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The Impact of the Arts

Let’s tell the arts impact story together.

Whether you’re a leader in the arts, an artist, or arts fan, you know the arts matter to Canadians. You might want to communicate this to decision makers, community leaders, and your audiences. But where to begin?

To get you started, we’ve put together some key impacts of the arts on the economy, health and wellbeing, and society, below. Use these points in a way that makes sense to you—adding details about the impact of the arts in your community.

Key impacts of the arts

The arts make a vital contribution to the economy.

  • The arts and culture sector contributes $60 billion towards Canada’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).1
  • Over 850,000 people work in cultural jobs in Canada. This is similar to the workforce in hospitals and more than two times larger than that on farms.2
  • Arts and culture tourism has triple the economic impact of other types of tourism.3

The arts improve the health and wellbeing of Canadians.

  • The World Health Organization found the arts play a major role in preventing, managing, and treating illnesses, as well as promoting health and wellbeing.4
  • The arts can significantly reduce stress—after spending as little as 30 minutes with art.5
  • The overall health of Canadians is strongly linked to their participation in arts, culture, and heritage activities.6

The arts strengthen society.

  • Arts and culture participation boosts civic engagement, democracy, and social cohesion.7
  • People who participate in arts and culture feel a stronger sense of belonging in Canada.8
  • Arts and culture education improves students’ academic performance.9

You can find some facts on the Canada Council for the Arts’ impact by the numbers here.

1 Statistics Canada, Provincial and Territorial Cultural Indicators, 2022.

2 Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population.

3 Ontario Arts Council, Ontario Arts and Culture Tourism Profile, August 2023.

4 World Health Organization, (1) What is the Evidence on the Role of the Arts in Improving Health and Well-being? A Scoping Review, and (2) Intersectoral Action: The Arts, Health and Well-being, 2019.

5 Grossi, E., Blessi, G. T., & Sacco, P. L. Magic moments: Determinants of stress relief and subjective wellbeing from visiting a cultural heritage site, 2019.

6 Hill Strategies Research inc., Canadians’ Arts Participation, Health, and Well-Being, 2021.

7 European Commission: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture and Hammonds, W., Culture and democracy, the evidence – How citizens’ participation in cultural activities enhances civic engagement, democracy and social cohesion – Lessons from international research, Publications Office of the European Union, 2023, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2766/39199.

8 Nanos Research (Nanos for Business / Arts and the NAC), Culture track : Canada, 2024 (Business/Arts, NAC and Nanos Research) – Nanos Research.

9 UNESCO. Arts education: an investment in quality learning. UNESCO Publishing, 2023. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000386034.