The Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that arts and cultural economic activity, adjusted for inflation, increased 6.6 percent in 2023 after increasing 3.8 percent in 2022 (chart 1 and table 1). By comparison, the broader economy, as measured by real gross domestic product (GDP), increased 2.9 percent in 2023 after increasing 2.5 percent in 2022 (chart 1). Arts and cultural economic activity accounted for 4.2 percent of GDP, or $1.17 trillion, in 2023 (tables 2 and 3).
Real (inflation-adjusted) value added for core arts and cultural production industries, which include performing arts, museums, design services, fine arts education, and education services, increased 5.5 percent in 2023. Supporting arts and cultural production industries, which include art support services and information services, increased 7.1 percent in 2023 (chart 2 and table 1).
- Performing arts increased 3.5 percent in 2023 after increasing 24.9 percent in 2022. One of the leading contributors to the increase was performing arts companies, which increased 31.6 percent in 2023 after increasing 42.0 percent in 2022.
- Museums increased 18.0 percent after decreasing 12.0 percent.
- Design services increased 6.3 percent after increasing 8.0 percent.
- Education services increased 1.8 percent after increasing 3.9 percent.
Nominal value added
Nominal value added (not adjusted for inflation) increased 7.6 percent nationally in 2023 (table 2). The leading contributor to the increase was supporting arts and cultural production industries (table 4). Supporting arts and cultural production industries increased 6.8 percent to a level of $873.8 billion; the leading contributor to the increase was information services. Core arts and cultural production industries increased 10.6 percent in 2023 to a level of $265.8 billion; the leading contributors to the increase were performing arts and design services.
In 2023, nominal value added in arts and cultural production industries increased in 47 states and the District of Columbia. The percent change across all states ranged from 14.7 percent in Nevada to –3.4 percent in Louisiana (table 2).
In Nevada—the state with the largest increase in value added—promoters of performing arts and similar events, publishing, and performing arts companies were the leading contributors to the increase in value added. In Louisiana—the state with the largest decrease in value added—motion pictures was the leading contributor to the decline (table 4).
For all states and the District of Columbia, the arts and cultural share of total GDP ranged from 9.8 percent in Washington state to 1.2 percent in Delaware. The share for most states ranged between 2 and 5 percent. Washington state, the District of Columbia, New York, California, and Nevada were the only areas where the arts and cultural share of total GDP exceeded 5 percent (table 3).
The top arts and cultural production industries varied among the states. In Washington state, publishing and retail industries were the leading contributors to the share of total state GDP. Government and advertising were the leading contributors in the District of Columbia. Broadcasting and “other information services” were the leading contributors in New York. Other information services and motion pictures were the leading contributors in California. Other information services and promoters of performing arts and similar events were the leading contributors in Nevada (table 3).
Employment
Arts and cultural employment nationwide increased 0.3 percent in 2023. The total number of arts and cultural jobs for the nation was 5.4 million. Arts and cultural employment increased in 27 states. The percent change across all states ranged from 7.6 percent in North Carolina to –6.6 percent in Hawaii (table 8).
North Carolina had 167,254 jobs related to arts and culture, representing 3.3 percent of all jobs in the state. Government and retail industries were the leading contributors to the increase in arts and cultural employment in North Carolina. In Hawaii, construction and motion pictures were the leading contributors to the decrease in arts and cultural employment (table 9).
Compensation
Arts and cultural compensation nationwide increased 3.6 percent in 2023. Arts and cultural compensation increased in 43 states and the District of Columbia. The percent change across all states ranged from 12.7 percent in Nevada to –6.9 percent in Georgia (table 8).
Update of arts and cultural production statistics
Today, BEA released updated national-level arts and cultural production statistics on output, value added, intermediate inputs, employment, and compensation from 1998 to 2022, with new statistics for 2023, and updated state-level statistics on value added, employment, and compensation from 2001 to 2022, with new statistics for 2023. The 2017 to 2023 statistics primarily reflect the incorporation of new and updated source data as well as the results of the 2024 annual update of BEA’s National and Regional Economic Accounts. The updates to the 1998 to 2016 statistics reflect the incorporation of the 2023 comprehensive update of BEA’s National and Regional Economic accounts. These data, combined with new and revised arts and cultural production-specific source data, allow the arts and cultural production statistics to capture the dynamics of this sector more accurately.
BEA’s Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account is supported by funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Next release: March 2026
Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account, U.S. and States, 2024
