Spanish cultural and creative industries (CCI) policy has evolved towards a consolidated framework combining innovation, digital transformation and territorial development. Current policy is structured around project-based support instruments coordinated by the Centre for the Coordination of Cultural Industries, which promotes cultural and creative activity across sectors such as audiovisual production, music, publishing, design, videogames, architecture and digital creation. This approach reflects a shift from sector-specific policy frameworks towards a broader ecosystem-based understanding of cultural production, closely linked to innovation systems and economic development.
Public policy instruments prioritise the strengthening of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the professionalisation of the sector and improved access to funding through grants and innovation-oriented support schemes. Increasing attention is also given to collaboration between cultural operators, technology centres and research institutions, reinforcing the integration of culture within wider innovation ecosystems.
At the territorial level, CCIs are strongly embedded in regional innovation and cluster-based strategies. A prominent example is the Basque Country, where CCIs form part of smart specialisation strategies (RIS3) and are supported through initiatives such as the Basque District of Culture and Creativity (BDCC), which connects universities, companies and public institutions to foster innovation and internationalisation.
Similarly, Catalonia has developed a highly structured creative ecosystem combining public support, cultural institutions and innovation-led strategies, with Barcelona functioning as a major European hub for design, audiovisual production and digital creativity. In Madrid, policy development increasingly focuses on creative entrepreneurship, cultural programming and acceleration programmes for cultural enterprises, while the Valencian Community has strengthened its cultural and audiovisual strategy through integrated support for creative industries, innovation and internationalisation.
According to the Cultural Statistics Yearbook 2025, cultural industries accounted for approximately 2.2% of Spain’s GDP in 2023, rising to 3.4% when intellectual property-related activities are included. The sector generated more than 31 billion euro in gross value added, with audiovisual and multimedia, publishing and visual arts representing the largest components.
From a European comparative perspective, cultural employment accounted for 3.8% of total employment in the EU in 2024, placing Spain broadly in line with the European average. In Spain, the cultural sector employed approximately 771,000 people in 2024 (3.6% of total employment), confirming its structural relevance within the labour market.
The business structure remains highly fragmented and dominated by SMEs: 68.3% of enterprises operate without employees, 26.6% have between 1 and 5 employees, 4.7% between 6 and 49 employees, and only 0.4% employ 50 or more workers. In total, the sector comprised approximately 185,500 enterprises in 2024, representing 5.7% of all registered companies. This structure underlines the importance of targeted policy instruments to support financing, scalability and digital transformation.
In terms of international trade, exports of culture-related goods reached approximately 2.1 billion euro in 2024, while imports amounted to 2.6 billion euro, maintaining a structural trade deficit despite a slight increase in exports and a decline in imports. As in previous years, the publishing sector remained the strongest-performing segment, generating 553.7 million euro in exports and sustaining a positive trade balance.
Comments are closed.