Official Statistics

Technical report: DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries annual performance indicators 2024/25

Published 23 April 2026

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2026

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/dcms-sponsored-museums-and-galleries-annual-performance-indicators-202425/technical-report-dcms-sponsored-museums-and-galleries-annual-performance-indicators-202425

1. Technical report: DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries annual performance indicators 2024/25

DCMS has agreed performance indicators to be reported on by sponsored museums each year in annual reports. The DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries annual performance indicators statistical publication brings together the data from individual institutions and provides aggregate analysis.

The DCMS-sponsored museums and galleries are:

  • British Museum
  • Museum of the Home
  • Horniman Museum
  • Imperial War Museums
  • National Gallery
  • National Museums Liverpool
  • National Portrait Gallery
  • Natural History Museum
  • Royal Armouries
  • Royal Museums Greenwich
  • Science Museum Group
  • Sir John Soane’s Museum
  • Tate Gallery Group
  • Victoria and Albert Museum
  • The Wallace Collection

1.2 Performance indicators

The performance indicators are:

Access

  • Number of visits to the museum/gallery
  • Number of unique website visitors

Audience profile

  • Number of visits by children under 16
  • Number of overseas visits

Learning and outreach

  • Number of facilitated and self-directed visits to the museum/gallery by visitors under 18 in formal education
  • Number of instances of visitors under 18 participating in on-site organised activities

Visitor satisfaction

  • % of visitors who would recommend a visit

Regional engagement

  • Number of UK loan venues

Self-generated income

  • Self-generated income - admissions
  • Self-generated income - trading income (net profit)
  • Self-generated income - Charitable giving (fundraising/contributed income)

More detailed definitions of the indicators can be found in the performance indicators guidance.

1.3 Data collection

Data collection methods vary between institutions and performance indicators. DCMS does not provide a prescribed way to collect the data. This allows museums and galleries flexibility to adopt a cost efficient data collection technique.

  • Annual visitor figures are based on actual counts collected via manual and electronic devices.
  • Educational visits are collected via the museums’ school booking systems.
  • Data on overseas visitors and visitor satisfaction are collected via sample surveys which are weighted against the footfall to each museum in each quarter.
  • The number of unique website visits is collected via Google analytics.

1.4 Quality Assurance

The data, tables and statistical release undergo QA checks before publication. The statistician producing the release sense checks the data against prior years and monthly visitor totals held by DCMS, and queries any discrepancies with the relevant institution.

Final QA checks are carried out by someone other than the statistician producing the release and include:

  • Checking data for publication against supplied data
  • Checking numbers quoted in the release and charts
  • Checking calculations
  • Checking footnotes and other information included with data tables

QA checks and outcomes are recorded within a QA log to provide an audit trail.

1.5 Location of Museums 

Please find below a table of the DCMS-sponsored Museums and Galleries grouped by location (In / Out of London).

Museum Name Location Type
British Museum London Single site
Museum of the Home London Single site
Horniman Museum London Single site
IWM London London Group (IWM)
HMS Belfast London Group (IWM)
Churchill War Rooms London Group (IWM)
IWM Duxford Out of London Group (IWM)
IWM North Out of London Group (IWM)
National Gallery London Single site
NHM South Kensington London Group (NHM)
NHM Tring Out of London Group (NHM)
Royal Museums Greenwich London Single site
SMG Science Museum London Group (SMG)
SMG National Media Museum Out of London Group (SMG)
SMG National Railway Museum Out of London Group (SMG)
SMG Locomotion Out of London Group (SMG)
SMG Science and Industry Museum Out of London Group (SMG)
National Portrait Gallery London Single site
Royal Armouries Leeds Out of London Group (Royal Armouries)
Royal Armouries Fort Nelson Out of London Group (Royal Armouries)
Royal Armouries White Tower London Group (Royal Armouries)
Sir John Soane’s Museum London Single site
Tate Britain London Group (Tate)
Tate Modern London Group (Tate)
Tate St Ives Out of London Group (Tate)
V&A South Kensington London Group (V&A)
Young V&A London Group (V&A)
Wallace Collection London Single Site
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