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Creative sector economic reports

New reports show our creative sector is high value and highly productive
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With the right action from government and industry, the creative/creative technology sector has the potential to underpin New Zealand’s future prosperity

Skills in the creative sector

Click to read the full report 'Skills in the creative sector' (PDF)

In this report, well-known economist Shamubeel Eaqub reveals that New Zealand’s creative/creative technology sector (people working in creative jobs and industries) has a much bigger economic impact and is a much bigger employer than commonly perceived, worth $13 billion annually and supporting around 100,000 jobs.

Te Pūaotanga – The New Dawn

As Toi Mai moves towards disestablishment at the end of the year, our companion report Te Pūaotanga – The New Dawn is a challenge to government, industry and business to act boldly to activate the creative sector to power New Zealand’s next stage of economic growth.

Skills in the creative sector

  • Produced for Toi Mai by well-known economist Shamubeel Eaqub, this report busts some common myths in New Zealand about this fast-growing sector, which ranges from movie and TV production to gaming and music recording. The report shows the sector is: 
    • worth almost $13 billion annually (2022) – 4% of GDP and growing rapidly 
    • supports almost 100,000 jobs  
    • highly productive – about the same as agriculture 
    • our fourth largest commodity export ($3.6bn in 2023), bigger than fruit, wine and seafood, sitting behind only dairy, meat and forestry.
  • This report reveals that achieving the sector’s growth potential will depend on creative businesses having access to workers with the right skills, but there is currently a massive disconnect between sector needs and training.

 

Te Pūaotanga – The New Dawn

  • Our companion report is a wero (challenge) to government, business and industry to take action to realise the creative/creative tech sector’s potential.  
  • We set out some pathways to transform the sector and make sure New Zealand doesn’t squander our competitive advantage. Key actions we are calling for include to: 
    • position creative industries as a strategic economic asset and catalyst for tourism, export, sustainability and tech growth – including appointing a Minister for Creative Industries as a senior role in the Executive
    • develop a government-led national skills strategy that looks out 20–30 years
    • redirect existing investments through smarter deployment of current resources, e.g. 25% of international visitors engage with creative tourism (visiting film, event and experience), and a portion of the International Visitor Levy could be allocated to boost these experiences and develop new ones
    • reform education and industry incentives with funding to reward skills-based outcomes that meet industry needs, rather than ‘qualifications’.

Skills in the creative sector with Shamubeel Eaqub

Economist Shamubeel Eaqub says New Zealand’s creative/creative tech sector is highly productive and improving over time.

The sector also has a much bigger impact on the economy and jobs than commonly perceived.

Looking to the future with Dr Claire Robinson

Dr Claire Robinson, Te Tumu o Toi | Toi Mai Chief Executive, says it’s time for the New Zealand Government to be more ambitious for the creative/creative tech sector and really back it, just like it backs the primary sector and construction industry. In return, this high value sector will power economic growth.

Contact us

If you have any questions, email us at [email protected]