UNESCO and Abu Dhabi launch a new report on the economic impact of COVID-19: Pandemic cost culture up to 40% in lost revenue and over 10 million jobs

Examining the impact of COVID-19 across all cultural domains, the report highlights that culture was one of the most seriously impacted sectors globally, with more than 10 million jobs lost in 2020 alone and a 20-40% drop in revenues across the sector. The sector also saw a decline of 25% of its Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2020. However, while most of the sector suffered a sharp decline, online publishing and audiovisual platforms experienced growth due to increased reliance on digital content during the pandemic. The publication also identifies major global trends reshaping the culture sector and proposes new integrated policy directions and strategies to support the sector’s revival and sustainability.

Shifts in the cultural value chain

Using data from more than 100 industry reports, 40 expert interviews, and economic analyses, the publication underscores the need for an integrated approach to the recovery of the culture sector and calls for a re-framing of the value of and support for culture, as a critical foundation for a more diverse and sustainable society.

The report also highlights broader shifts in cultural production and dissemination, notably due to the accelerated digitization of cultural products during the pandemic. Revenues from the digital creative economy totalled US $2.7 billion globally in 2020, over a quarter of the sector’s overall revenue.

A threat to cultural diversity and the diversity of cultural expression

The pandemic has proven a threat to cultural diversity. The increased precariousness of the livelihoods of freelancers and cultural workers, combined with the exacerbation of already deep-rooted inequities in terms of gender and disadvantaged groups in society, have caused many artists and culture professionals to leave the field, undermining the diversity of cultural expressions. These inequities, combined with regional disparities, have severely undermined the production and distribution of cultural goods and services. For instance, in Latin America, 64% of freelancers in the culture sector lost more than 80% of their income as a result of COVID-19.

Redefining the culture sector’s place on the public agenda

The end of the pandemic presents a significant opportunity to reposition culture on the public agenda and enhance its value as a global public good, says the report. It notes that the pandemic resulted in an enhanced recognition of the culture sector’s social value and contribution to collective and individual wellbeing, as well as to sustainable development. Indeed, in 2020, culture was included for the first time in the policy discussions of the G20 and the report argues that it is essential to grasp the global momentum.

For UNESCO and DCT, this report represents the continuation of an ongoing collaboration on a series of strategic initiatives that support a joint commitment to advancing culture as a public good and protecting and promoting the diversity of cultural expressions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

Original article

The report is available in the Arab and English languages.