The cultural sector employed 187,700 people in 2021, which meant 46,500 more workers than in 2020, and the best employment balance since at least 2011, the National Statistics Institute (INE) revealed this Thursday.
In the annual statistical report on Culture, the INE indicated that the 187,700 people employed in the cultural and creative sector in 2021 represented 3.9% of total employment and that figure is the highest since 2011 (111,500 workers), without previous data. available.
According to the INE, in 2021 the turnover of companies in the cultural and creative sector increased by 14.1%, from 5,800 million euros (ME) to 6,700 million euros.
The average monthly gross salary per employee in Culture was 1,363 euros in 2021that is, there was an increase of 4.5% compared to 2020.
In 2021 there has been a slight increase in the results of cultural activity compared to 2020, the year with the greatest slowdown in the sector due to covid-19, but even so the data is substantially below 2019, pre-pandemic.
According to the INE, the live shows held in 2021 -such as concerts and theater and dance sessions- added 3.6 million viewers, when in 2020 there had been 2.5 million people.
As for the box office collection, in 2021 the direct ones generated 28 million euros, that is, they had an increase of 12.3% compared to 2020, the year in which the total billing was 24.9 million euros.
Going back to 2019, that year, the live shows were watched by 16.9 million viewers and generated €125.3 million in revenue.
According to the INE, in 2021, of the 3.6 million spectators counted, two million paid tickets????????
And, in 2021, tickets for live shows were 3.6 euros cheaper. The average price of tickets sold went from 17.8 euros in 2020 to 14.2 euros in 2021.
The INE also reveals provisional data on book publishing in Portugal, based on the legal deposit number, indicating that 10,873 books (+17.2%) were printed and published in 2021, corresponding to a total of 8,200 authors. .
Regarding the use of information technologies, in 2021 there was a slight decrease in consumption compared to 2020, the year in which the Portuguese were more connected to the Internet due to the periods of confinement during the pandemic.
According to online consumption statistics, last year 81.3% of Internet users read news (in 2020 it had been 85.7%) and 69.0% listened to music (70.1% in 2020) through Internet.
In 2021, 108.5 million copies of newspapers, magazines and other publications in paper and electronic format were soldwhich represents a fall of 10.5% compared to the previous year.
Of the total of 888 periodical publications recorded by the INE, 55.3% were distributed simultaneously on paper and electronically.
“This type of support has been gaining importance: it represented 19.4% in 2007, the first year for which information is available,” says the INE.
In 2021, exports of cultural goods increased by 18.2%, for a total of 199.5 million euros, but more culture was also imported, reaching 408.1 million (an increase of 15.9%), which means that the trade balance continues with a negative balance, for a total of 208.7 million euros.
Last year, the city councils allocated 491.4 million euros to expenses with cultural and creative activities, which represents an increase of 4.5% compared to 2020.
Source: Observadora
