Arts sector growing faster than Canada’s economy overall: Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Audience members are pictured watching a performance at Music PEI Week 2024. (Courtesy: Music PEI)

TORONTO — A new report from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce says every dollar the government invests in the arts generates $29 in economic activity.

The research from the Business Data Lab, which was commissioned by the national charity Business / Arts in partnership with the Canada Council for the Arts, says the arts and culture sector contributed $65 billion to the economy last year.

The findings are laid out in “Artworks: The Economic and Social Dividends from Canada’s Arts and Culture Sector,” which was published on Tuesday.

The report makes the case that funding the arts is a worthy investment for the government, saying the sector returns it two times over in tax revenue alone.

The report also says the eight per cent growth in the sector over the past three years has outpaced the growth of Canada’s economy overall, which sits at four per cent.

It says that since 2011, growth in the arts and culture sector has also outpaced the growth of key industries such as oil and gas, wholesale trade, retail trade, construction and manufacturing.

The report uses Statistics Canada data to make its analysis, breaking down arts and culture into six broad categories: heritage and libraries, live performances, visual and applied arts, written and published works, audiovisual and interactive media, and sound recording.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2025.

Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press