Share of Italians who have not participated in cultural activities 2011-2021

The share of nonparticipation in any recreational or cultural activities in the previous 12 months in Italy increased dramatically in 2021 over the previous years. That is most likely due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with museums, cinemas, music venues, and similar cultural institutions closing for several months due to the restrictions enforced in the first two years of the health crisis. Overall, the nonparticipation rate in cultural and recreational activities peaked at nearly 39 percent in 2021. Focusing on nonparticipation in the museum industry, about nine in ten interviewed Italians did not visit any exhibitions that year.

Nonparticipation in culture: higher in the South…

From a regional perspective, the share of Italians who did not participate in any cultural event was higher in the Southern part of the country. In 2021, Campania reported the highest share of people not engaging in cultural activities. Six other Southern regions followed in the ranking.

… and in small municipalities

Once considering the share of non-cultural engagement in Italy by municipality size, municipalities of up to 2,000 inhabitants recorded the highest figure, with around 43 percent of respondents claiming to have not participated in any cultural activities in the 12 months prior to 2021. While cities with more than 50 thousand inhabitants had the lowest share, the nonparticipation rate in such areas also experienced a sharp annual increase.