Number of British Museum visitors in England 2011-2021

The number of visitors to the British Museum in London, England, experienced a sharp drop in 2020/2021 over the previous fiscal year due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. From March 2020 onwards, museums and similar cultural institutions in the country had to close for long periods, as the government introduced emergency restrictions to limit the spread of the virus. As a result of the closures, the British Museum recorded only 160 thousand visits between April 2020 and March 2021, while it welcomed over 5.9 million visitors in 2019/2020.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on overseas museum visitors

The lockdown measures in combination with the international travel restrictions adopted during the health crisis caused the number of overseas visitors to the British Museum to fell dramatically during the pandemic. Among the 160 thousand visitors recorded between April 2020 and March 2021, just around 3,200 came from abroad. Overall, the total number of overseas visitors to DCMS sponsored museums in England added up to roughly 56 thousand in 2020/2021.

How is the British museum funded?

As a government sponsored museum, the British Museum receives funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), allowing free general admission to the museum’s permanent collection for all. Meanwhile, the institution also generates income through a series of channels, such as admissions to temporary shows, retail sales, and donations. In 2020/2021, the income from admissions to the British Museum reached its lowest level since 2011 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In contrast, the income through fundraising or charitable giving rose by nearly 70.5 percent over 2019/2020.