Culture Satellite Account

The importance of the culture sector to the economy is difficult to measure with current statistical tools. How much do artists, musicians or any cultural activity contribute to the dynamism of an economy?

The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), in collaboration with the UN Statistics Division, is developing international recommendations for compiling Culture Satellite Accounts. These recommendations will provide the framework for the development of national Culture Satellite Accounts and facilitate the international comparability of culture statistics. By implementing this framework, countries will be able to evaluate the true contribution of culture to their economy and compare their results with other countries.

To address methodological issues, the Institute has established a Technical Advisory Group on Culture Satellite Accounts, (TAG CSA), which includes representatives of national statistical offices, regional and international organizations (such as Eurostat, Afristat and the OECD), and researchers. The group will present recommendations to the UIS and the UN Statistics Division, after which a global consultation on CSA will take place in 2019.