In 2014, the direct economic weight of culture, meaning the added value of all cultural sectors, reached 44 billion euros. The share of culture in the entire economy (2.3%) has decreased and returned to its 1995 level, after peaking at 2.6% in 2003. For comparison, the automotive industry achieved an added value of 9.8 billion euros in 2013.
The decline in 2014 was driven by the press, architecture, and books, confirming their economic downturn. Influenced by the growing impact of digital offerings, retail trade stabilizes, but at a much lower level than in 2007, when this sector began to decline. Audiovisual, performing arts, and heritage have experienced continuous growth since 1995, with performing arts becoming the second largest cultural sector economically after audiovisual, overtaking the press that held this position in the early 2000s.
In line with this economic decline, employment in cultural sectors decreased by 5% compared to 2013, with a notable decline in workforce in books and the press. With a total of 615,000 jobs in 2014, cultural sectors represent 2.4% of the employed population.
