Almost 8 million people in the EU worked in cultural activities in 2024

The data was released today by the Community statistical office, Eurostat, which indicated that, in 2024, cultural employment represented 3.8% of total employment in the EU (a total of 7.9 million people), with values ranging from a minimum of 1.6% in Romania to a maximum of 5.3% in the Netherlands.

In Portugal, this percentage was 3.9% (197 thousand people).

"Overall, the share of cultural employment was higher in western and northern EU countries than in eastern and southern ones," Eurostat noted.

Compared to the same year last year, in 2024, cultural employment in the EU grew by 1.9%.

Last year, the smallest gender gap in cultural employment was also recorded, with four million men and 3.93 million women working in the sector.

Female participation in cultural employment (49.6%) exceeded their proportion in total employment (46.4%).

Regarding age group, the age groups most represented in the culture were those aged between 30 and 39, those over 65 and those between 15 and 29, with a lower percentage in the 40-49 and 50-64 groups.

Regarding education, 62.3% of cultural workers had higher education, 30.4% secondary education and 7.1% lower levels.

Furthermore, almost a third (31.7%) of cultural workers were self-employed, compared to 13.6% in the economy as a whole.

In 2024, there were around 1.79 million artists and authors in the EU, corresponding to 22.6% of cultural employment.

Of these, around 45.1% were self-employed, above the average (13.6%).

In Portugal, more than 50% of artists and authors were self-employed last year.

Data on cultural employment come from surveys conducted in the European Union and cover workers in economic activities considered cultural.

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