Economic Impact of the Arts

Just how much do the arts contribute to the economy?

According to Arts & Economic Prosperity: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts Organizations and Their Audiences, released in 2002, reveals that America's nonprofit arts industry generates $134 billion in economic activity every year, including $24.4 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenues.

The $134 billion total includes $53.2 billion in spending by arts organizations and $80.8 billion in event-related spending by arts audiences:

-The $53.2 billion represents a 45 percent increase (from $36.8 billion) since 1992, when Americans for the Arts last studied spending by arts organizations.

-The $80.8 billion in event-related spending by arts audiences reflects an average of $22.87 per person in spending for hotels, restaurants, parking, souvenirs, refreshments, or other similar costs-with non-local attendees spending nearly twice as much as local attendees ($38.05 compared to $21.75).

-The $134 billion in total economic activity has a significant national impact, generating the following:

+ 4.85 million full-time equivalent jobs
+ $89.4 billion in household income
+ $6.6 billion in local government tax revenues
+ $7.3 billion in state government tax revenues
+ $10.5 billion in federal income tax revenues

The most comprehensive economic impact study of the nonprofit arts industry ever conducted, it is based on surveys of 3,000 nonprofit arts organizations and more than 40,000 attendees at arts events in 91 cities in 33 states, plus the District of Columbia.

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