Development Report on Culture and Related Industries in 2024

In 2024, all regions and departments conscientiouslyimplemented the decision and deployment of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council under the strong leadership of CPC Central Committee, with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. Those efforts optimized the supply of cultural services and cultural products, advanced the rapid growth of culture and related industries, and stably improved the benefits of industrial operation. Besides, new cultural business formats continued to form, and investment in research and development and its scale remained increasing.

I. Production and operation

1. The business revenue of culture and related industries was more than 19 trillion, hitting historic high again.

With the accelerated cultivation and development of business entities in the cultural market, the scale of culture and related industries in China (hereinafter referred to as "the cultural industry") continued to expand. In 2024, the national cultural industry achieved the business revenue of 19,142.3 billion yuan[1], and the revenue scale had a new record high, up[2]by 7.1 percent over the previous year. The structure of the cultural industry continued to optimize, and culture-related services played a prominent leading role. In 2024, culture-related services realized the business revenue of 10,913.4 billion yuan, up by 7.4 percent over the previous year; that accounted for 57.0 percent in the total business revenue of the cultural industry, up by 0.1 percentage points over the previous year; the contribution share of that to the growth of business revenue in the cultural industry was 59.1 percent. Culture-related manufacturing and culture-related wholesale and retail arrived at the business revenue of 4,960.9 billion yuan and 3,267.9 billion yuan respectively, up by 7.1 and 6.2 percent over the previous year.

2. The business revenues of all nine major sectors in the cultural industry increased across the board, with the growth rates in the eastern and central regions exceeding the national average.

In 2024, the business revenues of all nine major sectors in the cultural industry achieved overall growth. Among them, the business revenue in four sectors, including cultural equipment production, news and information services, content creation and production and creative design services, grew at an accelerated pace, up by 11.2, 8.6, 8.4 and 7.2 percent respectively. The business revenue in three sectors, including cultural consumption terminal production, cultural auxiliary production and intermediary service and cultural communication channels, grew stably, up by 6.8, 6.2 and 4.5 percent respectively. By regions, the cultural industry in the eastern and central regions realized the business revenue of 14,175.0 billion yuan and 2,872.6 billion yuan respectively, and increased by 7.8 and 7.3 percent over the previous year, with the growth faster than the national average level; that in the western and northeastern regions realized the business revenue of 1,846.2 billion yuan and 248.5 billion yuan respectively, up by 2.6 and 1.8 percent.

II. Assets and benefits

1. Total assets in the cultural industry increased stably, and the greater contribution to the growth fell within the core fields of culture.

At the end of 2024, assets of the cultural industry totaled 34,398.7 billion yuan, which increased by 1,627.6 billion yuan over the end of the previous year, up by 5.0 percent. By industrial types, assets of culture-related wholesale and retail, culture-related manufacturing and culture-related services were 2,559.9 billion yuan, 4,788.8 billion yuan and 27,050.0 billion yuan respectively, up by 6.9, 5.3 and 4.7 over the end of the previous year. By fields, assets in the core fields of culture[3] and cultural related fields were 27,054.1 billion yuan and 7,344.6 billion yuan respectively, up by 4.8 and 5.5 percent over the end of the previous year; the contribution share of the core fields of culture to the overall increase of assets in the cultural industry arrived at 76.4 percent. Among nine sectors, the increase of assets in five sectors, including cultural equipment production, cultural consumption terminal production, content creation and production, culture, entertainment and leisure services and creative design services, was more significant, up by 10.0, 8.0, 7.4, 6.4 and 6.0 percent over the end of the previous year, respectively. The business revenue brought by per-hundred-yuan assets was 57.0 yuan, up by 1.5 yuan over the previous year.

2. The cultural industry achieved a faster growth in profit, indicating the stably improved profitability.

In 2024, the cultural industry achieved total profits of 1,773.7 billion in China, which were increased by 129.1 billion yuan over the previous year, up by 7.9 percent. Among which, cultural-related enterprises above the designated size achieved total profits of 1,319.2 billion yuan, up by 10.2 percent; cultural-related enterprises below the designated size achieved total profit of 454.5 billion yuan, up by 1.6 percent. From the perspective of industrial groups, digital content services, Internet information services, Internet culture and entertainment platforms, terminal manufacturing and sale of information services, etc., played an important role in the growth of overall profits in the cultural industry. In 2024, ratio of profits to the business revenue in the cultural industry was 9.3 percent across the country, up by 0.1 percentage points over the previous year; per capita business revenue and per capita total profits were 869,000 yuan and 81,000 yuan, up by 5,000 yuan and 1,000 yuan over the previous year respectively.

III. Scientific and technological innovation and investment

1. Investment in the research and development of the cultural industry grew stably and the proportion of the business revenue in the cultural industry with new business formats increased greatly.

Expenditure on research and development and operator involvement for cultural enterprises continued to increase as the integrated mechanism of culture and science and technology was continuously improved. In 2024, expenditure invested by cultural-related enterprises above the designated size in research and experimental development (R & D) were 162.5 billion yuan, up by 1.7 percent over the previous year. The number of R & D personnel in cultural-related enterprises above the designated size was 470,000, up by 2.6 percent; that accounted for 6.6 percent in the total number of employees of the cultural industry, up by 0.4 percentage points over the previous year. The integration of culture and science and technology greatly promoted the rapid development of new cultural business formats. In 2024, the 16 industry classes [4] with distinct characteristics of new cultural business formats achieved the business revenue of 6,660.0 billion yuan, up by 12.4 percent over the previous year, and the growth was 5.3 percentage points faster than that of all cultural industries. The business revenue of the cultural industry with new business formats accounted for 34.8 percent in the total business revenue of the cultural industry, up by 1.6 percentage points over the previous year. The contribution share of the cultural industry with new business formats to an increase in the business revenue of the cultural industry was 57.9 percent. Among them, Internet advertising services, three classes, including Internet services for other information, and multimedia game animation and digital publishing and software development, had an obvious driving effect on the business revenue, leading an increase of 10.1 percentage points to the business revenue of the cultural industry with new business formats.

2. Investment in the cultural industry was expanded continuously, with double-digit growth being introduced to partial sectors.

With the active promotion of related policies about high-quality cultural development, the scale of total investment in fixed for the cultural industry of the country continued to expand, and that in partial sectors had achieved double-digit growth. In 2024, the cultural total investment in fixed of the country increased by 2.9 percent over the previous year. Among nine cultural sectors, the growth of total investment in fixed presented eight increases and one decrease, better than that in the previous year (four increases and five decreases). Among them, total investment in fixed for four industry divisions, including cultural consumption terminal production, news and information services, cultural communication channels and creative design services, had achieved double-digit growth, being 16.3, 11.8, 10.2 and 10.0 percent respectively.

Main Indicators of China's Culture and Related Industries in 2024

Notes:

[1] Annual data for culture and related industries include annual data from enterprises of cultural and related industries above the designated size and, annual data from corporate units of cultural and related industries below the designated size,including public institutions and others.

[2] Unless otherwise specified, the growth rate in the table is the nominal growth rate without deducting price factors.

[3] Core fields of culture include six industries: news and information services, content creation and production, creative design services, cultural communication channels, cultural investment and operation, cultural entertainment and leisure services. Cultural related fields include three industries: cultural auxiliary production and intermediary services, cultural equipment production, and cultural consumption terminal production.

[4] The 16 industries with obvious characteristics of new formats are: radio and television integrated broadcast control, Internet search service, other Internet information services, digital publishing, other cultural and art industries, animation, game digital content services, Internet game services, multimedia, game animation and digital publishing software development, value-added telecommunication cultural services, other cultural digital content services, Internet advertising service, Internet culture and entertainment platform, copyright and culture software service, intelligent UAV manufacturing for entertainment, wearable intelligent cultural equipment manufacturing, and other intelligent cultural consumer equipment manufacturing.

Annotations:

I. Explanatory Notes

Culture and related industries refer to the collection of production activities that provide cultural products and cultural related products for the public. According to the Classification of Culture and Related Industry (2018), culture and related industries include nine categories: news and information services, content creation and production, creative design services, cultural communication channels, cultural investment and operation, cultural entertainment and leisure services, cultural auxiliary production and intermediary services, cultural equipment production and cultural consumption terminal production.

Business revenue refers to the inflow of economic benefits through production and operation activities of enterprises in the year, such as selling commodities, providing labor services and transferring the right to use of assets.

Total assets refer to all resources that are owned or controlled by enterprises through previous trades or transactions in the end of the year, with expectation of making economic profits to enterprises.

Business revenue brought by per-hundred-yuan assets=business revenue÷average assets×100, unit: yuan.

Total profits refer to the balance of various incomes minus various spending in the course of operation, reflecting the total profits and losses of enterprises in reference period.

Profit rate of business revenue=total profit÷business revenue×100%, unit: %.

Per capita business revenue=business revenue÷annual average population of employees, unit: 10 000 yuan.

Per capita total profits=total profits÷annual average population of employees, unit: 10 000 yuan.

Expenditure on research and experimental development (R & D) refers to all real expenditures and costs for the implementation of R & D activities in the year. Research and experimental development (R&D) refers to creative and systematic work undertaken in order to increase the stock of knowledge (including knowledge of humankind, culture and society) and to devise new applications of available knowledge.

Total investment in fixed / Assets in the whole country refers to the volume of activities in construction and purchases of fixed assets and related fees, expressed in monetary terms during the reference period.

II. Statistical Coverage

The statistical scope of culture and related industries covers the industry categories specified in the Classification of Culture and Related Industry (2018). The scope covers enterprises of cultural and related industries above the designated size with an annual principal business revenue of 20 million yuan or above; wholesale enterprises with annual principal business revenue of 20 million yuan or above or retail enterprises with annual principal business revenue of 5 million yuan or above; service enterprises with an annual business revenue of 10 million yuan or above, of which the transport, storage and post, information transmission, software and information technology services, water conservancy, environment and public facilities management with annual business revenue of 20 million yuan or above, and residential services, repair and other services, culture, sports and entertainment with annual business revenue of 5 million yuan or above; enterprises of cultural and related industries below the designated size do not meet the above standards.

III. Survey Method

In the economic census year, corporate units of cultural and related industries shall be identified and summarized according to the data obtained from the comprehensive survey of all enterprises of cultural and related industries, institutions and other units on the national statistical online direct reporting platform.

In the economic non-census year, corporate units of cultural and related industries above the designated size shall be identified and summarized according to the data obtained from the comprehensive survey of enterprises of cultural and related industries above the designated size on the national statistical online direct reporting platform; at the same time, data of corporate units (containing institutions) of cultural and related industries below the designated size shall be calculated according to the data obtained from the sample survey in sectors attributed to cultural and related industries on the national statistical online direct reporting platform.

IV. Division on Eastern, Central, Western and Northeastern Regions

The eastern region includes 10 provinces (municipalities): Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong, Guangdong and Hainan; the central region includes 6 provinces: Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei and Hunan; the western region includes 12 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities): Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Xizang, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang; the northeastern region includes 3 provinces: Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang.