Official Statistics

Key Findings

Updated 20 June 2016

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/creative-industries-2016-focus-on/key-findings

1. Employment

1.1 Summary

  • The number of jobs in the Creative Industries (including both creative and support jobs), increased by 3.2 per cent between 2014 and 2015 to 1.9 million jobs. This was an increase of 19.5 per cent since 2011.
  • Total jobs in the Creative Economy across the UK has increased by 5.1 per cent between 2014 and 2015 (2.8 million to 2.9 million jobs) and by 19.6 per cent since 2011.
  • In 2015 there were 2.0 million jobs in Creative Occupations, a 4.9 per cent increase since 2014 and 19.2 per cent higher than 2011.
  • These increases compare with a 2.0 per cent increase in the total number of jobs in the wider UK economy between 2014 and 2015, and 6.3 per cent increase since 2011.

Table 1: Employment in the Creative Industries

Creative Industries Group 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 % Change 2014-15 % Change 2011-15
1. Advertising and marketing 148,000 144,000 155,000 167,000 182,000 9.6% 23.0%
2. Architecture 94,000 89,000 94,000 101,000 90,000 -11.2% -4.5%
3. Crafts 9,000 7,000 8,000 8,000 7,000 -15.5% -26.1%
4. Design and designer fashion 102,000 117,000 124,000 136,000 132,000 -2.9% 29.6%
5. Film, TV, video, radio and photography 211,000 240,000 232,000 228,000 231,000 1.6% 9.9%
6. IT, software and computer services 483,000 558,000 574,000 607,000 640,000 5.5% 32.5%
7. Publishing 211,000 223,000 198,000 193,000 200,000 3.7% -5.0%
8. Museums, Galleries and Libraries 91,000 86,000 85,000 84,000 97,000 14.6% 6.4%
9. Music, performing and visual arts 213,000 227,000 244,000 284,000 286,000 0.7% 34.2%
Total 1,562,000 1,691,000 1,713,000 1,808,000 1,866,000 3.2% 19.5%

1.2 Geographic distribution by region and devolved administration

  • The Creative Industries accounted for 1 in 17 (5.8 per cent) of all jobs in the UK in 2015. It ranged from 1 in 30 jobs (3.2 per cent) in North East to 1 in 8 jobs (11.5 per cent) in London. Almost a third (30.8 per cent) of Creative Industries jobs were based in London.
  • In 2015, across the whole of the UK, around 1 in 11 jobs (9.0 per cent) were in the Creative Economy. This ranged from 1 in 18 jobs (5.5 per cent) in Northern Ireland to 1 in 6 jobs (16.4 per cent) in London.
  • These were all similar to last year.

1.3 Qualifications

  • More than half (59.9 per cent) of jobs in the Creative Industry in 2015 were filled by people with at least a degree or equivalent, compared to 32.7 per cent of all jobs in the UK
  • In 2015, 1 in 11 jobs in the UK held by graduates was in the Creative Industries.
  • Between 2014 and 2015, there was an increase of 24,000 (2.2 per cent) in the number of jobs in the Creative Industries held by individuals with at least a degree or equivalent.
  • Across all industries in 2015, 62.5 per cent of jobs in Creative Occupations were filled by someone who had at least a degree or equivalent.

1.4 Gender

  • The Creative Economy and Creative Industries employ a lower proportion of women than the wider UK economy. In 2015:
    • 37.2 percent of jobs in the Creative Industries were filled by women.
    • 36.1 per cent of jobs in the Creative Economy were filled by women.
    • 47.1 per cent of jobs in the UK as a whole were filled by women.

1.5 Ethnicity

  • In Creative Industries in 2015, 11.4 per cent of jobs were filled by BAME (Black and Minority Ethnic) workers.
  • The number of BAME workers in the Creative Industries increase by 7.0 per cent between 2014 and 2015 (43.9 per cent since 2011), compared with a 2.8 per cent (17.9 per cent since 2011) increase for White workers in the Creative Industries.
  • Of all jobs in the Creative Economy in 2015, 10.9 per cent were filled by BAME workers, a similar level to the UK economy (11.3 per cent).
  • Since 2011, there was a 38.2 per cent increase in the number of BAME group jobs in the Creative Economy. The increase for the White group was 18.5 per cent.

1.6 Socio-Economic Class

  • In 2015, 91.8 per cent of jobs in the Creative Economy were done by people in more advantaged socio-economic groups (NS-SEC 1-4), compared to 66.0 per cent of jobs in the wider UK economy.
  • More advantaged groups made up 91.9 per cent of jobs in the Creative Industries.

2. Exports of services

2.1 Summary

  • The value of services exported by the UK Creative Industries in 2014 was £19.8bn, an increase of 10.9 per cent from 2013.
  • Exports of services from the Creative Industries accounted for 9.0 per cent of total exports of services from the UK in 2014.

2.2 By Creative Industries Group

  • In 2014, exports of services from the ‘IT, software and computer services’ was responsible for the largest proportion of service exports from the Creative Industries (44.6 per cent).
  • Exports of services from the ‘Film, TV, video, radio and photography’ industry were the second largest proportion in 2014 (accounting for 23.8 per cent).
  • ‘Publishing’ had the greatest percentage increase between 2013 and 2014, increasing by 62.8 per cent to £2.1bn.

Table 2: Total value of exports of services from the UK Creative Industries, 2009-2014

Creative Industries Group 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 % Change 2013-14 % Change 2009-14
Advertising and marketing 2,136 1,861 2,013 2,343 2,641 2,771 4.9% 29.7%
Architecture 319 384 362 373 359 446 24.4% 39.9%
Crafts ** ** ** ** ** **    
Design: product, graphic and fashion design 116 122 131 190 204 226 10.8% 94.9%
Film, TV, video, radio and photography 3,826 4,658 4,257 4,345 4,034 4,724 17.1% 23.5%
IT, software and computer services 5,811 6,286 7,210 8,011 8,589 8,834 2.8% 52.0%
Publishing 806 1,032 1,245 1,415 1,315 2,142 62.8% 165.7%
Museums, galleries and libraries ** ** ** ** ** **    
Music, performing and visual arts 286 357 275 574 704 644 -8.5% 125.2%
Creative Industries total 13,303 14,719 15,503 17,258 17,856 19,809 10.9% 48.9%
UK Total (ONS Balance of Payments, Pink Book) 169,507 174,178 188,908 197,432 214,813 219,759 2.3% 29.6%
Creative Industries as a percentage of UK Total 7.8% 8.5% 8.2% 8.7% 8.3% 9.0%    

2.3 By continent and market of interest

  • Europe was the continent in receipt of the majority of exports of services from the UK Creative Industries in 2014, with 57.3 per cent of the total exports of services by UK Creative Industries (£11.4bn).
  • The USA was the market of interest in receipt of the greatest proportion of exports of services from the UK Creative Industries in 2014, with 25.3 per cent of the total exports of services by UK Creative Industries (£5.0bn).
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