Canada’s creative economy isn’t just enriching our culture, it’s powering our prosperity.
According to Artworks: The Economic and Social Dividends from Canada’s Arts and Culture Sector (a new report from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Business Data Lab), the arts and culture sector contributed an impressive $65 billion in direct GDP in 2024.
And its arguably growing faster and supporting more jobs per dollar than powerhouse industries like oil and gas, manufacturing, and agriculture.
The data
Commissioned by Business / Arts in partnership with the Canada Council for the Arts, the research highlights what artists, creators, and cultural workers have long known: creativity drives more than inspiration. It drives growth, innovation, and belonging.
“The arts and culture sector enriches every aspect of Canadian life. It fuels economic growth, attracts talent, fosters belonging, and strengthens our communities,” says Aubrey Reeves, President and CEO of Business / Arts.
“With the release of the Artworks report, we are demonstrating culture’s measurable impacts and making a clear, evidence-based case for continued investment in the creative economy that keeps Canada competitive and connected.”
Over the past three years, GDP generated by the arts and culture sector has surged nearly 8%, compared to overall national growth of 4%. Internationally, Canada’s creative exports are also booming — reaching $25 billion in 2022, the highest level ever recorded.
Since 2011, cultural exports have doubled, with leading categories including visual and applied arts, audiovisual and interactive media, and written and published works.
The Arts vs traditional industries
Key findings from the Artworks report reveal just how integral the sector has become to Canada’s economy:
- The arts and culture sector supports 13 jobs for every $1 million in output, outstripping job creation in oil and gas, manufacturing, and agriculture.
- Since 2011, the sector’s growth has surpassed that of oil and gas, wholesale and retail trade, construction, and manufacturing.
- Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia are leading the way — collectively contributing over $100 billion in GDP and supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs.
- Altogether, the sector generates approximately $17 billion in federal and provincial tax revenue each year.
Despite this remarkable performance, the report warns that funding challenges are threatening the sector’s momentum. Arts organizations typically rely on a balanced mix of government grants, earned revenue, and private donations — but both public and private funding are showing signs of decline.
Government allocations to arts, culture, and heritage are shrinking as a proportion of total federal spending, while Canadian private contributions sit at just 0.8% of income — below both the North American average (0.94%) and global average (1.04%).
“The arts and culture sector generates $29 in economic activity for every dollar of federal investment — that’s an extraordinary return, in addition to the social benefits it creates,” notes Andrew DiCapua, Principal Economist at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
“Yet we’re seeing concerning trends in both public and private funding. If we want to maintain Canada’s cultural competitiveness and harness this sector’s full potential, we need sustained, strategic investment.”
The social power of art
The Artworks report underscores that the arts are not only an economic engine but a cornerstone of social well-being.
Communities with higher per-capita arts grants tend to report a stronger sense of meaning and purpose, greater cohesion, and improved newcomer integration. The sector also enhances employability, fosters skills development, and even has positive ripple effects on housing and local property markets.
As cultural exports hit record highs and creative industries continue to outpace traditional ones, one message is clear: investing in Canada’s arts and culture sector is both an economic opportunity and a cultural necessity.
To keep Canada thriving — economically, socially, and creatively — the arts deserve not just applause, but strategic, sustained support.
For the full report, click here.
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