The report Re|thinking Policies for Creativity (Rethinking Policies for Creativity) from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) on the future of creativity policies estimates that there will be significant drops in revenue for music and audiovisual creators by 2028, due to the increase in content production using artificial intelligence (AI).
The survey was based on data collected in more than 120 countries. According to UNESCO, in addition to representing a threat to artistic freedom, the situation will also affect public funding, contributing to weakening the cultural and creative industries..
According to the report, digital revenues now represent 35% of creators’ income, compared to 17% recorded in 2018, which reflects a structural change in the economic model of the creative industries.
Growth is accompanied by greater precariousness and greater exposure to intellectual property violations. By 2028, the expansion of content produced by generative AI could cause global revenue losses of up to 24% for music creators and 21% for the audiovisual sector, says the study.
UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany highlighted that the report raises the need to “renew and strengthen support for those engaged in artistic and cultural creation in a context where AI and digital transformations are redefining the creative industries.”
Differences
Of the total countries that responded to the survey, 85% said they include cultural and creative industries in their national development plans. However, only 56% defined specific cultural objectives. According to UNESCO, this highlights a difference between general commitments and concrete actions.
UNESCO shows that global trade in cultural goods reached US$254 billion in 2023 and that 46% of exports originate in developing countries. What happens is that these countries represent just over 20% of global trade in cultural services, revealing growing imbalance as the market shifts to digital formats.
The report says that direct public financing for culture remains low, below 0.6% of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and on a downward trend.
Digital transformation has increased access to tools and audiences, but it has also intensified inequalities and increased financial instability for creators and professionals in the cultural sector.
The UNESCO study notes that essential digital skills are present in 67% of the population in developed countries, while only 28% of developing countries have these skills, which reinforces the North–South divide.
The document also draws attention to the concentration of the market on a few streaming platforms and the low relevance of content curation systems, which makes it difficult for lesser-known creators to gain visibility.. Only 48% of countries said they were developing statistics to track digital cultural consumption, which limits effective policy responses.
UNESCO also highlights the obstacles to international artistic mobility. The data shows that 96% of developed countries support artistic mobility abroad, but only 38% facilitate the entry of artists from developing countries.
In UNESCO’s assessment, the asymmetry restricts opportunities and hinders the international circulation of creators, especially from regions with less access to financing and support structures. The report indicates that only 61% of countries have independent bodies to supervise this area.
Genres
In terms of gender equality, UNESCO simultaneously identified significant advances and disparities in the cultural and creative industries. For example, female leadership in national cultural institutions has increased globally, rising from 31% in 2017 to 46% in 2024.
Regarding distribution, inequality persists: while women occupy 64% of leadership positions in developed countries, in developing countries this number drops to 30%. Many countries insist on positioning women primarily as consumers of culture and not as creators and leaders in this sector.
The 2026 report is the fourth part of the series overseeing the implementation of the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. The document was published with support from the Swedish government and the Swedish Agency for International Development Cooperation.
States parties to the 2005 Convention have adopted more than 8,100 cultural policies and measures to reinforce the role of cultural and creative industries in sustainable development.
Through the International Fund for Cultural Diversity (FIDC), UNESCO has supported 164 projects in the areas of cinema, performing arts, visual arts and media arts, as well as design, music and publishing in 76 countries in the global south..
