Creative industries employ 44,000 people in Northern Ireland
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Business
New official statistics published today by NISRA statisticians in the Department for Communities (DfC) present the Creative Industries Economic Estimates for Northern Ireland, covering gross value added (GVA), employment, and business sites across the creative sector.
Key findings
- The creative industries contributed £1,595 million to the Northern Ireland economy in 2023, making up 2.8% of total economic output (gross value added). In real terms, adjusted for inflation, this represents a fall of 1.8% on the previous year, though the sector has generally grown since 2010.
- Employment in the creative industries reached 44,000 jobs in 2024, an increase of 5,000 jobs (14%) compared with 2023. Over the same period, employment across Northern Ireland as a whole grew by just 2%.
- Creative industries jobs account for roughly one in every 20 jobs in Northern Ireland (4.9% of total employment). This share has remained broadly stable, at between 3% and 5%, throughout the period from 2011 to 2024.
- IT, software and computer services was the largest creative industries subsector by employment, providing 21,000 jobs in 2024, nearly half of all creative sector employment.
- There were 3,805 creative business sites in Northern Ireland in 2025, up from 3,695 in 2024, a rise of 3%. Creative businesses account for 4% of all business sites in Northern Ireland. Publishing and Advertising and marketing saw the largest growth, each increasing by 8%.
About this publication
This bulletin provides statistics on key economic estimates for the Creative Industries for Northern Ireland. It covers:
- Gross value added (GVA), reported in both current prices and in real terms (chained volume measures, adjusted for inflation at 2022 prices)
- Employment across creative industries subsectors
- Number of creative business sites across Northern Ireland
Further information
Read the full report: Creative Industries Economic Estimates for Northern Ireland
View data tables and background information: Creative Industries economic estimates for Northern Ireland 2025 | Department for Communities