Cultural expenditures increased by 31.8 pct in 2021

ANKARA

Turkish people spent more money on culture in 2021 with cultural expenditures increasing by 31.8 percent compared to 2020, according to a report by the country’s official statistical institute TUİK.

“The Cultural Economy and Cultural Employment Statistics” showed that the cultural expenditures reached nearly 80 billion Turkish Liras ($4.3 billion) in 2021.

“Ratio of total cultural expenditures in the gross domestic product was 1.1 percent in 2021,” TUİK said in a statement on Dec. 1.

Households devoted 20.5 percent of their total cultural expenditure on television and equipment, while 15.7 percent on fees paid for cable/private TV broadcasting services, and 15.5 percent on data processing equipment in 2021.

The report also showed that total turnover of enterprises in cultural sectors increased by 61.4 percent in 2021 compared to the previous year at 145 billion liras ($7.8 billion).

Value added at factor costs of cultural enterprises increased by 64.1 percent and was 28 billion liras ($1.5 billion).

“Some 20.9 percent of value added was produced by printing and reproduction of recorded media, 13.3 percent by motion picture, video and television program production, sound recording and music publishing activities and 12.3 percent by manufacture of jewelry and related articles,” TUİK said.

“Export of cultural goods increased by 110.6 percent, while import of cultural goods increased by 29.8 percent,” it added.

On the business side, cultural employment increased by 8.4 percent in 2021 compared to the previous year and reached some 642,000 people.

“Some 63.1 percent of the people in cultural employment were in the 30-54 age group, 28.8 percent in the 15-29 age group and 7.9 percent in the 55 and over age group,” it stated.

Some 89.3 percent of the people in cultural employment had a cultural occupation, while 10.6 percent of the people in cultural employment were in other occupational groups.

According to the distribution of cultural employment by cultural occupational group 40 percent was handicraft workers, 19.9 percent was architects, planners and surveyors, 8.4 percent was artistic, cultural and culinary associate professionals and 7.9 percent was creative and performing artists.