Arts and cultural industry in Italy - statistics & facts
The promotion of cultural development is part of the 12 fundamental principles in the Constitution of the Italian Republic. In 1985, the Italian government established a fund for the performing arts called “Fondo Unico per lo Spettacolo” (FUS) to support the arts and cultural industry. In 2022, the total budget of the Italian Ministry of Culture (MiC) to finance heritage and cultural activities amounted to just under four billion euros. Looking at the funds dedicated to performing arts, provisional data for 2023 shows that the MiC allocated the highest sum to opera shows, followed by live music events, and theater. Aside from public subsidies, private funding also represents an important source of financial support for this industry. In 2022, grants provided by banking foundations to arts and cultural activities in Italy totaled nearly 247 million euros, growing slightly over the previous year.
When focusing on the “core” market, the following seven industries are considered: architecture and design, communication, musical and audiovisual, books, printed media and publishing, video games and software, museums and similar cultural institutions, and performing arts. In 2022, the value added of the video games and software industry in Italy reached 14.6 billion euros, rising by 16 percent compared to 2019. By contrast, the value added of the visual and performing arts industry in Italy fell by almost seven percent over the same period.
The cultural and creative production system in Italy
The Italian Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Craft, and Agriculture (Unioncamere) and the Symbola foundation use the definition “cultural and creative production system” to analyze the financial impact of arts and culture in Italy. The system combines the so-called “core” and “creative-driven” markets. The former includes those activities that are strictly related to the arts and cultural industry. The latter looks at the economic contribution of creative and cultural professionals operating in industries not directly linked to arts and culture. In 2022, the value added generated by the cultural and creative production system in Italy exceeded 95 billion euros, surpassing the figure reported before the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. On the other hand, employment in the Italian cultural and creative production system remained below pre-pandemic levels in 2022, despite a two-percent annual increase.When focusing on the “core” market, the following seven industries are considered: architecture and design, communication, musical and audiovisual, books, printed media and publishing, video games and software, museums and similar cultural institutions, and performing arts. In 2022, the value added of the video games and software industry in Italy reached 14.6 billion euros, rising by 16 percent compared to 2019. By contrast, the value added of the visual and performing arts industry in Italy fell by almost seven percent over the same period.
