The Numbers Tell the Story

Interesting facts about the arts and culture sector.

The arts and culture sector contributed $85 billion to Canada's GDP in 2007 (7.4% of Canada's real GDP)

Source: Valuing Culture: Measuring and Understanding Canada's Creative Economy

Conference Board of Canada, 2008

 

The cultural sector generated approximately $26 billion in taxes for all levels of government in 2007. This is more than three times higher than the $7.9 billion spent on culture by all levels of government in 2007.

Source: Valuing Culture: Measuring and Understanding Canada's Creative Economy

Conference Board of Canada, 2008

 

One in every 43 people in Saskatchewan has a cultural occupation (13,000).

Source: Artists in Canada’s Provinces and Territories: Based on the 2006 Census

Hill Strategies Research, 2009

 

29,000 Saskatchewanians volunteered in arts and culture organizations, contributing about 2 million hours – worth an estimated $30 million dollars.

Source: Volunteers in Arts and Culture Organizations in Canada in 2004

Hill Strategies Research Inc., 2007

 

Saskatchewan residents spent $38 million on books and $94 million on art works and events in 2008.

Source: Consumer Spending on Culture in Canada, the Provinces and 12 Metropolitan Areas in 2008

Hill Strategies Research, 2010

 

42% of artists are self-employed – six times the self-employment rate in the overall labour force. Further, 39% of artists have a bachelor’s degree or higher, nearly double the rate in the overall labour force.

Source: A Statistical Profile of Artists in Canada: Based on the 2006 Census

Hill Strategies Research, 2009

 

Saskatchewan's cultural sector directly contributed $900 million to the province's GDP in 2003.

Source: Economic Contribution of the Culture Sector to Canada’s Provinces

Statistics Canada, 2007

 

* Based on the latest data available.