The data was released today by the European statistical office, Eurostat, revealing that in 2024, cultural employment accounted for 3.8% of total employment in the EU, encompassing a total of 7.9 million people, with figures ranging from a minimum of 1.6% in Romania to a maximum of 5.3% in the Netherlands.
In Portugal, this percentage stood at 3.9% (197,000 people).
“Generally, the share of cultural employment was higher in Western and Northern EU countries compared to those in the East and South,” noted Eurostat.
In comparison to the previous year, cultural employment in the EU grew by 1.9% in 2024.
Last year, the gender gap in cultural employment was the smallest, with four million men and 3.93 million women working in the sector.
Female participation in cultural employment (49.6%) surpassed their proportion in total employment (46.4%).
Regarding age groups, those most represented in the cultural sector were aged between 30 and 39 years, over 65, and between 15 and 29 years, with a lower percentage in the 40-49 and 50-64 age groups.
Regarding education levels, 62.3% of cultural workers had higher education, 30.4% secondary education, and 7.1% lower levels.
Additionally, nearly a third (31.7%) of cultural workers were self-employed, compared to 13.6% in the general economy.
In 2024, there were approximately 1.79 million artists and authors in the EU, representing 22.6% of cultural employment.
Of these, about 45.1% were self-employed, which is above the average (13.6%).
In Portugal, more than 50% of artists and authors worked as self-employed last year.
The data on cultural employment is derived from surveys conducted in the European Union, covering workers in economically cultural activities.
