Estimating the Economic Contribution of Western Australia's Cultural and Creative Industries

Estimating the Economic Contribution of Western Australia's Cultural and Creative Industries

The problem:

Cultural and creative industries make substantial contributions to economic growth, employment and innovation, yet their value is often underestimated because creative work occurs across many industries and occupations. How can government accurately measure the economic contribution of cultural and creative activity to support evidence-based policy and investment decisions in Western Australia?

Our research:

Associate Professor Yogi Vidyattama and Dr Marion McCutcheon developed the comprehensive estimate of the economic contribution of cultural and creative activity to the Western Australian economy for the Western Australian Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport. Drawing on the latest cultural and creative satellite account methodologies and innovative state-level input-output modelling, the project estimated the contribution of 14 creative domains, including computer systems design, advertising and promotion, architecture services, internet publishing and broadcasting, print media and publishing, and visual arts and crafts.

A key innovation was adapting national cultural and creative accounting approaches to the state level using Western Australian input-output tables developed through collaboration with FootprintLab (the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales). The research also addressed limitations in existing national estimates by incorporating computer systems design, one of the largest and fastest-growing creative sectors, providing a more complete picture of the role of creativity across the WA economy. The study demonstrated that cultural and creative activity contributes both within creative industries and through embedded creative work across the broader economy.

Our impact:

The report has been adopted as the official estimate of the economic contribution of Western Australia's cultural and creative sector by the WA Government and published by the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport. The findings showed that cultural and creative activity contributed $10.5 billion to WA Gross State Product in 2024 when computer systems design is included, representing a significant and growing component of the state's economy.

The research was publicly cited by Hon Simone McGurk, Minister for Creative Industries, and Chad Anderson, Director General of the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport, at the opening of the Remix Summit Perth in November 2025. The project also established a strategic collaboration with FootprintLab and provided the foundation for a larger national project with Screen Australia examining the economic contribution of the screen sector to inform the National Cultural Policy Review. This work exemplifies the Faculty mission of working with government for society by providing policy-relevant evidence that supports investment and planning in the creative economy.