As governments around the world begin to recognize the contribution of creative industries to economic growth and employment, there has been a growth in statistics and mapping exercises in order to give public officials the information they need to create targeted public policies to support the sector. This article explores the importance of cultural statistics and UNESCO's role in developing standard methodologies that countries can adopt and adapt.

Read more: Understanding Creative Industries - Cultural statistics for public policy-making (PDF)

The article was prepared by the Global Alliance team in February 2006.