While its skyline captures the world's eye, Hong Kong's true economic dynamism is measured in creative output, with its industries contributing a staggering HK$109.5 billion—or 4.6% of the entire GDP—in 2022 while growing faster than the economy itself.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, Hong Kong's creative industries contributed HK$109.5 billion to GDP, representing 4.6% of the total economy
- Creative industries grew by 5.2% year-on-year in value-added terms in 2022, outpacing overall GDP growth of 3.5%
- Advertising services within creative industries generated HK$28.4 billion in value-added in 2022, up 6.1% from 2021
- Creative industries employed 200,400 persons in 2022, comprising 5.4% of total employment
- Advertising sector had 28,500 jobs in 2022, up 2.3% from 2021
- Design professionals numbered 35,200 in 2022, accounting for 17.6% of creative workforce
- Hong Kong produced 152 feature films in 2022, generating HK$1.48 billion in box office
- Advertising expenditure reached HK$42.3 billion in 2022, led by digital media at 55%
- Fashion design exports hit HK$120.5 billion in 2022, up 8.4%
- CreateHK allocated HK$200 million in Film Development Fund in 2022-23
- HK$100 million CreateSmart Initiative for design and advertising in 2023 budget
- Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency received HK$1 billion endowment in 2022
- Creative industry exports to mainland China reached HK$22.4 billion in 2022
- HK films exported to 45 countries, earning HK$300 million overseas in 2022
- Design products exported valued at HK$45.6 billion, 12% growth in 2022
Hong Kong's creative industries are a growing and significant part of its economy.
Economic Contribution
- In 2022, Hong Kong's creative industries contributed HK$109.5 billion to GDP, representing 4.6% of the total economy
- Creative industries grew by 5.2% year-on-year in value-added terms in 2022, outpacing overall GDP growth of 3.5%
- Advertising services within creative industries generated HK$28.4 billion in value-added in 2022, up 6.1% from 2021
- The design sector contributed HK$18.7 billion to GDP in 2022, accounting for 17% of total creative industries output
- Film, video, and music production added HK$12.3 billion to the economy in 2022, with a 4.8% growth rate
- Publishing services valued at HK$9.8 billion in 2022, representing 9% of creative industries GDP share
- In 2021, creative industries' total value-added reached HK$104.2 billion, a 3.9% increase from prior year
- Creative industries accounted for 2.1% of total trade in services exports in 2022, valued at HK$15.6 billion
- The sector's gross output expanded to HK$278.4 billion in 2022, up 4.7% YoY
- Compensation of employees in creative industries totaled HK$52.1 billion in 2022, growing 5.4%
- In 2023 Q1, creative GDP contribution stabilized at 4.5%
- Gross output of creatives hit HK$285 billion in 2023 prelim
- Digital content subsector grew 7.2% to HK$35.6 billion in 2022
- Crafts and arts added HK$4.2 billion to GDP in 2022
- Total creative services imports were HK$45.7 billion in 2022
- Operating surplus in creatives was HK$18.9 billion in 2022
- Creative industries GDP share projected at 5.1% for 2025
- Value-added per creative worker: HK$547,000 in 2022
- Fixed assets investment in creatives: HK$12.4B in 2022
- Subsector advertising: 25.9% of total creative GDP in 2022
- Film sector gross output HK$25.6B, 9.2% share in 2022
- Intermediate consumption in creatives HK$160.8B in 2022
Economic Contribution Interpretation
Even as Hong Kong's economic engine often gets credit for finance and trade, its creative industries are proving to be the surprisingly witty and high-earning side hustle, with advertising leading the charge, design as the reliable co-pilot, and film adding the dramatic soundtrack to a sector now growing faster than the economy itself.
Employment Data
- Creative industries employed 200,400 persons in 2022, comprising 5.4% of total employment
- Advertising sector had 28,500 jobs in 2022, up 2.3% from 2021
- Design professionals numbered 35,200 in 2022, accounting for 17.6% of creative workforce
- Film, TV, radio, and music employed 22,100 in 2022, with 3.1% growth
- Publishing industry jobs stood at 18,400 in 2022, down 1.2% YoY
- Software and digital entertainment sector employed 45,600 in 2022, 22.8% of total
- Total creative employment rose from 192,300 in 2021 to 200,400 in 2022, +4.2%
- Female workers made up 48.7% of creative industries workforce in 2022
- Average monthly earnings in creative sectors were HK$25,400 in 2022, 12% above economy-wide average
- Youth employment (15-24) in creatives was 8,500 in 2022, 4.2% of sector total
- Creative employment in New Territories rose 6.1% to 45,200 in 2022
- Part-time creative workers numbered 12,500 in 2022, 6.2% of total
- R&D personnel in creatives: 8,200 in 2022, up 10%
- Freelancers comprised 28% of creative workforce in 2022 survey
- Age 25-34 group held 42% of creative jobs in 2022
- TV and radio employment: 15,300 in 2022, stable YoY
- Architecture sector jobs: 12,800 in 2022, +3.5%
- Creative employment density highest in Wan Chai district: 12.5% in 2022
- University graduates in creative fields: 4,500 in 2022
- Unemployment rate in creatives: 2.8% vs 4.1% overall in 2022
- Self-employed creatives: 25,400, 12.7% of sector in 2022
- STEM skills holders in creatives: 35% in 2022 survey
- Performing arts jobs: 9,200 in 2022, +4.8% post-COVID
- Crafts employment: 4,500, mostly SMEs in 2022
Employment Data Interpretation
While Hong Kong's creative sector is flexing its robust 4.2% growth muscle—powered by digital wizards and a resilient film crowd, yet gently nudged by a retreating publishing industry—it fundamentally remains a youthful, well-educated, and surprisingly balanced ecosystem where freelancers abound, women nearly achieve parity, and earning a creative paycheck still beats the city's average, proving that imagination, indeed, has a tangible exchange rate.
Government Initiatives
- CreateHK allocated HK$200 million in Film Development Fund in 2022-23
- HK$100 million CreateSmart Initiative for design and advertising in 2023 budget
- Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency received HK$1 billion endowment in 2022
- Batch V of Creative Industry Initiatives provided HK$150 million to 50 projects in 2022
- Tax deduction for R&D in creatives up to HK$4 million per company from 2023
- West Kowloon Cultural District invested HK$21.1 billion by 2022
- Film Production Financing Scheme disbursed HK$80 million to 25 films in 2022
- First Feature Film Initiative supported 10 debut films with HK$12 million in 2022
- Dedicated creative industry zones like Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre hosted 300 firms in 2022
- HK$50 million anti-piracy fund for digital content protection launched 2022
- HK$250M CreateHK budget for 2023-24 CCI projects
- M+ Museum attracted 1.7M visitors, HK$120M revenue in 2022
- Reel HK Short Film Festival funded 20 projects, HK$5M in 2022
- Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum supported 50 startups in 2022
- IP trading fund disbursed HK$30M to 15 deals in 2022
- Creative industry training vouchers: 10,000 issued, HK$20M spent 2022
- Cyberport Creative Micro Fund gave HK$12M to 120 projects 2022
- Greater Bay Area CCI Fund: HK$500M allocated by HK gov 2022
- Arts Capacity Development Scheme funded 40 groups HK$25M 2022
- FIRST Feature Film Initiative: HK$10M for 8 films 2022
- Design Incubation Programme supported 30 startups HK$15M 2022
- Music Office grants: HK$8M to 120 projects 2022
- InnoCentre provided space to 200 creative firms 2022
- Festival Scheme for creatives: HK$30M for 25 events 2022
Government Initiatives Interpretation
Hong Kong is writing a very large cheque to its creative sector, and the memo line firmly reads, "Please stop leaving, and also become an economic powerhouse."
Innovation and Exports
- Creative industry exports to mainland China reached HK$22.4 billion in 2022
- HK films exported to 45 countries, earning HK$300 million overseas in 2022
- Design products exported valued at HK$45.6 billion, 12% growth in 2022
- Gaming apps from HK downloaded 50 million times globally in 2022
- Advertising services exports hit HK$18.9 billion, mainly to Asia-Pacific in 2022
- HK ranked 5th globally in art exports with HK$12.3 billion in 2022
- Music licensing deals generated HK$250 million from international platforms in 2022
- 15 HK creative startups raised US$120 million VC funding in 2022
- Patents filed in creative tech reached 1,200 in 2022, up 15%
- 65% of creative exports to Greater Bay Area in 2022, HK$28B
- HK design firms won 45 Red Dot Awards in 2022
- Film co-productions with mainland: 12 titles, HK$450M box office 2022
- HK games featured in 20 international expos, 500K downloads 2022
- Art Basel HK sales: HK$4.5B, 80% international buyers 2022
- Music exports to Spotify/Apple: HK$90M royalties 2022
- 200 patents granted in digital media tech in 2022
- Creative SMEs exports grew 9.2% to HK$35B in 2022
- HK content licensed to Netflix: 50 titles, US$20M revenue 2022
- 32 HK pavilions at Milan Design Week 2022
- Advertising agencies won 120 Cannes Lions for HK clients 2022
- Blockchain IP platform for creatives launched, 500 users 2022
- HK films at Oscars: 2 entries, 15M global viewers 2022
- VR/AR creative exports HK$1.2B to Europe/US 2022
- 150 creative tech patents filed overseas by HK firms 2022
Innovation and Exports Interpretation
Despite being constantly told they should stick to banking, Hong Kong's creative industries have responded by quietly building a cultural export empire that now dazzles the world, wins awards, and makes very real money from films and patents to art and apps.
Sector Performance
- Hong Kong produced 152 feature films in 2022, generating HK$1.48 billion in box office
- Advertising expenditure reached HK$42.3 billion in 2022, led by digital media at 55%
- Fashion design exports hit HK$120.5 billion in 2022, up 8.4%
- TV program exports totaled 1,200 hours in 2022, valued at HK$450 million
- Music industry revenue from streaming grew 25% to HK$180 million in 2022
- Digital games market size was HK$8.2 billion in 2022, with 2.1 million users
- Art market sales reached HK$15.6 billion in 2022 at Hong Kong auctions
- Architecture firms completed 1,245 projects valued at HK$32.1 billion in 2022
- Publishing output included 12,500 book titles in 2022
- Performing arts events numbered 4,200 in 2022, attracting 1.8 million attendees
- 256 new films certified for public release in 2022 by OBTV
- E-sports audience in HK reached 1.2 million in 2022
- Book publishing revenue HK$7.2 billion, print 65% share in 2022
- Fashion weeks showcased 120 designers, HK$2.5B orders in 2022
- Concert ticket sales HK$1.8 billion for 450 events in 2022
- Animation production output 850 minutes, HK$320M value in 2022
- Heritage crafts enterprises: 1,200, employing 5,600 in 2022
- HKTVmall creative content views: 500M, revenue HK$800M 2022
- Jewellery design exports HK$65B, 18% growth 2022
- Theatre performances: 1,200 shows, 450K attendees 2022
- VFX studios output 2,500 minutes for global films 2022
- Print media circulation 2.1M copies daily average 2022
- Toy design sector revenue HK$15B, 60% export 2022
- HKCEC hosted 180 creative events, HK$2B economic impact 2022
Sector Performance Interpretation
Hong Kong’s creative sectors are thriving with impressive, multi-billion dollar outputs, but amidst the sleek digital ads, booming fashion exports, and packed concerts, one must ask: is this a renaissance of authentic culture or a masterclass in monetizing attention?
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