EU cultural sector employed 8.9 million people in 2025, Eurostat reports

The European Union's cultural sector employed 8.9 million people in 2025, accounting for 4.3% of total employment across the bloc, according to new data released by Eurostat.The figures highlight the continued role of the cultural and creative industries as a significant source of employment across the EU, with nearly one in every 23 workers employed in occupations linked to culture.Eurostat's latest data shows that the workforce is concentrated among mid-career professionals, with 48.5% of cultural workers aged between 30 and 49 years. The sector also maintains near gender parity, with women accounting for 49.6% of those employed and men representing 50.4%.The report also points to a highly educated workforce. Nearly 62% (61.9%) of people employed in the cultural sector held tertiary qualifications, considerably higher than the broader labour market. Meanwhile, 31.3% had completed upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education, while only 6.7% had education up to lower secondary level.Employment levels varied considerably across member states.The Netherlands recorded the highest share of cultural employment, with 5.7% of its workforce employed in the sector, followed by Estonia (5.3%) and Malta (5.1%).At the other end of the spectrum, Romania reported the lowest proportion of cultural workers at 1.8%, while Slovakia (3.3%) and Ireland (3.4%) also recorded relatively low shares.Across the EU, 17 of the 27 member states reported cultural employment representing between 4% and 5% of total employment, indicating the sector's broad contribution to national labour markets.Alongside the employment figures, Eurostat also published an updated edition of its Guide to Eurostat Culture Statistics, providing an overview of the methodologies used to compile harmonised data on cultural employment, enterprises, international trade in cultural goods and services, cultural participation, and household expenditure on culture.The publication is intended to support policymakers, researchers and businesses in analysing trends across Europe's cultural economy and comparing data consistently across member states.