Accredited official statistics

DCMS Economic Estimates: Annual GVA 2023 (provisional)

Published 26 February 2025

1. Introduction

Release date: 26 February 2025

Next release: Winter 2025/26

Geographic coverage: United Kingdom

Time coverage: 2010 to 2023

Responsible analyst: Rachel Moyce

This release provides estimates of the contribution of DCMS sectors to the UK economy from 2010 to 2022, and provisionally for 2023, measured by gross value added (GVA). Estimates for 2020 and 2021 are affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

We use current prices to report current sector estimates and chained volume measures for any comparisons over time.

DCMS also publishes a monthly GVA series, starting in January 2019, which is more timely (two to five months lag, as publication is quarterly) but less accurate than this series and can be used as a leading indicator.

There are limitations when comparing tourism GVA estimates over time. Estimates of tourism GVA from 2016 to 2021 are based on unrevised data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Tourism Satellite Account (TSA). The ONS does not make revisions to TSA estimates, however the underlying source data including GVA estimates, may be revised in future years. There are also differences in the data sources used for each TSA, which are outlined in the notes section of each individual TSA published by the ONS. See Further Information for more details. 

2. GVA in All DCMS sectors 

In 2023, provisional estimates show that DCMS sectors contributed an estimated £220.3 billion to the UK economy. This was 9.3% of total UK GVA, very similar to 9.4% in 2022.

The following information is worth noting:

• The figures above are measured in current prices.
• Subsequent comparisons over time, and the chart in figure 1, use chained volume measures which means percentage changes are adjusted for inflation, except where stated.
• Estimates for 2023 are provisional and subject to change when the National Accounts are published later in 2025 and when the final 2023 Tourism Satellite Account is published in winter 2024/25.
• Comparable data for the tourism sector is only available from 2016. Data for other DCMS sectors is available from 2010.
• There are limitations with comparing tourism GVA estimates over time. See Further Information for more details. 

Figure 1. Index chart (2016=100), in chained volume measures, DCMS sectors and UK, 2016 to 2023

Trends since 2022

Provisional annual GVA estimates suggest that DCMS sector GVA grew slightly by 0.1% between 2022 and 2023, while the UK economy as a whole grew by 0.3%. This slight growth was driven by the tourism sector which increased by an estimated 8.5% between 2022 and 2023. If the tourism sector is excluded, DCMS sector GVA fell by an estimated 2.1% from 2022 to 2023.

Trends since 2019

In 2023, DCMS sectors contributed an estimated 9.3% to UK GVA, a decrease from 10.6% in 2019. This reflects that DCMS sector GVA fell by an estimated 9.0% from 2019 to 2023, compared to an increase of 2.6% for the UK economy as a whole.

This trend is particularly driven by a fall in the tourism sector of an estimated 30.2%. The tourism sector has traditionally been one of DCMS’s largest sectors and was especially affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic’s impact was seen elsewhere too, and all DCMS sectors experienced falls from 2019 to 2020, and four of the six sectors experienced falls overall from 2019 to 2023. If the tourism sector is excluded, DCMS sector GVA grew by an estimated 0.8% from 2019 to 2023

Longer-term trends 

Data for the tourism sector is available from 2016 (rather than 2010, as is the case for other DCMS sectors, due to methodological changes). 

Between 2016 and 2023, DCMS sector GVA fell by an estimated 2.0%, while the UK economy grew by 8.7%. This fall was driven by the tourism sector, which was particularly affected by the pandemic and decreased by an estimated 21.9% between 2016 and 2023 (prior to the pandemic, tourism grew faster between 2016 and 2019 than the UK economy overall).  If the tourism sector is excluded, DCMS sector GVA grew by an estimated 6.7% from 2016 to 2023.

Between 2016 and 2019, before the pandemic, DCMS sectors outgrew the UK economy (7.7% compared to 5.9%). The data suggests that this was mostly driven by the tourism sector (11.9% growth and the second largest sector in this period) and to a lesser extent by growth in the creative industries (4.4% growth - slower than the UK economy as a whole - and the largest sector in this period).

Between 2010 and 2023, DCMS sectors (excluding tourism due to data availability) grew at a faster rate than the UK economy as a whole (32.3% compared to 22.3%). This was driven mostly by the creative industries which increased by 35.4% over this time. Most of included DCMS sector growth occurred between 2010 and 2015, when included DCMS sector growth outpaced the UK economy, but between 2015 and 2019 both grew at similar rates. 

3. GVA in individual DCMS sectors

The DCMS sectors covered in this report are:

• Civil Society
• Creative Industries
• Cultural Sector
• Gambling
• Sport
• Tourism

The data tables also include estimates for the audio visual sector and computer games subsector.

3.1 Sector overlap

Some industries are found within multiple sectors and are likely to drive trends in the same way for both sectors. 

For example, in 2023:

• 56.3% of the DCMS sector GVA is within the creative industries
• 15.9% of DCMS Sector GVA is within the cultural sector
• However, 13.6% of DCMS Sector GVA is within both the creative industries and the cultural sector. This illustrates that the cultural sector is almost fully contained within the creative industries (but not vice versa) and these overlaps include activities such as performing arts and radio and television broadcasting. 

When calculating the DCMS Sector total, the GVA from industries within the overlap is counted once. Users should be aware that the estimate for ‘All DCMS sectors’ is therefore lower than the sum of the individual sectors.

Figure 2. GVA and overlaps in DCMS sectors, 2023

For more information, Chapter 2 of the technical report visually outlines the overlap between SIC codes in DCMS sectors, but not the value of GVA within these overlaps.

3.2 Sector findings

In 2023, of all DCMS sectors including tourism, the creative industries sector is estimated to have contributed the most in GVA to the UK economy (£124.0bn), followed by the tourism sector (£58.2bn).

For comparison, in 2019, the creative industries were the largest sector (£105.8bn), followed by tourism (£73.6bn) (current prices for 2019).

Trends in GVA vary by sector. Between 2022 and 2023, GVA for tourism, civil society and sport grew but the creative industries, culture and gambling sectors all saw falls in GVA. 

Civil Society

Civil society contributed an estimated £18.5bn in 2023, accounting for 0.8% of the UK economy. Civil society grew by 2.3% from 2022 to 2023, leaving it 6.5% higher than in 2019, prior to the pandemic, and 49.8% higher than in 2010, in real terms.

Figure 3. Index chart (2010=100), in chained volume measures (CVM) showing growth of civil society, from 2010 to 2023.

These estimates are based on the non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH) data. This is likely to be an underestimate for the Civil Society sector as it does not encompass the full spectrum of the sector. Further information on the Civil Society definition can be found in the technical report. 

Note that volunteering, a key element of Civil Society, has not been included in the figures due to being part of the informal economy. As estimated in the ONS published Household Satellite Account, volunteering contributed £14.6 bn in 2021, the last available year (this includes only formal volunteering activities). 

Creative Industries

The creative industries contributed an estimated £124.0bn in 2023, accounting for 5.2% of UK GVA. The GVA of creative industries decreased by 3.3% between 2022 and 2023 leaving it 1.4% higher than pre-pandemic (2019) and 35.4% higher than in 2010, in real terms.

Figure 4. Index chart (2010=100), in chained volume measures (CVM) showing growth of creative industries, from 2010 to 2023.

Creative industries GVA decreased from 2022 to 2023 by an estimated 3.3%, in comparison to the UK economy as a whole, which grew slightly, by 0.3%. In the longer term, from 2010 to 2023 creative industries GVA grew faster than the UK economy (35.4% vs 22.3%).

DCMS has grouped the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes defining the creative industries into nine distinct subsectors, grouped by policy themes. Looking at these subsectors: 

• The fall in creative industries GVA between 2022 and 2023 was driven by the ‘IT, software and computer services’ subsector which fell by an estimated 6.0%, with the next largest negative contributions from  the ‘Film, TV, radio and photography’ and ‘Publishing’ subsectors which decreased by 4.3% and 4.5% respectively.
• The largest relative increases in creative industries GVA from 2022 to 2023 were the ‘Museum, galleries and libraries’ subsector, and the ‘Design and designer fashion’ subsector, which grew by an estimated 6.8% and 12.3% respectively.
• ‘IT, software and computer services’ is the largest subsector component of the Creative Industries by GVA, contributing an estimated £49.1bn in 2023. It is more than twice the size of the next largest subsector ‘Advertising and marketing’ (£21.5bn).

Cultural Sector

The cultural sector contributed an estimated £35.0bn in 2023, accounting for 1.5% of UK GVA. GVA of the cultural sector decreased by 1.8% from 2022 to 2023, leaving it 4.0% lower than pre-pandemic (2019) and 11.0% larger in 2023 than in 2010 in real terms.

Figure 5. Index chart (2010=100), in chained volume measures (CVM) showing change in GVA of the cultural sector, from 2010 to 2023.

The cultural sector GVA fell by an estimated 1.8% from 2022 to 2023, compared to the UK economy as a whole which grew by 0.3%. In the longer term from 2010 to 2023, culture GVA grew more slowly than the UK economy (11.0% vs 22.3%). This is mostly due to changes in GVA since 2019 (pre-pandemic), as cultural sector GVA decreased by an estimated 4.0% between 2019 and 2023, compared to the UK economy as a whole which grew by 2.6%.

DCMS has grouped the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes defining the cultural sector into nine distinct subsectors, grouped by policy themes. Looking at these subsectors: 

• Most subsectors apart from ‘Crafts’, ‘Film, TV and Music’ and ‘Radio’ grew from 2022 to 2023. The fall in overall cultural sector GVA was driven almost entirely by the ‘Film, TV and Music’ subsector which fell by an estimated 4.3%.
• The subsectors that saw the largest relative growth in cultural sector GVA were the ‘Photography’ subsector which grew by an estimated 12.3% and the ‘Museums and Galleries’, ‘Library and Archives’ and ‘Operation of historical sites and similar visitor attractions’ subsectors which all grew by an estimated 6.8%. 
• The ‘Film, TV and Music’ subsector remains the largest cultural subsector in size economically, contributing an estimated £20.7bn to the UK economy in 2023. It is more than twice the size of the next largest subsector ‘Arts’ (£9.3bn).

Gambling

Gambling contributed an estimated £5.2bn in 2023, accounting for 0.2% of UK GVA. The GVA of the Gambling sector decreased by 4.5% between 2022 and 2023, in real terms, and was 20.8% smaller in 2023 than pre-pandemic (2019) and 7.9% smaller in size in 2023 than in 2010, in real terms.

Figure 6. Index chart (2010=100), in chained volume measures (CVM) showing growth of the gambling sector, from 2010 to 2023.

Gambling sector GVA fell from 2022 to 2023 by an estimated 4.5%, while the UK economy grew by 0.3%. In the longer term, from 2010 to 2023, gambling GVA fell by an estimated 7.9% compared to the increasing GVA of the UK economy (22.3%).

It should be noted that the Gambling sector is small, comprising just one two-digit SIC code (SIC 92). Consequently, estimates are prone to sampling variability from year to year (the sector GVA estimates peaked in 2014).

Sport

Sport contributed an estimated £20.0bn in 2023, accounting for 0.8% of UK GVA. The GVA of the sport sector grew by 2.2% between 2022 and 2023, leaving it 1.8% smaller in 2023 than pre-pandemic (2019) but 21.3% larger in size in 2023 than it was in 2010, in real terms.

Figure 7. Index chart (2010=100), in chained volume measures (CVM) showing growth of the sport sector, from 2010 to 2023.

The sport sector is estimated to have grown faster than the UK economy from 2022 to 2023 (2.2% vs 0.3%), but over the longer term, from 2010 to 2023, grew at a slightly slower rate (21.3% vs 22.3%).

Tourism

There are limitations when comparing tourism GVA estimates over time. Estimates of tourism GVA from 2016 to 2021 are based on unrevised data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Tourism Satellite Account (TSA). The ONS does not make revisions to TSA estimates, however the underlying source data including GVA estimates, may be revised in future years. There are also differences in the data sources used for each TSA, which are outlined in the notes section of each individual TSA published by the ONS. See ‘Further information’ for more information.

Tourism contributed an estimated £58.2bn in 2023, accounting for 2.5% of UK GVA. Tourism GVA grew by 8.5% from 2022 to 2023, leaving it 21.9% smaller in 2023 than it was in 2016 (in real terms), the first available year for the sector with comparable methodology to later years.

From 2019 (before the pandemic) to 2023, tourism sector GVA fell by 30.2%, having been particularly affected by the pandemic.

Figure 8. Index chart (2016=100), in chained volume measures (CVM) showing growth of the tourism sector, from 2016 to 2023.

Provisional estimates suggest that the tourism sector GVA increased by 8.5% between 2022 and 2023 but remains 30.2% below its peak in 2019 as the sector has been particularly affected by the pandemic. Over the longer term, between 2016 and 2023 tourism sector GVA fell by an estimated 21.9%.

Figures for the tourism sector are only available from 2016, the first available year for the sector with comparable methodology to later years.

Tourism also differs from other sectors in that it uses a satellite account approach that attempts to calculate the percentage of economic activity, across all UK sectors, that is directly attributable to tourism. 

4. Further information

GVA

GVA is a measure of the increase in the value of the economy due to the production of goods and services. Its relationship to GDP is as follows:

GVA = GDP + Subsidies - Taxes 

GVA is measured either at:

• current basic prices (‘nominal GVA’), which give the best ‘instantaneous’ measure of the value to the economy, but are not adjusted for the effect of inflation.
• chained volume measures (‘real terms GVA’), where the effect of inflation is removed.

The accompanying data tables consist of current prices and chained volume measures for DCMS sectors and subsectors from 2010 to 2023 (provisional), and a GVA index expressed in chained volume measures.

We use current prices to report current sector estimates and chained volume measures for any comparisons over time.

Tourism

There are limitations when comparing tourism GVA estimates over time. Tourism estimates for 2016 to 2021 are based on unrevised data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), constructed from data sources available at the time for the reported year. The ONS does not make revisions to TSA estimates, however the underlying source data including GVA estimates may be revised in future years. There are also differences in the data sources used for each TSA, for example where data sources are unavailable or have changed - these are outlined in the notes section of each individual TSA published by the ONS. 

Following scheduled ONS revisions in the National Accounts Blue Book 2024, there have been substantial revisions to GVA for some industries, including those relevant to DCMS sectors. The impact of these revisions on tourism GVA estimates for 2016 to 2021 is not yet known but we are working with the ONS to explore the possibility of producing revised TSA estimates. This means that estimates for tourism sector GVA and DCMS sectors overall, including estimates of change over time, may change in future.

For this publication, we have decided to use unrevised TSA data as published because:

• these are the best available estimates of tourism GVA at present;
• we are unable to fully account for revisions to tourism GVA without replicating the full TSA process, taking all other data source revisions into account ;
• initial investigations suggest that broad trends in DCMS and tourism GVA will be similar after accounting for revisions.

Office for Statistics Regulation

These Economic Estimates: GVA (gross value added) for DCMS Sectors, 2023 official statistics were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) in June 2019. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics, and should be labelled accredited official statistics. Accredited official statistics are called National Statistics in the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007.

Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to. You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.

Methodological information on the sector definitions, data sources, derivation of GVA and limitations of the approach can now be found in the accompanying technical report, along with. a summary of alternative economic measures of these sectors that are published elsewhere.

The next update to these statistics will be released in winter 2024/25 once the National Accounts have been published. The GVA figures in this report will all be revised in the next annual updates.

DCMS has developed a suite of economic estimates to understand the economic impact its sectors have on the UK economy. In combination with other economic indicators, GVA estimates help build a comprehensive picture of the UK economy, and of the DCMS Sectors’ importance within it.

The responsible statistician for this release is Rachel Moyce. For enquiries on this release, please email evidence@dcms.gov.uk.

For general enquiries contact:

Department for Culture
Media and Sport
100 Parliament Street
London
SW1A 2BQ

For media enquiries contact: 020 7211 2210.

DCMS statisticians can also be followed on X via @DCMSInsight.