Victorian Government cultural and creative industries and COVID support expenditure, 2021-22

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Government cultural funding survey estimates public funding (federal Government, state and territory governments and local government) each year to arts and cultural activities and facilities.

The latest research reflects on the 12 months of 2021-22.

During 2021-22, the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria and other portfolio areas, provided $745.0 million to support cultural activities and businesses across the state.  This represented a decrease of 3 per cent or $26.9m from 2020–21. This slight decrease follows unprecedented growth of 40 per cent over the previous 12 months.

Snapshots
    • The estimated expenditure by the Victorian Government of $745 million includes $105.4 million of targeted Creative Victoria COVID support for cultural and creative organisations, infrastructure, businesses, individuals, support programs and initiatives.
    • Chart 1 shows a decrease of 3 per cent ($26.9 million) in Victorian Government funding in 2021-22, down from a record high in 2020-21, however cultural expenditure is still an increase on previous years of funding.
    • Victorian Government recorded expenditure growth of 35 per cent over the two years to June 2022 (including COVID support).
    • Chart 2 shows the main categories of arts activities funded in Victoria were: Performing arts venues $160m, Arts Education $38.7m, Film and video production & distribution $37.6m and Music $33.5m.
    • Across the country, the highest amount of state and territory government arts expenditure was for Performing arts venues, with the governments of Victoria (35 per cent) and Queensland (27 per cent) contributing most of the funding to this category.
    • The largest categories of Heritage expenditure across the country were Libraries and Art museums. The Victorian Government was the second highest contributor for Libraries (24 per cent) behind NSW (28 per cent).
Cultural Funding by the Victorian Government, 2016-17 to 2021-22. Source: ABS Cultural Funding by Government survey, Office of the Arts, Creative Victoria Note: *survey not run in 2018-19
Victorian Government arts expenditure by selected categories. Source: ABS Cultural Funding by Government survey, Office of the Arts, Creative Victoria

To find out about national government cultural expenditure please visit the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, and the Arts.