La crop confirms itself as one of the strategic drivers of the Italian economyIn 2025 the Cultural and Creative Production System (Spcc) generated 115,8 billion euros of added value, equal to 5,7% of the national economy, with a growth of 3,3% compared to 2024, and provided employment to 1,54 million people, 5,7% of the country's total employment (+1,7%). This is what emerges from the I am culture 2026 report, realized by Symbola Foundation, Unioncamere, Centro Studi Tagliacarne and Deloitte, now in its sixteenth edition.
The cultural and creative sector produces effects that extend far beyond the sectors directly involved: for every euro generated by the system, another 1,7 euros are activated in the rest of the economy, with an overall impact estimated at approximately 310 billion euros, equal to 15,4% of national wealth.
Culture and made in Italy, a lever for competitiveness
“The strength of our economy and of Made in Italy products owes much, in all fields, to culture and beauty – he states Hermes Realacci, Chairman of the Symbola Foundation -. Culture and creativity, in addition to enriching our identity and fueling global demand for Italy, can help us address the challenges we face, starting with the climate crisis. Italy, with over a million and a half cultural and creative workers, can make a significant contribution to the green and digital transition. Shifting production toward quality increases value and reduces energy consumption, raw materials, and emissions.
For Andrew Priest, President of Unioncamere, "Creativity is not just a part of Italy's identity: it is a strategic lever for competitiveness in the productive system. The value of culture extends well beyond the confines of the cultural and creative industries, fueling innovation, quality, and the ability to compete in many sectors of the economy, from tourism to high-quality manufacturing."
Software, video games and territories drive growth
Between the sectors of the Core Culture the economic primacy belongs to software and video games, which in 2025 generated 18,6 billion euros of added value, equal to 27,8% of the wealth produced by the central cultural sector, and employ over 206 people.
La territorial distribution confirms the central role of large urban areas and regions with a strong integration between culture, creativity and the production system. Lazio is the first Italian region by impact of the Cultural and Creative Production System on the regional economy: the sector represents 8,1% of the regional wealth, with 17,7 billion euros of added value. Lombardy, on the other hand, maintains its national primacy by economic size, with over 33,2 billion euros generated by the cultural and creative sector, equal to 7,1% of the regional economy. In Southern Italy the Campania confirms itself as the main creative cultural hub, with almost 5,9 billion euros of added value and an impact of 4,6% on the regional economy. Noon The region is showing growth dynamics above the national average: the cultural and creative production system is growing by 3,7%, compared to the 3,3% growth rate in Italy. The region with the greatest increase in cultural and creative businesses in the five-year period from 2021 to 2025 is Campania, with a 12,3% increase.
Alongside the economic results, there remain some structural fragilityIn the cultural sector, self-employment represents 35,4% of employed workers, a figure that rises to 48,2% in the Core Cultura sector, compared to the Italian economy's average of 21,5%. 7,4% of employed workers express a negative opinion about their job security, with higher figures in the performing arts (10,3%) and historical-artistic heritage sectors (8,4%).
