Creative Industries

What are the creative industries?

The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) has defined the creative industries as “those industries which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property.” DCMS has grouped the creative industries into the following sub-sectors:

• advertising and marketing.
• architecture.
• crafts.
• design and designer fashion.
• film, TV, radio and photography.
• museums, galleries and libraries.
• music, performing and visual arts.
• publishing.
• IT, software and computer services (includes video games).

The creative industries are one of eight “growth-driving” sectors identified for targeted support in the government’s forthcoming industrial strategy.

Creative industries and the economy 

The creative industries contributed around £124 billion to the economy in 2023 (in terms of gross value added). This was around 5% of total UK economic output. The IT, software and computing services is the largest sub-sector, contributing 40% of creative industries output.

There were around 2.4 million jobs in the creative industries in the year from July 2023 to June 2024, around 7% of all UK jobs. Goods and services exports for the creative industries were worth £54.7 billion in 2021, equal to 7.7% of UK exports in 2021.

Creative industries are concentrated in London. Over half (51%) of creative industries economic output was generated in London in 2022, compared to a quarter (24%) of total UK economic output. The table below shows the economic output and jobs in creative industries by country and region.

_{Source: DCMS Sector Econonmic Estimates, Regional GVA 2022, 27 June 2024; Employment in DCMS Sectors, July 2023 to June 2024, 12 December 2024.} 

Funding for creative industries announced

In a January 2025 press release, the government announced a £60 million boost for the creative industries “to turbocharge growth”. This marked “the first step of the government’s sector plan for the creative industries” and would see hundreds of creative businesses and projects across the UK receive government funding. The £60 million package includes £40 million of investment for start-up video game studios, British music and film exports and creative businesses outside of London.

Additional government funding, to be agreed as part of the spending review, would be provided to six mayoral combined authorities: North East England, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City region, West Yorkshire, West Midlands, and the West of England. This would “maximise the strengths of these areas to deliver growth and builds upon progress to provide an attractive business environment and encourage strong, continued investment in the creative industries”.

The government also said it was working with industry, including through a Creative Industries Taskforce, on its sector plan. Further policy announcements would be made in the following months.