For this report, analysis was carried out using Eurostat statistics and taking into consideration the expenditure classes in COFOG accounts “08.2 Cultural services” and “08.3 Broadcasting and publishing services” included in the division “08 – Recreational, cultural and religious activities”. With reference to public expenditure in the cultural sector, Eurostat statistics are updated to the year 2019. Therefore, Italian ISTAT statistics, consistent with Eurostat as regards the structural breakdown and the data costruction methodology, have been used for 2020.
Between 2014 and 2020, public spending on culture increased by more than 60% as a result of a very strong spending variation in the “broadcasting and publishing services” sector, while spending on “cultural services” grew by 9% over the same period. Expenditure on ‘cultural services’, in fact, underwent a strong decrease between 2015 and 2016, followed by a stable growth, however not sufficient to recover the value of 2015, the year in which the peak was recorded.
The substantial growth recorded since 2016 is largely due to the surfacing of the RAI licence fee revenue and due to the effects of an anti-evasion provision contained in the 2016 Budget Law, according to which the licence fee is collected by the electricity companies by means of a surcharge on bills. These resources then flow into a new fund (Fund for Pluralism and Innovation in Information) dedicated to supporting the publishing industry, a sector that until then had been able to count on allocations programmed in a rather disorganised manner.
Trends in public cultural expenditure by function 2014-2020 (million EUR)
As a result, between 2014 and 2020, all indicators show positive changes: Per capita expenditure, in the face of a 1.9% drop in population, increased from €82 to €135; the ratio to GDP from 0.31% to 0.49%; and the ratio to total public expenditure from 0.60% to 0.85%.
Public culture expenditure, all levels of government, per capita – 2014 -2020
| 2014 | 2019 | 2020 | Var. 2020-2014 (%) | |
| 08.2 – Cultural Services | 78,23 | 84,07 | 87,17 | 11,4% |
| 08.3 – Broadcasting and publishing services | 4,03 | 50,01 | 47,99 | 1090,7% |
| Total | 82,26 | 134,09 | 135,15 | 64,3% |
Source: Eurostat (years 2014 to 2019), ISTAT (year 2020)
Public culture expenditure in percentage of the GDP – 2014 – 2020
| 2014 | 2019 | 2020 | Var. 2020-2014 (%) | |
| 08.2 – Cultural Services | 0,29% | 0,28% | 0,31% | +0,02 |
| 08.3 – Broadcasting and publishing services | 0,0% | 0,17% | 0,17% | +0,15 |
| Total | 0,31% | 0,45% | 0,49% | +0,18 |
Source: Eurostat (years 2014 to 2019), ISTAT (year 2020)
Public culture expenditure in percentage of the total public expenditure – 2014 – 2020
| 2014 | 2019 | 2020 | Var. 2020-2014 (%) | |
| 08.2 – Cultural Services | 0,57% | 0,58% | 0,55% | -0,02 |
| 08.3 – Broadcasting and publishing services | 0,03% | 0,34% | 0,30% | +0,27 |
| Total | 0,60% | 0,92% | 0,85% | +0,85 |
Source: Eurostat (years 2014 to 2019), ISTAT (year 2020)
Trends in public cultural expenditure 2014 – 2020(% GDP, % total public expenditure)
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