DCMS sector Economic Estimates: Productivity 2023 (provisional)
Source: gov.uk (2025-03-20)

Official Statistics in development providing measures of labour productivity in DCMS sectors.

About

These official statistics in development provide provisional estimates of the productivity of DCMS sectors for 2019 to 2022, and provisionally for 2023, measured by gross value added (GVA) per hour worked.

This is the first time we have published time series data for output per hour, which is the preferred measure of labour productivity and has the advantage of accounting for different working patterns. We have previously published productivity estimates for output per job, however suitable data is not currently available to update this series. We will review this in future, based on both data availability and user needs

These estimates should not be directly compared to the previously published ones, as the methodology has since changed and the data used to produce the older estimates has since been substantially revised.

Content

DCMS sectors

These statistics cover productivity in the following DCMS sectors:
- creative industries
- cultural sector
- gambling
- sport
Users should note that there is overlap between DCMS sector definitions and that several cultural sector industries are simultaneously creative industries.

A definition for each sector is available in the tables published alongside this release. Further information on all these sectors is available in the associated technical report above along with details of methods and data limitations.

Estimates exclude tourism, due to a lack of suitable data, and civil society, as our definitions for civil society jobs, hours worked and GVA are incompatible. Work is ongoing to explore the feasibility of developing estimates.

Headline findings:

In 2023:
- Output per hour in included DCMS sectors (creative industries, culture, sport and gambling) was £35, compared to £43 for the UK as a whole. This means that for DCMS sectors compared to the UK average, more hours of work are needed to generate the same amount of GVA.
- Between 2022 and 2023, we provisionally estimate that output per hour in included DCMS sectors fell by around 3% compared to a fall for the overall UK economy of around 0.5%.
- Compared to pre-pandemic (2019), included DCMS sector output per hour in 2023 was estimated to be relatively unchanged, compared to around a 3% increase for the UK as a whole.
- DCMS sector productivity estimates vary by sector and subsector.
The following information is worth noting:
- Estimates for 2023 are provisional and subject to change when the National Accounts are published later in 2025.
- GVA is a standard measure of labour output, and has the advantages of comparability and availability of data, but will produce apparently lower values of productivity for parts of DCMS sectors (e.g. museums, libraries) where goods and services are often provided free at the points of consumption and have wider cultural and societal benefits (which may also include indirect effects on UK GVA).
- These estimates use the ONS dataset output per hour worked (https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/economicoutputandproductivity/productivitymeasures/datasets/outputperhourworkeduk) which is classified as official statistics in development because the estimates are based on the Labour Force Survey which has been impacted by falling sample sizes. The estimates also use ONS Annual Population Survey (APS) estimates of hours worked, which has also been impacted by falling sample sizes. As a result, the accreditation of ONS statistics based on the APS was temporarily suspended on 9 October 2024 and these statistics are considered official statistics in development until further review. This means there is greater uncertainty in DCMS sector estimates.
Released

First published on 20 March 2025.

Official statistics in development: Call for Feedback

These statistics are labelled as official statistics in development (https://osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/policies/official-statistics-policies/official-statistics-in-development/). Official statistics in development are official statistics that are undergoing development and will be tested with users, in line with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics (https://code.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/). These productivity estimates are designed to complement our other economic estimates and to give a deeper understanding of the economic performance of DCMS sectors to the UK economy. They are being published as official statistics in development because:
- they include an updated methodology for productivity (output per hour).
- the methodology is still in development, including exploring the possibility of producing estimates for civil society and tourism
- we will be seeking user feedback on the usefulness of the statistics, the suitability of the methodology used and how clearly the statistics are communicated, including explanations about quality.
We expect to make further methodological improvements and implement changes to the DCMS productivity estimates after seeking user feedback. These changes will be made by the next annual productivity release, expected in 2025/2026. At this point we will make an assessment about whether the statistics still remain in development or if the label can be removed.

We welcome feedback on these statistics. We particularly welcome views on:
- the methodology and data sources used
- the presentation of these measures and explanations about the quality of the data
- suggestions for how these statistics could be further improved
- how you are using the estimates
For feedback on productivity estimates for DCMS sectors, please contact xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) by 23rd May 2025.

Office for Statistics Regulation

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 (https://code.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/) 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 by emailing xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx). Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) or via the OSR website (https://osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/).

The responsible analyst for this release is Rachel Moyce. For further details about the estimates, or to be added to a distribution list for future updates, please email us at xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).

Pre-release access

A document is provided that contains a list of ministers and officials who have received privileged early access to this release. In line with best practice, the list has been kept to a minimum and those given access for briefing purposes had a maximum of 24 hours.