site.btaBulgaria Had EU's Lowest Number of Cultural Enterprises in 2022

In 2022, Bulgaria had the lowest number of cultural enterprises in the EU, Eurostat reported on Tuesday. Across the EU, there were 2.03 million cultural enterprises, representing 6.3% of all businesses within the business economy (industry, construction and market services). These generated EUR 199 billion in value added, which was 2.0% of the total value added in the business economy.

Cultural enterprises accounted for less than 5% of all businesses in six EU countries: Bulgaria and Slovakia (both 3.1%), Poland (4.3%), Greece (4.7%) and Denmark and Romania (both 4.8%). In contrast, the highest share of cultural enterprises in the national business economies was registered in the Netherlands (11.0%), Sweden (10.8%), Slovenia and Lithuania (both 8.9%) and Austria (8.1%).

Over one-quarter of the cultural enterprises in the EU were engaged in creative, arts and entertainment activities (27.4%). Meanwhile, publishing (14.9%) and architecture (14.6%) accounted for the largest shares of the total value added generated by the EU’s cultural sector. 

A breakdown analysis by size class shows the importance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the sector. In 2022 in the EU, 78% of people working in creative, arts and entertainment enterprises, were employed in micro enterprises, 11.6% in small enterprises, and 6.5% in medium enterprises. Only 3.9% of these professionals were employed in large enterprises.