IKTf study confirms: investing in culture pays off for Berlin!
Earlier this week, bbk berlin attended the presentation of the study "Cultural Participation in Berlin 2025" by the Institut für Kulturelle Teilhabeforschung (IKTf). Conducted from September 2025 to May 2026, the study provides comprehensive data on the macroeconomic effects of public cultural funding in Berlin for the first time. The study makes it clear: cuts to the culture budget are counterproductive!
Cultural and creative industries surpass traditional industry
When asked what macroeconomic effects public cultural funding generates, the answer was backed by numbers: every euro the state of Berlin invests in cultural funding generates an average of €3.50 in return for the city.
The report also confirms the economic power of the performing arts, music and art markets: Berlin is a leading location for cultural and creative industry companies. With a gross value added of €12 to 15 billion, the sector in Berlin surpasses traditional industrial sectors.
The three sub-markets of performing arts, music and visual arts alone generate an estimated gross value added of €690.3 million. The largest contribution comes from visual arts at around 43.9%. These sub-markets are predominantly sustained by solo self-employed practitioners from the independent scene. Around three quarters of those involved are in the lower income bracket, yet they generate the majority of gross value added in these markets.
Arts and culture contribute to well-being
The study also demonstrates the social value of cultural participation: four or more cultural visits per year boost individual well-being and health as much as an increase in annual income of up to €2,700. Cultural participation is therefore not only an economic but also a social locational factor.
Why these numbers matter now
In the 2026/27 double budget, the culture budget was drastically cut: Berlin's cultural spending has fallen below 2% of the total budget for the first time in years.
Studio spaces are being lost, programmes cut, institutions closing. The IKTf study now provides the numbers that prove what the cultural sector has been saying for years: cutting culture doesn't save money – it means losing value creation, jobs and what makes Berlin internationally attractive as a capital of arts and culture.
Toolkit: Arguments for our artists against further cuts
So you have the key figures ready for any discussion – here at a glance (source: IKTf, 2026):
1 euro in → 3.50 euros back
Every euro the state of Berlin invests in cultural funding generates an average of €3.50 in return for the city. Cutting doesn't mean saving – it means earning less.
€12–15 billion in gross value added
The cultural and creative industries are a central economic factor in Berlin, surpassing traditional industrial sectors.
€690.3 million across three sub-markets
The performing arts, music market and visual arts alone generate this gross value added. Largest contribution: visual arts at 43.9%.
Three quarters in the lower income bracket
Solo self-employed practitioners from the independent scene earn the least, yet generate the majority of the value added.
Well-being: culture is good for your health
Four or more cultural visits per year boost well-being and health as much as an increase in annual income of up to €2,700.
Culture is a top reason to visit Berlin
Sights (63%) and arts and cultural offerings (61%) are by far the most important reasons for domestic and international tourists to visit Berlin.
Source: IKTf, 2026: https://www.iktf.berlin/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Studie-Standortfaktor-Kultur_IKTf-2026.pdf
Toolkit at a glance!
Get informed now. Elections are coming in September. These numbers should play a role in every voting decision!
