The UK’s creative exports are worth £21bn

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The UK’s creative exports are worth £21bn, according to new research on the value of digital trade. This means creative digital exports could be £6bn higher than the previous estimates.

Other findings include:

• creative industries export £46bn in goods and services, up by nearly £10bn
• £31bn of total creative exports are services, up from £22bn

From BBC’s Blue Planet to the Tom Clancy video games, our British creative exports are recognised across the globe and give the UK invaluable soft power.

Previous estimates have not been able to capture the full extent of the UK’s digital trade, including: musical artists gaining financial value from YouTube views of their music around the world, and designers and developers reaping the rewards of online game downloads.

This research was undertaken by the Creative Industries Federation and Cebr, sponsored by the Creative Industries Council (CIC) and supported by the Department for International Trade. It includes contributions from creative businesses and members of the Federation and CIC from across the UK.

Nicola Mendelsohn, chair of the Creative Industries Council said: “This report demonstrates that all sectors of the UK’s creative industries are using the opportunities that digital technology provides to increase their sales , innovate and reach new audiences who are hungry for UK products and services.”

Dr Jo Twist OBE, CEO of Ukie said: “The UK’s games businesses are natural exporters, selling world class interactive entertainment to a digitally connected, global market at the click of a button. With an ever growing audience that is already in excess of 2 billion people playing games in counties all round the world, and British businesses pushing the boundaries of technology and creativity to create ever more exciting content, the opportunities for the UK games sector to further grow its share of exports are huge.”