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Headline findings

All level estimates in this release are presented in 2023 prices. This means estimates from 2024 onwards are not fully adjusted for inflation and it is likely these would be higher if presented in later prices, although growth rates would be unchanged.

DCMS sectors (excluding tourism)

These early estimates indicate that:

• Included DCMS sector GVA is estimated to have increased by around 2% from the three months to March 2026 to the three months to March 2026, faster than the UK economy overall (+0.7%).
• Compared to the three months to March 2019 (pre-pandemic), included DCMS sector GVA has grown by around 19%, compared to 7% growth for the UK economy, though trends vary by sector.

Released

19 May 2026

About this release

The total for DCMS sectors reported here includes civil society, creative industries, cultural sector, gambling and sport. Tourism is not included as the data is not available (see note in data table).

Monthly estimates

These Economic Estimates are Official Statistics, used to provide an early estimate of the economic contribution of DCMS sectors, in terms of gross value added (GVA), for the period January 2019 to March 2026. Estimates for the most recent months are particularly uncertain but can provide an early indicator of changes in GVA. This current release contains first estimates for January to March 2026.

Estimates are in chained volume measures (i.e. have been adjusted for inflation), at 2023 prices, and are seasonally adjusted. These latest monthly estimates should only be used to illustrate general trends, not used as definitive figures.

You can use these estimates to:

• look at relative indicative changes in GVA over time for DCMS sectors and subsectors

You should not use these estimates to:

• quantify GVA for a specific month
• measure absolute change in GVA over time
• determine findings for sectors that are defined using more detailed industrial classes (due to the data sources only being available at broader industry levels)

Data sources and technical information

The estimates are calculated based on published ONS data sources including the Index of Services and Index of Production.

These data sources provide an estimate of the monthly change in GVA for all UK industries. However, the data is only available for broader industry groups, whereas DCMS sectors are defined at a more detailed industrial level. For example, GVA for ‘cultural education’ (a sub-sector of the cultural sector within the DCMS sectors) is estimated based on the trend for all education. Sectors such as ‘cultural education’ may have been affected differently by COVID-19 compared to education in general. These estimates are also based on the composition of the economy in 2023. Overall, this means the accuracy of monthly GVA for DCMS sectors is likely to be lower for months in 2020 and 2021.

The technical guidance contains further information about data sources, methodology, and the validation and accuracy of these estimates. The latest version of this guidance was published in November 2023.

Content

These statistics cover the contributions of the following sectors to the UK economy.

DCMS Sectors:

• civil society
• creative industries
• cultural sector
• gambling
• sport

Users should note that there is overlap between DCMS sector definitions and that several cultural sector industries are simultaneously creative industries.

Monthly estimates of tourism GVA are not available at present, due to a lack of suitable data. The latest estimates of tourism GVA are available in our annual GVA publication.

Feedback and consultation

We aim to continuously improve the quality of estimates and better meet user needs. We welcome feedback on this release. Feedback should be sent via email to evidence@dcms.gov.uk.

Office for Statistics Regulation 

Our statistical practice is regulated by the OSR. OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.

You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards by emailing evidence@dcms.gov.uk. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the .

Pre-release access

The accompanying pre-release access document lists ministers and officials who have received privileged early access to this release. In line with best practice, the list has been kept to a minimum and those given access for briefing purposes had a maximum of 24 hours.

Contact

Responsible statisticians: Florence Wragg and Rachel Moyce

For any queries or feedback, please contact evidence@dcms.gov.uk.

Published 19 May 2026