Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Creative Industry

46% of employees said they would consider leaving a company that does not value DEI, which makes inclusion a retention issue as much as a hiring one. The creative workforce shows mixed progress, with women making up 55.4% of art directors and 49% of producers and directors in the United States, while only 17% of US TV show creators were women. These statistics show where representation has improved and where leadership gaps remain.

Key Takeaways

34.2% of graphic designers reported being women in the United States (2023)
49% of producers and directors in the United States reported being women in 2023
55.4% of art directors in the United States reported being women in 2023
46% of employees said they would consider leaving a company that does not value DEI (survey, 2024)
7.9% of Fortune 500 CEOs were Asian in 2024 (context for creative-industry leadership representation)
85% of S&P 500 companies had at least one woman on their boards in 2024
15.5% of board directors at S&P 500 were underrepresented minorities as of 2024 (context for representation)
25% of UK creative workers are from ethnic minority backgrounds, according to a 2023 analysis of UK creative industry workforce composition
6.9% of workers in the US advertising industry are Hispanic or Latino, per US Bureau of Labor Statistics employment composition (2022)
In the US advertising workforce, 27.1% of employees are Black or African American or other racial/ethnic minority groups combined (2022 occupational workforce composition data for selected advertising-related occupations)
49% of organizations say their DEI efforts are linked to performance goals for managers (survey, 2023)
71% of respondents in a 2023 global survey said DEI affects brand trust and perception
In US television, 24.3% of speaking characters in prime-time broadcast TV were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups in 2022–2023 (GLAAD/Media representation analysis season report)
In the UK, 18% of creative organizations said they have employee resource groups or similar affinity groups (survey result, 2023)

Women lead many creative roles, but DEI gaps persist, influencing retention and brand trust.

01 · Category

Workforce Demographics6 stats

34.2% of graphic designers reported being women in the United States (2023)https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes273041.htm

49% of producers and directors in the United States reported being women in 2023https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes272011.htm

55.4% of art directors in the United States reported being women in 2023https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes271021.htm

56.8% of craft artists in the United States reported being women in 2023https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes271031.htm

52.0% of photographers in the United States reported being women in 2023https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes271051.htm

56.4% of U.S. computer and mathematical occupations were men in 2023; 43.6% were women (used as a proxy for creative-adjacent tech workforce gender context)https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat18.htm

Interpretation

Workforce Demographics Interpretation

In Workforce Demographics, women form a clear majority across many creative roles in the US in 2023, with the highest share at 56.8% among craft artists and strong representation at 55.4% of art directors and 52.0% of photographers, while the creative-adjacent tech workforce is more mixed at 56.4% men and 43.6% women.

02 · Category

Leadership Representation5 stats

7.9% of Fortune 500 CEOs were Asian in 2024 (context for creative-industry leadership representation)https://www.catalyst.org/research/women-in-management/

85% of S&P 500 companies had at least one woman on their boards in 2024https://www.spencerstuart.com/research-and-insight/female-directors

15.5% of board directors at S&P 500 were underrepresented minorities as of 2024 (context for representation)https://www.spencerstuart.com/research-and-insight/minority-board-directors

78% of S&P 500 companies reported having an executive-level DEI role or responsibility in 2024https://www.riotintelligence.com/board-dei-report-2024/

17% of TV show creators in the US were women in the 2022–2023 season, based on a US television representation analysishttps://www.writersguild.org/news-events/press-releases/2023/gender-disparities-in-television-writing-rooms/

Interpretation

Leadership Representation Interpretation

Leadership in the creative industry still shows uneven representation, as just 7.9% of Fortune 500 CEOs were Asian in 2024 while 85% of S&P 500 boards included women and 78% of companies reported an executive-level DEI role or responsibility in 2024, suggesting DEI structures are becoming common even as top leadership diversity lags.

03 · Category

Workforce Representation5 stats

25% of UK creative workers are from ethnic minority backgrounds, according to a 2023 analysis of UK creative industry workforce compositionhttps://www.creativeindustriesfederation.com/news/creative-sector-research-shows-lack-of-diversity-in-uk-artists-and-creative-workforce

6.9% of workers in the US advertising industry are Hispanic or Latino, per US Bureau of Labor Statistics employment composition (2022)https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat03.htm

In the US advertising workforce, 27.1% of employees are Black or African American or other racial/ethnic minority groups combined (2022 occupational workforce composition data for selected advertising-related occupations)https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm

In the US, 17.2% of employees in arts, entertainment, and recreation are Black or African American (2022 composition)https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat21.htm

Hispanic/Latino workers make up 18.2% of the US creative workforce segment studied in the same 2023 report on representation in media and entertainmenthttps://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/fulldocuments/caai-representation.pdf

Interpretation

Workforce Representation Interpretation

Workforce representation in the creative industry remains uneven, with only 25% of UK creative workers coming from ethnic minority backgrounds and US advertising showing that just 6.9% are Hispanic or Latino while 27.1% are Black or other racial and ethnic minority groups combined.

Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Supply Chain Industry Statistics

04 · Category

Audience Impact2 stats

71% of respondents in a 2023 global survey said DEI affects brand trust and perceptionhttps://www.wpp.com/-/media/wpp/files/news/2023/wpp-dei-and-creative-content-study-2023.pdf

In US television, 24.3% of speaking characters in prime-time broadcast TV were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups in 2022–2023 (GLAAD/Media representation analysis season report)https://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/nap/2023TV-Character-Report.pdf

Interpretation

Audience Impact Interpretation

From an Audience Impact perspective, 71% of respondents say DEI influences brand trust and perception and US prime-time TV still had only 24.3% of speaking characters from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups in 2022 to 2023, showing that audience attitudes are strongly tied to DEI while representation remains uneven.

05 · Category

Workplace Culture1 stats

46% of employees said they would consider leaving a company that does not value DEI (survey, 2024)https://www.axios.com/2024/06/20/diversity-equity-inclusion-survey-workplace

Interpretation

Workplace Culture Interpretation

With 46% of employees saying they would consider leaving a company that does not value DEI, workplace culture is clearly becoming a key retention factor in the creative industry.

06 · Category

Overview2 stats

49% of organizations say their DEI efforts are linked to performance goals for managers (survey, 2023)https://www.haygroup.com/content/dam/haygroup/documents/thoughtleadership/DEI-metrics.pdf

In the UK, 18% of creative organizations said they have employee resource groups or similar affinity groups (survey result, 2023)https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/download-file/arts-culture-england-data-report-2023.pdf

Interpretation

Industry Overview Interpretation

In the creative industry, 49% of organizations tie DEI efforts to managers’ performance goals, and this accountability focus is reflected in pockets of engagement such as the UK where 18% of creative organizations have employee resource or affinity groups.

report visual · Comparison

Women’s Representation Across Creative Roles (US, 2023)

Representation of women varies by creative occupation, ranging from low- to mid-50% levels across surveyed roles.

56.8% of craft artists in the United States reported being women in 202356.8%

56.4% of U.S. computer and mathematical occupations were men in 2023; 43.6% were women (used as a proxy for creative-adj56.4%

55.4% of art directors in the United States reported being women in 202355.4%

52.0% of photographers in the United States reported being women in 202352%

49% of producers and directors in the United States reported being women in 202349%

34.2% of graphic designers reported being women in the United States (2023)34.2%

source-verifiedbls.gov2023

Reference

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APA

Leah Kessler. (2026, February 13). Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Creative Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-creative-industry-statistics

MLA

Leah Kessler. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Creative Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-creative-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Leah Kessler. 2026. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Creative Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-creative-industry-statistics.