Government confirms design is key to growth

New figures published by government confirm that the creative industries are outperforming the UK economy as a whole.

Official statistics published by the Department of Culture, Music and Sport, show that the creative industries are leading the UK economy in terms of employment, GVA and exports.

The figures also reveal that design is the fastest growing sector within the creative industries.

• Design has seen the largest percentage increase in employment of all the creative industries groups with an increase of 16.2%, between 2011-12 (100,000 in 2011 to 116,000 in 2012). 
• In 2012 design supported a further 50,000 jobs outside of the creative industries in the wider creative economy. 
• Of all creative industries groups design showed the largest annual average increase in Gross Value Added (GVA): 8% across 2008-12. Design’s contribution to UK exports is growing, accounting for £131m of services exported in 2011, up from £122m in 2010.

The new government figures give weight to earlier survey results published by the Design Council into the growth and nature of the UK design industry. 

The survey, published in March 2010, covered 2,200 design businesses that were asked about the profile and size of their businesses, their clients and the competition they face, their business practices and the education, training and skills of their employees. See the survey results here.