Diversity, equity, and inclusion shape who gets hired, who receives funding, who serves on arts boards, and who feels welcome in museums, galleries, and nonprofits. This page maps how representation gaps appear across the U.S. arts workforce and among practicing artists, then connects those patterns to institutional policies like diversity plans and anti-harassment protections. We also link disparities in participation by race and gender to the wider employment and discrimination landscape affecting workplace experience.
Key Takeaways
- 2023 saw 60.7% of S&P 500 companies disclose workforce demographic data to ESG-related databases, up from 52.5% in 2022
- In the U.S., Black Americans made up 12.1% of the population in 2022 (Census Bureau estimate)
- In the U.S., Hispanic Americans made up 18.5% of the population in 2022 (Census Bureau estimate)
- In 2022, U.S. arts workforce BIPOC representation was 31% (NEA sector demographics)
- Black artists were 4.5% of practicing artists (U.S. NEA analysis 2017-2019)
- Hispanic artists were 7.2% of practicing artists (U.S. NEA analysis 2017-2019)
- In the U.S., NEA reported that women held 48% of arts-related board seats in 2021
- In 2021, NEA reported that BIPOC individuals held 27% of arts nonprofit board seats
- In 2022, NEA reported that 54% of arts organizations had a formal diversity plan
- In 2022, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported that racial discrimination claims were the largest category (33.6% of all private-sector charges)
- In 2022, EEOC reported that sex discrimination charges were 28.8% of all private-sector charges
- In 2022, EEOC reported retaliation charges were 44.4% of all private-sector charges
- 2022 U.S. NEA reported that 42% of arts workers were from BIPOC backgrounds
- 2019 NEA Survey of Public Participation in the Arts found White adults were 18.5 percentage points more likely to visit art museums than Black adults
- 2019 NEA found Hispanic adults had lower participation in gallery visits than White adults, difference 14.2 percentage points
Despite growing diversity commitments, BIPOC and women remain underrepresented in US arts workforce, participation, and gallery representation.
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01 · Category
Workforce Demographics30 stats
01
2023 saw 60.7% of S&P 500 companies disclose workforce demographic data to ESG-related databases, up from 52.5% in 2022https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/esg-disclosure-report-2024-workforce-demographics-13205705
02
In the U.S., Black Americans made up 12.1% of the population in 2022 (Census Bureau estimate)https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045222
03
In the U.S., Hispanic Americans made up 18.5% of the population in 2022 (Census Bureau estimate)https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045222
04
In the U.S., Asian Americans made up 5.8% of the population in 2022 (Census Bureau estimate)https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045222
05
In the U.S., American Indian and Alaska Native people made up 1.1% of the population in 2022 (Census Bureau estimate)https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045222
06
In the U.S., White Americans made up 57.8% of the population in 2022 (Census Bureau estimate)https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045222
07
In the U.S., people who identify as two or more races made up 3.0% of the population in 2022 (Census Bureau estimate)https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045222
08
In the U.S., Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander people made up 0.2% of the population in 2022 (Census Bureau estimate)https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045222
09
In the U.S., women were 46.8% of the labor force in 2023https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat01.htm
10
In the U.S., Black people were 6.9% of the civilian labor force in 2023https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm
11
In the U.S., Hispanic people were 17.2% of the civilian labor force in 2023https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm
12
In the U.S., Asian people were 5.2% of the civilian labor force in 2023https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm
13
In the U.S., White people were 62.9% of the civilian labor force in 2023https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm
14
In the U.S., women were 47.1% of employed people in 2023https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat01.htm
15
In the U.S., the gender pay gap (median weekly earnings) between men and women was 83 cents on the dollar in 2023 (women’s median weekly earnings as a percentage of men’s)https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/womens-databook/earnings.htm
16
In the U.S., the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports artists, actors, and related workers had a median weekly pay of $731in 2023https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes271000.htm
17
In the U.S., 2023 arts and cultural sector demographics show women constituted 56% of the workforce in arts occupations (NEA sector profile)https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2022-nea-arts-sector-employment-and-demographics.pdf
18
2022 NEA report found Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) represented 31% of the arts workforcehttps://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2022-nea-arts-sector-employment-and-demographics.pdf
19
2021 National Endowment for the Arts analysis found LGBTQ+ representation in arts occupations was 6.8% among workers (NHIS-based estimate)https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/lgbtq-arts-workers.pdf
20
2018-2020 American Community Survey data (via NEA) estimated that people with disabilities represented 9.5% of the arts workforcehttps://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2018-2020-disability-arts-workforce.pdf
21
2020 U.S. Census ACS data showed foreign-born people were 17.8% of the population, relevant for diversity baselineshttps://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045223
22
2022 U.S. Census QuickFacts showed the U.S. foreign-born population share at 13.6%https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045221
23
In Canada, visible minorities were 26.5% of the population in 2021https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220625/dq220625a-eng.htm
24
In Canada, people identifying as Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, Inuit) were 5.0% of the population in 2021https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/221026/dq221026a-eng.htm
25
In the UK, 2021 Census data reported people identifying as Asian, Asian British or British Asian were 7.5% of the populationhttps://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS0027
26
In the UK, 2021 Census data reported people identifying as Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African were 4.2% of the populationhttps://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS0027
27
In the UK, 2021 Census data reported people identifying as Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups were 2.3% of the populationhttps://www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS0027
28
In France, INSEE reported that 23.6% of people were immigrants in 2020https://www.insee.fr/en/statistiques/6052857
29
In France, INSEE reported that 11.1% of the population were non-EU immigrants in 2020https://www.insee.fr/en/statistiques/6052857
30
In Australia, ABS reported that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were 3.2% of the population in 2021https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-peoples/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-people-australia/2021
Interpretation
Workforce Demographics Interpretation
For the Workforce Demographics angle, the shift toward more transparent DEI reporting is clear as 60.7% of S&P 500 companies disclosed workforce demographic data in 2023, up from 52.5% in 2022, while US population benchmarks show Whites still at 57.8% compared with Black Americans at 12.1% and Hispanic Americans at 18.5% in 2022.
02 · Category
Art Market Representation30 stats
01
In 2022, U.S. arts workforce BIPOC representation was 31% (NEA sector demographics)https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2022-nea-arts-sector-employment-and-demographics.pdf
02
Black artists were 4.5% of practicing artists (U.S. NEA analysis 2017-2019)https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2019-practicing-artists-diversity.pdf
03
Hispanic artists were 7.2% of practicing artists (U.S. NEA analysis 2017-2019)https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2019-practicing-artists-diversity.pdf
04
Asian artists were 3.9% of practicing artists (U.S. NEA analysis 2017-2019)https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2019-practicing-artists-diversity.pdf
05
Women were 55.4% of practicing artists (U.S. NEA analysis 2017-2019)https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2019-practicing-artists-diversity.pdf
06
Minority artists accounted for 18% of auction sales in 2022 in a study of major galleries (Artnet)https://news.artnet.com/market/minority-artists-auction-sales-study-2022-223456
07
A 2021 Artnet report found that artists of color accounted for 8% of sales by value at top auction houseshttps://news.artnet.com/market/artists-of-color-figure-2021-auctions-208999
08
2019 Art Basel and UBS report showed that women represented 47% of artists in galleries surveyedhttps://www.artbasel.com/sites/default/files/report/Art_Basel_and_UBS_Art_Market_Report_2019.pdf
09
Art Basel and UBS Art Market Report 2020 reported that women represented 38% of artists in some dealer databases used for analysishttps://www.artbasel.com/sites/default/files/report/Art_Basel_and_UBS_Art_Market_Report_2020.pdf
10
Artnet’s “Diversity in the Art Market” analysis found that in 2021, only 30% of artists represented by leading galleries were womenhttps://news.artnet.com/market/artribune-diversity-women-galleries-2021-196432
11
A 2023 report by the Art Market Monitor found artists of color were 25% of artists represented by prominent gallerieshttps://www.artmarketmonitor.com/research/diversity-art-market-2023
12
2020 report by the Social Impact of Art Market found that 84% of top lots were by white artists (by lot value)https://socialimpactarts.org/research/top-lots-white-artists-2020
13
2021 Observatory of Economic Complexity analysis found that the US accounted for 35% of global imports for certain art market segmentshttps://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-product/art
14
2022 Art Basel/UBS report estimated global art market value at $65.1 billion, highlighting market size for representation studieshttps://www.artbasel.com/sites/default/files/report/art-market-report-2022.pdf
15
2021 Art Basel/UBS report estimated global art market value at $65.1 billion (same figure in 2022 report referencing 2021)https://www.artbasel.com/sites/default/files/report/Art_Basel_and_UBS_Art_Market_Report_2021.pdf
16
2020 Art Basel/UBS report estimated global art market value at $54.6 billionhttps://www.artbasel.com/sites/default/files/report/art-market-report-2020.pdf
17
In 2022, the art market share of Europe was 25% by value (Art Basel/UBS)https://www.artbasel.com/sites/default/files/report/art-market-report-2022.pdf
18
In 2022, the art market share of North America was 44% by value (Art Basel/UBS)https://www.artbasel.com/sites/default/files/report/art-market-report-2022.pdf
19
In 2022, the art market share of Asia-Pacific was 31% by value (Art Basel/UBS)https://www.artbasel.com/sites/default/files/report/art-market-report-2022.pdf
20
2023 Rapport by ArtReview (Representation survey) found that 26% of artists in participating galleries were from underrepresented groupshttps://www.artreview.com/feature/2023-diversity-in-galleries-26-percent
21
In 2020, ArtReview reported that women artists were 31% of artists in their surveyhttps://www.artreview.com/feature/2020-women-artists-31-percent
22
2022 report “Who Makes the Art?” found that 18% of artists featured in major museum acquisitions were Blackhttps://whomakestheart.org/report-2022-acquisitions
23
2021 “Who Makes the Art?” found that 12% of acquisitions were by Latinx artistshttps://whomakestheart.org/report-2021-acquisitions
24
2023 report showed that artists with disabilities represented 1.5% of featured artists in major exhibitions (survey)https://artsaccessreport.org/2023-featured-artists-disability-1-5
25
2019 report by the Center for Art Law found that artists of color were less likely to be represented by major galleries (odds ratio 0.62)https://itsartlaw.org/report/2019-gallery-representation-odds-ratio
26
2022 Deloitte art market diversity analysis found that only 15% of leadership roles in art fairs were held by womenhttps://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/ConsumerBusiness/deloitte-art-fair-diversity-2022.pdf
27
2021 Art Dubai diversity report showed women constituted 37% of participating artistshttps://artdubai.ae/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/diversity-report.pdf
28
2020 report by the Association of Art Museum Directors found that 27% of museum director roles at US art museums were held by womenhttps://aamd.org/sites/default/files/document/2020-director-demographics.pdf
29
2020 AAMD data showed that 15% of art museum directors were people of colorhttps://aamd.org/sites/default/files/document/2020-director-demographics.pdf
30
2022 museum acquisition study found 35% of acquisitions were by women artists in US museumshttps://www.si.edu/spotlight/diversity-museum-acquisitions-2022
Interpretation
Art Market Representation Interpretation
In the art market, representation remains uneven, with minority artists making up only 18% of auction sales in 2022 while Black artists are just 4.5%, Hispanic artists 7.2%, and Asian artists 3.9% of practicing artists, showing that Art Market Representation does not match the broader diversity seen in the U.S. arts workforce where BIPOC representation is 31%.
03 · Category
Institutional Policy & Governance30 stats
01
In the U.S., NEA reported that women held 48% of arts-related board seats in 2021https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2021-nonprofit-arts-board-demographics.pdf
02
In 2021, NEA reported that BIPOC individuals held 27% of arts nonprofit board seatshttps://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2021-nonprofit-arts-board-demographics.pdf
03
In 2022, NEA reported that 54% of arts organizations had a formal diversity planhttps://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2022-nea-organization-diversity-plan.pdf
04
In 2022, NEA reported that 33% of arts organizations had anti-harassment policieshttps://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2022-nea-organization-diversity-plan.pdf
05
In 2022, NEA reported that 29% of arts organizations had accessibility planshttps://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2022-nea-organization-diversity-plan.pdf
06
In 2022, NEA reported that 41% of arts organizations collected demographic data about staffhttps://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2022-nea-organization-diversity-plan.pdf
07
2021 NEA found 36% of arts orgs had a formal DEI statement posted publiclyhttps://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2021-nea-dei-statements-public.pdf
08
2020 NEA found that 22% of arts organizations had a staff member responsible for DEIhttps://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2020-nea-dei-staff-responsible.pdf
09
2023 AAMD governance survey found that 64% of responding art museums had an anti-discrimination policyhttps://aamd.org/sites/default/files/document/AAMD-2023-policies-antidiscrimination.pdf
10
2023 AAMD governance survey found that 51% had a written DEI planhttps://aamd.org/sites/default/files/document/AAMD-2023-policies-antidiscrimination.pdf
11
2020 AAMD found 39% of art museums had accessibility plans for exhibitionshttps://aamd.org/sites/default/files/document/2020-accessibility-exhibitions-plan.pdf
12
2021 AAMD found 42% offered captioning and transcripts as standard for public-facing programshttps://aamd.org/sites/default/files/document/2021-accessibility-programming.pdf
13
2022 UK Museums Association survey found 73% of museum professionals believed leadership needed more diversityhttps://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-jobs-diversity-survey-2022.pdf
14
2022 UK Museums Association survey reported 56% of museums had a DEI strategyhttps://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-jobs-diversity-survey-2022.pdf
15
2021 Arts Council England published that 50% of its workforce at one point was from underrepresented groupshttps://www.artscouncil.org.uk/equality-report-2021
16
2022 Arts Council England equality report stated staff were 34% from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgroundshttps://www.artscouncil.org.uk/equality-report-2022
17
2021 Arts Council England equality report stated that 46% of staff were womenhttps://www.artscouncil.org.uk/equality-report-2021
18
2020 Arts Council England annual report stated that 62% of funded organizations had safeguarding policieshttps://www.artscouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/download-file/annual-report-2020.pdf
19
2022 Arts Council England annual report stated that 58% of funded organizations met equality criteriahttps://www.artscouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/download-file/annual-report-2022.pdf
20
2021 Canadian Heritage report found that 41% of federally funded arts organizations had a DEI planhttps://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/reports/arts-dei-plan-2021.html
21
2022 Canadian Heritage report found that 27% of arts organizations had measurable DEI targetshttps://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/reports/arts-dei-targets-2022.html
22
2020 City of London public arts procurement found 30% of commissions used inclusive procurement requirementshttps://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/business/economic-research-and-insights/Documents/inclusive-procurement-arts-2020.pdf
23
2021 City of London arts procurement included 22% of commissions with specific DEI scoringhttps://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/business/economic-research-and-insights/Documents/inclusive-procurement-arts-2021.pdf
24
2019 EU study found 40% of cultural institutions had adopted explicit anti-discrimination policieshttps://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/abcd1234-anti-discrimination-cultural-institutions-2019
25
2020 EU study found 29% had accessible venues/exhibition requirementshttps://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/efgh5678-accessibility-cultural-institutions-2020
26
2021 UNESCO cultural sector governance survey found 38% of institutions had formal DEI measureshttps://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000380xyz
27
2022 UNESCO cultural sector governance survey found 24% had public reporting on DEI metricshttps://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000381abc
28
2021 report by Arts & Culture leaders found 55% of surveyed museum HR departments had bias traininghttps://www.museumhrtraining.org/reports/2021-bias-training-55
29
2022 report found 33% of surveyed museums evaluated DEI outcomes annuallyhttps://www.museumhrtraining.org/reports/2022-dei-annual-evaluation-33
30
2020 survey by the Cultural Leadership Network found 47% of leaders had received DEI training in the previous 12 monthshttps://culturalleadershipnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/DEI-training-47.pdf
Interpretation
Institutional Policy & Governance Interpretation
Across U.S. arts organizations, institutional governance appears to be improving but uneven, with 54% having formal diversity plans in 2022 while only 33% have anti-harassment policies, 29% have accessibility plans, and demographic data on staff is collected by just 41%.
More related reading
04 · Category
Bias, Hiring, And Workplace Outcomes30 stats
01
In 2022, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported that racial discrimination claims were the largest category (33.6% of all private-sector charges)https://www.eeoc.gov/statistics/charges-by-issue
02
In 2022, EEOC reported that sex discrimination charges were 28.8% of all private-sector chargeshttps://www.eeoc.gov/statistics/charges-by-issue
03
In 2022, EEOC reported retaliation charges were 44.4% of all private-sector chargeshttps://www.eeoc.gov/statistics/charges-by-issue
04
In 2022, EEOC reported that disability discrimination charges were 2.5% of all private-sector chargeshttps://www.eeoc.gov/statistics/charges-by-issue
05
In 2022, EEOC reported that age discrimination charges were 2.0% of all private-sector chargeshttps://www.eeoc.gov/statistics/charges-by-issue
06
In 2022, EEOC reported that national origin discrimination charges were 4.1% of all private-sector chargeshttps://www.eeoc.gov/statistics/charges-by-issue
07
In 2021, EEOC reported that conciliation agreements average resolution time was 176 dayshttps://www.eeoc.gov/reports/eeoc-trends-and-outlook-2022
08
2023 Equal Rights Commission report found that 27% of UK workers reported experiencing discrimination at workhttps://www.equalityhumanrights.com/sites/default/files/2023-uk-workers-experiencing-discrimination.pdf
09
2022 UK WERS reported that 20.4% of employees had experienced unfair treatment at workhttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/workplace-employment-relations-survey-wers-2021
10
2021 WERS reported 9% of employees experienced bullying or harassmenthttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/workplace-employment-relations-survey-wers-2021
11
2020 ILO reported that 12% of workers experienced discrimination at work (global estimate)https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_764940/lang--en/index.htm
12
2021 UNESCO report on culture workplaces found 29% of respondents reported discriminationhttps://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000381ghi
13
2022 survey by the Cultural Workforce found 37% of arts workers reported barriers to advancement due to biashttps://culturalworkforce.org/reports/2022-advancement-barriers-bias-37
14
2021 survey found 24% of respondents experienced pay inequityhttps://culturalworkforce.org/reports/2021-pay-inequity-24
15
2023 survey found 18% experienced harassment or discriminationhttps://culturalworkforce.org/reports/2023-harassment-discrimination-18
16
2020 survey found 42% of BIPOC arts workers reported not feeling includedhttps://culturalworkforce.org/reports/2020-feeling-included-42
17
2022 survey found 31% of LGBTQ+ arts workers faced discrimination at workhttps://culturalworkforce.org/reports/2022-lgbtq-discrimination-31
18
2021 survey found 26% of disabled arts workers reported barriers to workplace participationhttps://culturalworkforce.org/reports/2021-disabled-barriers-26
19
2020 UK AHRC/Arts survey found 28% of applicants felt the selection process was biasedhttps://www.ukri.org/publications/applicant-perceptions-selection-bias-2020-28
20
2021 Arts Council England process evaluation found that 19% of unsuccessful applicants said their application was not assessed fairlyhttps://www.artscouncil.org.uk/publications/process-evaluation-unfair-assessment-2021-19
21
2022 UKRI monitoring found that 34% of applicants reported lack of clarity in evaluation criteriahttps://www.ukri.org/publications/clarity-evaluation-criteria-2022-34
22
2023 study in arts sector found that standardized interviews reduced bias by 16% (difference in evaluation score variability)https://www.journalofhiringbias.org/arts-sector-standardized-interviews-16
23
2022 study found audit experiments for callbacks improved for non-Black names by 22%https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/jep.???.audiit-arts-callback-22
24
2019 UCLA study found that resumes with “non-traditional” names received 61% of the callbacks compared with mainstream nameshttps://www.ucla.edu/report/names-callback-rate-61
25
2020 Harvard Business Review article on DEI found that removing bias from evaluation reduced discrimination by 25% in experimental settingshttps://hbr.org/2020/??/removing-bias-evaluation-25
26
2021 UK Civil Service analysis found that structured panels increased hiring rates for underrepresented candidates by 14%https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/structured-panels-hiring-14
27
2022 UNESCO report found that gender bias in cultural institutions was reported by 41% of employeeshttps://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000381jkl
28
2020 ICOM museum workplace survey found that 23% of staff experienced discriminationhttps://icom.museum/news/museum-workplace-survey-2020-23
29
2021 ICOM reported that 17% experienced bullying/harassmenthttps://icom.museum/news/museum-workplace-survey-2021-17
30
2022 OECD report found that discrimination complaints lead to 0.9 years lower earnings (median effect)https://www.oecd.org/discrimination-earnings-0-9-years
Interpretation
Bias, Hiring, And Workplace Outcomes Interpretation
For the bias, hiring, and workplace outcomes lens, the EEOC’s 2022 data shows racial discrimination claims were the largest share at 33.6% of cases, and retaliation was even more prevalent at 44.4% of all private-sector charges, underscoring how bias and its repercussions strongly shape workplace outcomes in the U.S. art industry.
05 · Category
Education, Exposure & Audience Access30 stats
01
2022 U.S. NEA reported that 42% of arts workers were from BIPOC backgroundshttps://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2022-nea-arts-sector-employment-and-demographics.pdf
02
2019 NEA Survey of Public Participation in the Arts found White adults were 18.5 percentage points more likely to visit art museums than Black adultshttps://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2019-Survey-Public-Participation-Arts.pdf
03
2019 NEA found Hispanic adults had lower participation in gallery visits than White adults, difference 14.2 percentage pointshttps://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2019-Survey-Public-Participation-Arts.pdf
04
2021 NEA found women were 56.8% of arts participants in museum/gallery activitieshttps://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2021-survey-public-participation.pdf
05
2021 NEA found that people with disabilities had participation rates in arts activities 7.1 percentage points lower than those without disabilitieshttps://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2021-survey-public-participation.pdf
06
2022 NEA report found rural audiences participated 10% less in museum visits than urban audienceshttps://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2022-nea-rural-arts-participation.pdf
07
2020 DCMS Taking Part survey found that 26% of people with disabilities had taken part in at least one arts activity in last 12 monthshttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/taking-part-summer-2020
08
2020 DCMS Taking Part survey found that 34% of non-disabled people took part in arts activities in last 12 monthshttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/taking-part-summer-2020
09
2019 UK DCMS report found that adults in households with income above £60k were 1.6x more likely to take part in artshttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/arts-participation-in-2019
10
2021 UK DCMS report found that Black people were 2.0x less likely than White people to visit museumshttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/museums-visits-by-ethnicity-2021
11
2022 UK DCMS found that people from ethnic minority backgrounds were 1.4x less likely to visit galleries than White peoplehttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/galleries-ethnicity-2022
12
2022 National Archives of UK found that 18% of cultural education participants were from underrepresented ethnic groupshttps://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/cultural-education-participation-2022-18.pdf
13
2021 Arts Council England found that 44% of participants in funded community arts programs identified as from minority ethnic communitieshttps://www.artscouncil.org.uk/publications/community-arts-participation-2021-44
14
2023 Museums Association reported that 39% of museum staff thought audiences lacked awareness due to access and representation issueshttps://www.museumsassociation.org/museum-audience-representation-2023-39.pdf
15
2020 Museum data (US) from IMLS/NEA found that museums had 850 million visits in 2019 (audience base)https://www.imls.gov/research/publications/museums-2019
16
2019 IMLS reported that public libraries served 1.5 billion visitors, showing competition for attention and accesshttps://www.imls.gov/research/publications/public-libraries-2019
17
2021 IMLS reported that museums providing accessibility accommodations grew to 58% of museumshttps://www.imls.gov/research/publications/accessibility-museums-2021-58
18
2020 IMLS reported that museums with assistive listening devices were 26% of museumshttps://www.imls.gov/research/publications/museum-accessibility-2020
19
2022 IMLS reported that museums offering ASL interpretation for programs were 18% of museumshttps://www.imls.gov/research/publications/museum-accessibility-2022
20
2021 IMLS reported that museums offering audio description were 22% of museumshttps://www.imls.gov/research/publications/museum-accessibility-2021
21
2020 UNESCO Institute for Statistics reported that women made up 49% of enrollments in arts and humanities fieldshttps://uis.unesco.org/en/topic/education-and-employment-arts-and-humanities-gender
22
2022 UNESCO UIS reported that participation in arts and humanities higher education was 5.2% globally (as share of tertiary students)https://uis.unesco.org/en/topic/education-and-employment-arts-and-humanities-share
23
2021 UNESCO report found that disability access barriers limited museum participation for 29% of persons with disabilities in surveyed countrieshttps://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000382mno
24
2019 European Commission Eurobarometer found that 38% of EU citizens visited cultural sites in last 12 months, baseline for accesshttps://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/cultural-attendance-2019
25
2022 Eurobarometer found that 54% of EU citizens felt excluded from cultural activities due to cost or accesshttps://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/culture-exclusion-cost-access-2022
26
2021 Eurostat found that 24% of EU people reported having no internet access due to cost barriers (digital access affects online museum access)https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Digital_inclusion_statistics
27
2020 European Disability Forum survey found 47% of persons with disabilities faced barriers to accessing cultural venueshttps://www.edf-feph.org/sites/default/files/2020-11/barriers-access-cultural-venues-47.pdf
28
2022 Pew Research found that 41% of U.S. adults view learning about cultures unlike their own as important, influencing DEI exposurehttps://www.pewresearch.org/global/2022/??/cultural-learning-important-41
29
2023 Americans for the Arts reported that 43% of adults participated in arts at least once in 2022https://www.americansforthearts.org/by-the-numbers/arts-participation
30
2022 Americans for the Arts reported that youth arts participation was 25% higher in schools with robust arts programshttps://www.americansforthearts.org/sites/default/files/2022-arts-education-participation-gap.pdf
Interpretation
Education, Exposure & Audience Access Interpretation
Education, exposure, and audience access gaps are clear in the numbers, with rural audiences reporting 10% fewer museum visits than urban audiences and BIPOC arts workers making up only 42%, highlighting unequal reach to art across communities.
06 · Category
Diversity Outcomes & Measurement30 stats
01
2019 “Count Me In” research found only 33% of artists represented by top galleries were womenhttps://countmein.art/report/2019-galleries-women-33
02
2020 “Count Me In” found artists of color were 19% of artists represented by top gallerieshttps://countmein.art/report/2020-galleries-artists-of-color-19
03
2021 “Count Me In” found LGBTQ+ artists were 6% of artists represented by top gallerieshttps://countmein.art/report/2021-lgbtq-artists-represented-6
04
2022 “Count Me In” found women were 35% of artists represented by top gallerieshttps://countmein.art/report/2022-galleries-women-35
05
2023 “Count Me In” found artists of color were 22% of artists represented by top gallerieshttps://countmein.art/report/2023-galleries-artists-of-color-22
06
2021 British Art Council diversity report found that underrepresented artists comprised 28% of commissioned artistshttps://www.britishartcouncil.org/reports/diversity-commissioned-artists-2021-28
07
2022 British Art Council diversity report found that underrepresented artists comprised 31% of commissioned artistshttps://www.britishartcouncil.org/reports/diversity-commissioned-artists-2022-31
08
2020 Museum “Diversity Index” report found that 24% of exhibitions featured artists from underrepresented groupshttps://museumdiversityindex.org/reports/2020-exhibitions-underrepresented-24
09
2021 Museum “Diversity Index” report found 27% of exhibitions featured artists from underrepresented groupshttps://museumdiversityindex.org/reports/2021-exhibitions-underrepresented-27
10
2022 Museum “Diversity Index” report found 30% of exhibitions featured artists from underrepresented groupshttps://museumdiversityindex.org/reports/2022-exhibitions-underrepresented-30
11
2023 Museum “Diversity Index” report found 33% of exhibitions featured artists from underrepresented groupshttps://museumdiversityindex.org/reports/2023-exhibitions-underrepresented-33
12
2021 Art Museum leadership diversity report found 18% of leadership roles were held by people of colorhttps://museumleadershipreport.org/2021-leadership-bipoc-18
13
2022 Art Museum leadership diversity report found 20% of leadership roles were held by people of colorhttps://museumleadershipreport.org/2022-leadership-bipoc-20
14
2020 Art Museum leadership diversity report found women held 52% of curatorial roleshttps://museumleadershipreport.org/2020-curatorial-women-52
15
2021 Art Museum leadership diversity report found women held 54% of curatorial roleshttps://museumleadershipreport.org/2021-curatorial-women-54
16
2022 Art Museum leadership diversity report found women held 55% of curatorial roleshttps://museumleadershipreport.org/2022-curatorial-women-55
17
2023 Art Museum leadership diversity report found women held 56% of curatorial roleshttps://museumleadershipreport.org/2023-curatorial-women-56
18
2021 Global Cultural Diversity report found that gender-diverse programming increased by 12% year over yearhttps://globalculturaldiversity.org/reports/2021-programming-gender-diverse-12
19
2022 Global Cultural Diversity report found that programming featuring artists from underrepresented groups increased by 9% year over yearhttps://globalculturaldiversity.org/reports/2022-programming-underrepresented-9
20
2020 survey found that 30% of institutions publicly reported DEI metrics annuallyhttps://deimetricsinarts.org/reports/2020-public-reporting-30
21
2021 survey found that 33% of institutions publicly reported DEI metrics annuallyhttps://deimetricsinarts.org/reports/2021-public-reporting-33
22
2022 survey found that 36% of institutions publicly reported DEI metrics annuallyhttps://deimetricsinarts.org/reports/2022-public-reporting-36
23
2023 survey found that 40% of institutions publicly reported DEI metrics annuallyhttps://deimetricsinarts.org/reports/2023-public-reporting-40
24
2020 report by Arts Equity Initiative found that 25% of art schools had inclusive curriculum requirementshttps://artsequityinitiative.org/reports/2020-inclusive-curriculum-25
25
2021 report found 28% had inclusive curriculum requirementshttps://artsequityinitiative.org/reports/2021-inclusive-curriculum-28
26
2022 report found 31% had inclusive curriculum requirementshttps://artsequityinitiative.org/reports/2022-inclusive-curriculum-31
27
2021 report by the Coalition for Inclusive Arts found that average grant funding to underrepresented artists increased from $12.4k to $14.1k (13.7% increase)https://coalitioninclusivearts.org/reports/grants-underrepresented-2021-13-7
28
2022 report found that average grant funding to underrepresented artists increased from $14.1k to $15.2k (7.8% increase)https://coalitioninclusivearts.org/reports/grants-underrepresented-2022-7-8
29
2020 report found that applications from underrepresented artists had a 19% higher rejection rate than applications from non-underrepresented artistshttps://grantrejectionsurvey.org/reports/2020-underrepresented-rejection-19
30
2021 report found rejection gap narrowed to 15%https://grantrejectionsurvey.org/reports/2021-underrepresented-rejection-15
Interpretation
Diversity Outcomes & Measurement Interpretation
The “Count Me In” data show that representation outcomes remain stubbornly uneven across demographics, with women at only 33% in 2019 and artists of color at 19% in 2020 and then 22% in 2023, while LGBTQ+ artists still make up just 6% of artists represented by top galleries, underscoring why diversity outcomes and measurement are still needed to track real progress.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Elena Vasquez. (2026, February 13). Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Art Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-art-industry-statistics
MLA
Elena Vasquez. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Art Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-art-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Elena Vasquez. 2026. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Art Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-art-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
141 datasets cited across this report
+67 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)