Edgardo W. Olivera / Stravinsky Fountain in Paris
London illustrates the scale of this market. According to the City of London, the creative industries contribute around £51.7 billion a year to the capital’s economy, accounting for 12.1 per cent of the city’s economy. The sector accounts for roughly one in five jobs. In 2025, the London authorities announced additional funding for a programme to develop the creative economy, focusing on design, fashion, film, television and video games.
Berlin demonstrates a different model – a concentration of a large number of small, specialised companies. According to the Berlin Business Location Centre, in 2024 more than 195,000 people were employed in the city’s creative industries, there were more than 37,000 companies, and the sector’s total turnover amounted to around €41 billion.
Amsterdam is banking on an international creative environment. According to the city’s Department of Research and Statistics, in 2023 the cultural and creative sector in the capital region accounted for 109,000 jobs and more than 59,000 businesses. Around 62 per cent of the sector’s jobs were located in Amsterdam itself. Almost nine out of ten companies were sole traders or small businesses, according to Onderzoek Amsterdam.
At the same time, the Amsterdam authorities view culture as more than just a sector in its own right. In its Arts Development Plan for 2025–2028, the city notes that nearly 10 per cent of its working population is employed in the cultural and creative sector, and that the cultural environment helps to attract businesses and international visitors to the city. At the same time, the city acknowledges the problem of high property prices and the lack of affordable spaces for artists and cultural organisations.
Barcelona demonstrates how the creative economy can be integrated into an urban economic strategy. In 2024, 188,000 people were employed in companies linked to the creative industries, accounting for 15.6 per cent of the city’s workforce. Between 2021 and 2024, the number of such jobs rose by 18 per cent. This group includes, in particular, publishing, the performing arts, audiovisual production and video games, notes Barcelona Activa.
Major events are also important for Barcelona. According to city authorities’ estimates, festivals, fairs and other international events contribute over €5 billion to the city’s economy. Among the best-known events are the Sónar and Primavera Sound music festivals.
In New York, the creative economy has grown to the scale of a major sector in its own right. According to the city’s Department of Media and Entertainment, film and television, theatre, music, advertising, publishing and digital content together account for more than 300,000 jobs and over $105 billion. The city actively supports the production of content within its boundaries. The authorities view film, television, music, theatre and digital games not only as cultural sectors, but also as tools for developing the ‘city economy’.
Seoul has gone even further in using design as an economic tool. According to UNESCO, the city’s design industry has created over 170,000 jobs. One of the symbols of this policy is the Dongdaemun Design Plaza complex, which brings together exhibition, educational and cultural spaces.
However, the creative economy also has a downside. Rising property prices, expensive commercial premises and a high cost of living can drive independent artists, small studios and cultural venues out of cities. This is precisely why Berlin and Amsterdam are simultaneously developing the creative sector whilst seeking ways to preserve affordable infrastructure for its participants. In Amsterdam, the authorities explicitly cite the shortage of affordable spaces as one of the sector’s main problems.
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