INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
(oral traditions and expressions, rituals, languages, social practices)
INTANGIBLE CULTURAL
HERITAGE
EDUCATION and TRAINING
EDUCATION and TRAINING
ARCHIVING and PRESERVING
ARCHIVING and PRESERVING
EQUIPMENT and SUPPORTING MATERIALS
EQUIPMENT and SUPPORTING
MATERIALS
UNESCO FCS Domains
6 core cultural domains
 2 related domains
 1 core transversal cultural domain
 2 partial transversal domains
 1 supporting transversal domain

Cultural
Industries
Definition of Cultural Industries:
what to include?
Should “heritage” be included?
 If yes, what heritage activities should be
included?
 How do we measure the value of these
heritage activities?

Potential sources of cultural data

Sources of data
◦ Administrative Data sources
◦ System of National Accounts
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
 Culture Satellite Accounts
Business and Enterprise Registers/Surveys
Household Earnings Surveys
Labor Force Surveys
Household Expenditure Surveys
Census
Time Use Surveys
Culture Participation Surveys
Data requirements: are the
necessary data available?

Classifications: measuring culture sector
requires more detailed data to be
collected (i.e. 3 or 4 digits)
◦ Existing international classifications are limited
in their ability to collect culture data.
◦ Not all countries code data at the necessary
levels of detail to allow for more robust
analysis of the culture sector
Data Challenges

Existing national sources are not always
designed specifically for measuring culture

Capacity of the national statistical system
to produce data varies greatly between
countries.
Methodologies for determining
“Value”: which value?

‘Economic contribution’ is of most interest

But should the social dimension or “value”
be also be included when measuring
“cultural industries”?
◦ Includes: aesthetic value, social benefits; social
cohesion

How can the “social” value be monetized?
Methodologies for determining
“Value”: Which methodology?

Economic contribution of cultural
industries:
◦ Economic size and structural analysis
◦ Cultural Satellite Accounts
◦ Multiplier analysis

Cultural Industries Mapping
◦ Mapping exercise
UIS Model for determining the economic
contribution of cultural industries: Economic size
and structural analysis
Indicator
Measure
Gross value added Gross value added/GDP of cultural
industries or sub-sectors
Gross value added/GDP of cultural
industries in relative terms
Distribution of gross value
added/GDP by sub-sectors
Description
Gross value added/GDP of cultural industries or subsectors in absolute terms
Share of cultural industries value added/GDP in
GVA/GDP of total economy (%)
Share of cultural industries sub-sectors in total gross
value added/GDP of cultural industries in absolute
and relative terms
Turnover of cultural industries or sub-sectors in
absolute terms
Share of cultural industries turnover in turnover of
total economy (%)
Share of cultural industries sub-sectors in total
turnover of cultural industries in absolute and relative
terms
Turnover
(alternatively)
Turnover of cultural industries or
sub-sectors
Turnover of cultural industries in
relative terms
Turnover by sub-sectors
Employment
Contribution of cultural industries
employment to total employment
Distribution of employment in
cultural industries sub-sectors
Share of cultural industries employees in total
employment (%)
Share of cultural industries sub-sectors employment
in total employment in cultural industries in absolute
and relative terms
Volume and share of selfemployment
Number of self-employment jobs/share of selfemployment in total self-employment jobs in
economy
Labour productivity in cultural
industries
GVA in cultural industries per employee
Stock of business
Distribution of businesses by subsectors
Business start-ups
Business mortality
Distribution of start-ups by subsector
Distribution of business mortality
Number of businesses by size in cultural industries
Number of businesses by size in cultural industries
sub-sectors
Number of new businesses in cultural industries
Number of closed businesses in cultural industries
Number of new businesses in cultural industries subsectors
Number of closed businesses in cultural industries
sub-sectors
Business activity
UIS methodological publications
Value of cultural industries: some
results

Culture sector accounted for 2.2% of value added of the
total economy in France in 2013

In Singapore, the total nominal value-added of the arts and
cultural sector increased from $818 million USD in 2003 to
$1.23 billion USD in 2009 (MICA, 2011)

In 2012, the direct contribution of the culture sector to the
economy was $5.8 billion CDN, or approximately 4.9% of
the GDP of the Greater Montréal Region.

In 2011, the production of arts and cultural goods added
more than 504 billion USD to the US economy
repre4senting 3.25% of GDP
Challenges to Measuring the Value
of Cultural Industries

How to measure Digital cultural products: music,
movies/TV, streaming, e-books, social-media in a
timely and accurate manner?

Informal cultural economy – how can this part of
the economy be captured through the formal
statistical system?

Private sector data are not always available to the
public or governmental domain
Thank You