Economic impact of independent museum sector

The latest Economic Impact of the Independent Museum Sector Report highlights the sector’s significant contribution to the UK economy.

Authored by Dr. Stephen Connolly (DC Research) and Jonathan Durnin (Durnin Research) it is based on HM Treasury’s Green Book methodology.

The accompanying Economic Impact Toolkit helps independent museums calculate their local and regional impact, to support their advocacy work.

Key findings report

Independent museums contributed nearly £900 million to the UK economy, directly and indirectly in 2023.

They were visited by nearly 20 million people, supported by 4700 full-time equivalent staff and over half a million volunteer days.

All the detail on the significant impact of the sector is detailed in the Report. Use the link below to download the AIM impact report.

The latest Economic Impact Toolkit helps museums calculate their contribution to local and regional economies.

Previously, this kind of data has helped museums to secure funding as well as promote their significance to policy makers.

The Toolkit takes you step-by-step through the calculation process.

A spreadsheet of the Toolkit is also available. Download it using the link below and follow these steps:

Complete the first tab ‘Form for Providing Data’:
Only input data into the blue cells (using the password “data” when asked for a password).
Read the ‘Notes about providing the information’ in column C if you need help with your responses to each question.
Use the check list at the bottom of the ‘Form for Providing Data’ sheet, which will highlight if you’ve inputted incorrect information or there is information still required.
Answers will show up in the second tab ‘AIM Toolkit Results’

Watch a recording of a webinar where the research authors present the key findings and demonstrate how the toolkit works.