Both in the EU and in Latvia the researchers have recognized that it is necessary to substantially improve the instruments of statistics, which would be needed in order to measure the input of the sector of culture on the state and international level. However even the statistical data, which at the moment are incomplete and difficult to measure witness that the role of creative industry in the economic growth is rapidly increasing.
According to the initiative of the European Commission the study “the Economy of Culture in Europe”, KEA - European Affairs was carried out and presented in Brussels in November, 2006 and is the first study of this kind on the European level.
Some data from the study:
- In 2003 the turnover of the creative and art sector of the EU constituted 654 billion Euros.
To compare: turnover in the ICT sector constituted 541 billion Euros (2003), the turnover of the motor vehicle production sector – respectively 271 billion Euros (2001).
- The input of the sector in 2003 constituted 2,6% of the EU gross domestic product.
To compare: real property market - 2,1%; food and beverage production -1,9%; textile industry -0,5%; industry of chemicals, rubber and synthetic materials - 2,3% of the GNP of the EU.
- In 2004 in the EU sector 5,8 million employees were engaged in the industry, which constitutes 3,1% of all the population working in the EU.
Whereas the total employment in the EU from 2000 to 2004 decreased, employment in the mentioned sector increased (+1.85%).
46,8% of the industry employees have higher education (to compare: 25,7% of all the employees have higher education).
The number of self-employed persons in the sector is twice as large as in other industries in total (respectively 28,8% and 14,1%).
Facts about Latvia (“Creative Industry of Latvia”, BICEPS, 2007):
- Increase in turnover from 2002 to 2005 – on average 17,3% annually
- In 2005 4,8 % of the employed are working in the creative industry, the employment rate annually increases on the average by 7% (2002-2005)
