Statistics about participation in and attendance at selected cultural and creative activities, for adults and children (aged 5-14 years)
In 2021-22,
This publication presents data from the Cultural participation and attendance survey 2021-22. Outputs from previous survey collections were presented in two publications:
Participation in Selected Cultural Activities, 2017-18
Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events, Australia, 2017-18
Refer to these publications for previous data.
Statistics in this release may have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the enumeration of the Cultural participation and attendance survey 2021-22, respondents were asked if they had attended or participated in cultural activities in the previous 12 months. As a result, this collection spans July 2020 – June 2022.
For more information about the impacts of COVID-19, see Methodology
In 2021-22, one third (32%) of adults participated in at least one cultural activity, compared with 31% in 2017-18.
Of all adults:
Source: Cultural and creative activities, 2021-22, Table 4
The most popular activities for women and men were:
Overall, participation rates in some cultural activities increased from 2017-18 to 2021-22, including:
Participation rates remained similar for most states or territories between 2017-18 and 2021-22. The highest participation rates were:
Source: Cultural and creative activities, 2021-22, Table 1 and Participation in Selected Cultural Activities, 2017-18, Table 1
Tasmanians aged 15 to 24 were most likely to participate in cultural activities (51%), followed by Victorian residents of the same age (45%).
Around one in seven (15%) participants volunteered in at least one cultural activity, while one in ten participants (10%) received an income for their involvement in cultural activities.
Of people who participated in a selected cultural activity:
In 2021-22, most Australian children aged 5 to 14 years participated in a cultural activity outside of school hours (94%), a decrease from 96% in 2017-18:
The highest participation rates for creative activities were:
Children’s participation rates in most creative activities decreased between 2017-18 and 2021-22:
Participation in reading for pleasure also decreased from 79% to 72%.
Participation in screen based activities was similar between 2017-18 and 2021-22 (90%).
Source: Cultural and creative activities, 2021-22, Table 9 and Participation in Selected Cultural Activities, 2017-18, Table 12
Most children (90%) participated in screen based activities. Of those children:
Most children (72%) also read for pleasure. Of those children:
Children participating in creative activities generally spent two hours or less per week on their selected activity.
Source: Cultural and creative activities, 2021-22, Table 10
Overall, participation was the same for boys and girls (94%). However, girls were more likely than boys to participate in the following activities:
Undertaking arts and crafts was the most popular creative activity for children of all age groups, with the highest participation rate being for children aged 5 to 8 (46%).
Children aged 5 to 8 years (60%) and 9 to 11 years (62%) were more likely to participate in creative activities than those aged 12 to 14 years (55%).
Reading for pleasure was higher among children aged 5 to 8 (76%) and 9 to 11 years (78%) than those aged 12 to 14 years (63%).
Source: Cultural and creative activities, 2021-22, Table 9
Australian Capital Territory children had the highest participation rate in reading (83%), while children in Queensland had the lowest (67%).
South Australian and Tasmanian children had the highest participation rate in screen based activities (94%), while children in Queensland had the lowest (85%).
Children’s participation in reading for pleasure declined from 2017-18 in:
In 2021-22, 64% of adults attended at least one cultural venue or event, down from 82% in 2017-18.
Attendance rates at all cultural venues or events declined between 2017-18 and 2021-22:
People living in greater capital cities were more likely to attend a cultural venue or event (65%) when compared with people living in other regions of Australia (61%).
The Australian Capital Territory had the highest adult attendance rate across Australia (72%), followed by Western Australia with 69%. Victoria had the lowest with 61%.
Attendance rates at cultural venues or events fell in all states and territories from 2017-18, with the largest declines in:
Source: Cultural and creative activities, 2021-22, Table 14 and Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events, 2017-18, Table 1
Men (80%) and women (83%) aged 15-17 years were most likely of all age groups to attend a cultural venue or event.
| Age group (years) | Males | Females | Persons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15-17 | 80 | 83 | 81 |
| 18-24 | 76 | 80 | 78 |
| 25-34 | 70 | 73 | 71 |
| 35-44 | 66 | 73 | 70 |
| 45-54 | 59 | 67 | 63 |
| 55-64 | 51 | 60 | 56 |
| 65-74 | 49 | 56 | 53 |
| 75 and over | 40 | 40 | 40 |
| Total | 61 | 66 | 64 |
Source: Cultural and creative activities, 2021-22, Table 16
Cinemas were the most visited venue or event for all age groups, except those aged 75 and over, where it was libraries or archives.
Source: Cultural and creative activities, 2021-22, Table 16
Overall, women (66%) were more likely than men (61%) to have attended a cultural venue or event. This was the case for each type of venue or event:
Source: Cultural and creative activities, 2021-22, Table 16
Of adults who attended a selected venue or event:
Source: Cultural and creative activities, 2021-22, Table 21
During 2021-22, eight in ten children (80%) aged 5 to 14 years attended at least one cultural venue or event outside of school hours.
Of all children:
Between 2017-18 and 2021-22, children's attendance at cultural venues or events fell from 94% to 80%.
Venues or events where attendance fell from 2017-18 include:
Source: Cultural and creative activities, 2021-22, Table 22 and Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events, 2017-18, Table 9
Western Australia had the highest children’s attendance rate across Australia (88%), followed by Tasmania with 87%. Victoria had the lowest with 74%.
In 2021-22, all states and territories experienced a decline in attendance rates for children compared with 2017-18:
Source: Cultural and creative activities, 2021-22, Table 22 and Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events, 2017-18, Table 9
A visit to the cinema was the most popular cultural venue or event for children of all age groups, with the highest attendance rate being for children aged 12 to 14 (72%).
The second most popular (also across all age groups) was visiting a library or archive with the highest attendance rate being for children aged 5 to 8 (37%).
For art galleries, the highest attendance rate was for children aged 9 to 11 (22%).
One quarter (25%) of children who visited a library or archive attended 11 or more times, with:
Source: Cultural and creative activities, 2021-22, Table 24