• Highlights

• The share of cultural spending in total public expenditure across the three levels of government fell from 0.40% in 2013 to 0.38% in 2023.
• Only municipal spending on culture showed recovery compared to 2013 (from 1.05% to 1.09% in 2023), with a decrease in participation at state (from 0.46% to 0.39%) and federal (from 0.09% to 0.04%) levels.
• The decline occurred mainly between 2013 and 2021, when it reached a minimum of 0.27% of total public exxpenditure. In 2022, it grew to 0.31%, reaching 0.38% in 2023.
• Public expenditure on culture grew by 122.4% between 2013 and 2023, from R$ 8.5 billion to R$ 18.9 billion, in nominal terms. During the same period, the IPCA (Brazilian consumer price index) was around 109%.
• Also between 2013 and 2023, at the federal level, expenses decreased (-7.3%), while there was an increase at state (84.3%) and municipal (175.9%) levels.
• The Aldir Blanc and Paulo Gustavo laws recently contributed to the increase in total public expenditure.
• In 2024, exported cultural goods totaled approximately R$ 4.0 billion and imported goods, R$ 20.8 billion. Considering a trade balance of cultural goods, in 2024, exports represented 16.3% and imports, 83.7% of the total spent.
• Educational training linked to culture involved approximately 2.7 million people and 10.9% of undergraduate courses completed by people aged 25 in 2022. Higher proportions were found for women (11.9%), indigenous persons(14.9%), and persons aged 50 and over (13.4%).
• Access to paid video streaming services increased from 10.9% of households in 2022 to 11.4% in 2024. White women (13.9%) and white men (13.5%) lived in households with streaming in a higher proportion than black or brown women (9.8%) and black or brown men (9.5%).
• Among leisure trips taken in 2024, 1.7 million were for culture and gastronomy, and 1.5 million were for nature, ecotourism, or adventure. Together, these represented approximately 46% of all leisure trips.

The share of culture spending in total public expenditure fell from 0.40% in 2013 to 0.38% in 2023. Only municipal spending showed a recovery from the level found at the beginning of the series (from 1.05% of expenditure to 1.09%), with a decrease in participation at the state (from 0.46% to 0.39%) and federal (from 0.09% to 0.04%) levels. The decline occurred between 2013 and 2021, when it reached a minimum of 0.27%. In 2022, it grew to 0.31%, reaching 0.38% in 2023.

In nominal terms, total public spending on culture grew by 122.4% between 2013 and 2023, from R$ 8.5 billion to R$ 18.9 billion. For comparison, the IPCA (Brazilian consumer price index) grew by approximately 109% during that period.

Taking into account transfers and considering only destination-based aid policies, federal cultural spending decreased by 7.3%, from R$ 923.5 million in 2013 to R$ 856.1 million in 2023. The state level saw an increase of 84.3% in the same period (rising from R$ 3.1 billion to R$ 5.7 billion). The municipal sphere saw the largest growth, totaling R$ 12.3 billion, an increase of 175.9% compared to 2013.

The data comes from the publication "General Government Expenditure by Function," from the National Treasury Secretariat, and is part of the System of Social Information and Indicators (SIIC) 2013-2024, released today (12) by the IBGE. The study gathers information on the cultural sector from various IBGE surveys on companies, employment, prices and access to culture, as well as other administrative government data. Read also the news about companies in the cultural sector. Watch the online press conference about the release here.

According to the study's coordinator, Leonardo Athias, "the jump in absolute numbers is recent, as total expenditure hovered below R$ 10 billion between 2013 and 2021, growing strongly in the last two years of the series. Only now has there been a recovery in the face of inflation."

In the distribution by expenditure category, Other expenses, which include part of the aid granted to the sector in the post-pandemic period, increased from 6.7% in 2013 to 22.0% in 2023, with growth starting in 2020. Conversely, the share of compensation fell, from 32.2% of the total in 2013 to 27.1% in 2023. The same happened with expenses on goods and services (operating costs), which fell from 52.8% of the total in 2013 to 45.2% in 2023. Gross investment, which includes construction and the acquisition of machinery and cultural equipment, also fell from 6.0% in 2013 to 3.7% in 2023, and Other economic classifications (which include subsidies, transfers and social benefits) fell from 2.3% in 2013 to 2.0% in 2023. 2023. “There was no absolute loss in these categories, but a loss of participation with the growth of Other expenses,” analyzes Mr. Athias.

The Aldir Blanc and Paulo Gustavo laws recently contributed to the increase in total public expenditures. Data from the Monitoring Bulletin of the Secretariat for Promotion and Incentives to Culture shows that state and municipal governments received R$ 3.0 billion in resources from the Aldir Blanc Law in 2023. Of this total, more than R$ 1.1 billion was directed to states and municipalities in the Southeast region. The Paulo Gustavo Law Data Panel shows that R$ 3.9 billion was transferred to states and municipalities in July and August 2023, also predominantly from the Southeast region.

An analysis of municipalities, sphere with the greatest weight in public spending on culture, shows that, despite a loss of participation during the period, the Southeast is still the most relevant region, increasing from R$ 2.3 billion in 2013 (51.9% of the total) to R$ 5.5 billion in 2023 (44.7% of the total). The Northeast gained participation during the period, increasing from 27.0% in 2013 to 31.8% in 2023, an increase of 225.3% in absolute values ​​(from R$ 1.2 billion to R$ 3.9 billion). The Central-West region had the lowest share of municipal spending, with only 5.3% in 2023. On the other hand, it had the largest percentage increase in absolute values ​​during the period, with 310.3%.

Regarding government tax waiver for cultural incentives via Pronac (National Program for Cultural Support), in 2013, the amount waived was R$ 1.1 billion, and the amount raised by cultural producers was R$ 1.3 billion. Private investment was R$ 182.6 million, representing 14.5% of the total. In 2023, the government tax waiver was R$ 2.5 billion, but the amount raised for the sector was R$ 2.3 billion. Of this total, R$ 901.2 million was directed to 1,374 cultural projects in the state of São Paulo. Nationally, 4,579 cultural projects were approved in 2023 compared to 3,493 in 2013.

Trade balance for cultural goods is in deficit

In 2024, exported cultural goods totaled approximately R$ 4.0 billion, and imported goods totaled R$ 20.8 billion. Considering a trade balance of cultural goods, in 2024 exports represented 16.3% and imports 83.7% of the total expenditure. This deficit situation was found throughout the studied period (with the lowest share of exports in 2014, 11.8%, and the highest in 2016, with 22.7%). The data are from the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services for the period from 2014 to 2024.

“The study of foreign trade in cultural goods and services is justified by the economic impact it can have, with the possibility of guiding policies directed to this area, in addition to representing the potential for increased cultural enjoyment by people and even having effects on international cooperation,” highlights Mr. Athias.

Regarding imported products in 2024, approximately one-third of the absolute value (35.1%) was related to electronic devices, with the largest shares going to microphones, speakers, and smartphones. Other relevant products were printing machines (25.5%) and toys, games, and entertainment items (16.3%). As for exported products, works of art, collectibles, and antiques stood out, accounting for 37.7% of the total. Electronic products came in second place with 20.7%, followed by books and other graphic products with 11.9%.

Among the destinations for Brazilian exports of cultural goods in 2024, the highlights were the United States (31.7%) and Argentina (9.1%). The other countries included in this list were mostly European or Latin American. Regarding the origin of Brazilian imports, China accounted for more than half (55.6%) of total imports of cultural goods in 2024, a figure greater than the sum of all other countries combined. The United States (6.3%) and Germany (5.0%) came next.

Using data from the Balance of Payments of the Central Bank of Brazil, it is possible to compare exports (revenues) and imports (expenses) related to "Audiovisual and related services," which include services linked to films, TV, music, including licenses, artists' compenastion, etc.

The relationship between imports and exports of audiovisual and related services showed a surplus between 2016 and 2023, with the exception of 2018 (52.1% imports and 47.9% exports) and 2024 (a tie, with 49.9% for exports versus 50.1% for imports), and a greater share of exports in 2016 (84.4%) compared to imports (15.6%).

When comparing the proportion of exports (revenues) and imports (expenses) of "audiovisual and related services" to the total services sector, it is observed that, unlike goods, exports related to culture (1.07% in 2024) have a greater representation in imports (0.50% in 2024).

Approximately 2.7 million people have training related to culture

According to data from the 2022 Population Census, approximately 2.7 million people aged 25 or older had training related to culture, representing 10.9% of undergraduate degrees completed in 2022. Higher proportions were found for women (11.9%) compared to men (9.9%), and for people of Indigenous (14.9%) and Black (12.0%) color or race, compared to people of White (11.1%), Asian (10.5%), and Brown (10.4%) color or race. By age group, the highest proportion was among persons aged 50 and over (13.4%).

In 2022, approximately 2.0 million persons aged 25 or older with culture-related undergraduate courses were employed. However, of these, 25.4% worked in the cultural sector and 74.6% outside of it. Higher proportions of employment in the cultural sector were found for people of Asian color or race (33.9%), White color or race (29.4%), men aged 25 to 39 (31.8%), and women aged 25 to 39 (34.4%).

Regionally, the highest proportions were found in São Paulo (31.6%), Rio de Janeiro (30.7%), and Santa Catarina (30.7%); the lowest in Amapá (8.5%), Roraima (8.8%), and Tocantins (9.2%).

“People engaged in cultural activities or occupations (formal and informal) represented approximately 5.7% of the total population according to the 2022 Population Census. Beyond the capital cities, there were concentrations in various locations in Ceará,  in the Mesoregions of Central Potiguar (RN), Agreste de Pernambuco, Centro Goiano (GO), and Vale do Itajaí (SC), among others,” Mr. Athias points out.

The Census data also allows for the analysis of the main cultural activity by municipality. The activity that appears in the largest number of municipalities is the manufacture of apparel and accessories, with 1,846 municipalities, followed by furniture manufacturing (805) and telecommunications and information services (610).

Among the largest capitals, artistic, creative and entertainment activities stand out in first place in Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Salvador, with second place in São Paulo and Brasília, where advertising was in the first place.

'Watching videos' is the cultural highlight of Internet access

According to data from the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) module of the Continuous PNAD survey, in 2024, 89.2% or 165.1 million persons aged 10 or older accessed the internet at least once in the three months prior to the interview. In 2016, the year the time series began, the percentage was 66.0% or 115.1 million persons.

Among the purposes of internet access investigated in 2024 related to culture are: "Watching videos, including shows, series and films," with 88.5% of Internet users; "Listening to music, radio or podcasts," with 83.5%; "Reading newspapers, news, books or magazines online," with 68.8%; and "Playing games (on video games, cell phones, computers, etc.)," ​​with 30.3%.

"Watching videos, including programs, series, and movies" and "Listening to music, radio, or podcasts" had lower engagement among persons aged 60 or older: 71.3% and 62.2%, respectively. Almost all access purposes had a higher proportion among young persons aged 15 to 29 in 2024, compared to other groups. The exception was "Playing games (video games, cell phones, computers, etc.)," ​​which had 47.3% among young people and a higher percentage among persons aged 10 to 14 (71.8%). This purpose was also higher for men (37.0%) compared to women (24.1%).

"Reading online newspapers, news, books, or magazines" showed differences by sex and color or race, with Black or Brown women (65.5%) showing 7.8 percentage points below White men (73.3%), the group with the most access. This purpose also showed a large difference between people with no schooling or incomplete primary education (49.2%) and those with complete higher education (88.6%).

The data also reveal the technological evolution of TV sets. The proportion of households with flat-screen televisions increased between 2016, when it was 65.3% of households, compared to 2024, with 90.5%, a device with the potential for Internet access and use. In the comparison between 2016 and 2024, the number of households with access to pay TV decreased, from 33.2% to 24.5%. Access to paid video streaming services, which began being surveyed in 2022, was present in 10.9% of households, reaching 11.4% in 2024. White women (13.9%) and white men (13.5%) lived in households with streaming in a higher proportion than Black or Brown women (9.8%) and Black or Brown men (9.5%). This service was also more prevalent in households in the Southeast (12.9%), South (14.2%), and Central-West (13.0%) regions compared to the North (9.8%) and Northeast (7.6%) regions.

Higher-income residents travel more for culture and gastronomy

Among the 7.0 million leisure trips taken in 2024, 1.7 million were for culture and gastronomy, and 1.5 million were for nature, ecotourism, or adventure. Combined, these categories represented approximately 46% of leisure trips. The numbers surpassed 2023, which had 6.8 million leisure trips, with 1.5 million for culture and gastronomy and 1.5 million for nature, ecotourism, or adventure. The data comes from the Tourism module of the Continuous PNAD survey, which quantified the flows of domestic tourists between different regions of the country and abroad.

In 2024, approximately 8.1 trips of the culture and gastronomy type were recorded per 1,000 residents in Brazil. The states of origin of travelers that stood out above the national average were Rio de Janeiro (13.5), Rio Grande do Sul (12.8), and Espírito Santo (11.3).

Leisure trips focused on culture and gastronomy, and nature, ecotourism, or adventure were more concentrated in the 20% of households with the highest per capita income in 2024. These households accounted for 63.3% of trips related to culture and gastronomy and 58.9% of trips related to nature, ecotourism, or adventure. Conversely, the 20% of households with the lowest incomes accounted for 10.3% of trips related to culture and gastronomy and 9.4% of trips related to nature, ecotourism or adventure.

More about the survey

The System of Cultural Information and Indicators - SIIC aims to develop a consistent and continuous base of information on the cultural sector and build indicators related to the topic. In its seventh edition, in addition to updating and deepening themes (such as tourism and a new approach to public expenses), the study innovates by exploring foreign trade of cultural goods and services, data on Individual Micro-Entrepreneurs - MEIs in the cultural sector and, with data from the 2022 Population Census, provides information regarding employment in the cultural sector and higher education related to culture.