Key facts
- In 2025, the EU's cultural sector employed 8.9 million people, accounting for 4.3% of total EU employment.
- Cultural sector employment saw a 0.5 percentage point increase between 2024 and 2025.
- The EU institutions signed the first-ever 'Europe for Culture - Culture for Europe' declaration.
- The declaration addresses challenges such as AI, platform dominance, and the use of culture for disinformation.
- The Netherlands, Estonia, and Malta have the highest shares of cultural employment.
The European Union has signed its first-ever declaration on culture, titled 'Europe for Culture - Culture for Europe,' aiming to establish guiding principles for future EU cultural policy. This initiative comes as new data from Eurostat reveals a rise in employment within the cultural sector across the bloc.
In 2025, the cultural sector employed 8.9 million people, making up 4.3% of the total EU employment. This represents a 0.5 percentage point increase between 2024 and 2025. The sector encompasses roles such as artists, musicians, and actors, with nearly half of those employed aged between 30 and 49. A significant majority of cultural workers hold at least a bachelor's degree.
Employment shares in culture vary across member states, with 17 countries reporting between 4% and 5% of their workforce in the sector. The Netherlands leads with 5.7%, followed by Estonia (5.3%) and Malta (5.1%). Romania has the lowest share at 1.8%, with Slovakia and Ireland also below 3.5%.
The new declaration seeks to recognize culture's role in addressing contemporary challenges, including geopolitical tensions, climate change, the digital transition, social inequality, and mental health. Mafalda Dâmaso, a researcher at the European University Institute, noted the sector's complex challenges, such as the impact of AI on creative value chains, platform power endangering cultural diversity, and the use of culture for disinformation.
The declaration outlines 12 principles, emphasizing freedom from censorship for artists and better pay and social protection for cultural workers. However, it is not legally binding, meaning its implementation will depend on individual member states' responses.