Picture the UK not just as a backdrop for your favorite films and shows, but as a powerhouse industry in its own right, one that pumped an enormous £13.2 billion into the national economy while supporting over half a million jobs in a single year.
Key Takeaways
- The UK screen industries contributed £13.2 billion to the UK economy in Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2022, supporting 518,000 jobs across the sector
- In 2022, high-end TV production spend in the UK reached £5.5 billion, a 9% increase from 2021
- The UK film sector generated £4.7 billion GVA in 2019 pre-pandemic, representing 0.2% of total UK GVA
- The UK screen sector employed 244,000 people in 2022, with 100,000 in film and TV production
- Film and TV production jobs grew 14% to 100,000 FTEs in 2022
- VFX and animation employed 35,000 people in 2022
- UK produced 199 theatrical feature films in 2022
- High-end TV titles commissioned 2022: 250 hours from US streamers
- UK animation TV series produced 150 hours in 2022
- UK screen exports value £2.8 billion in 2022, up 20% from 2021
- US market took 45% of UK TV exports £1.2bn in 2022
- Film exports to international territories £800 million 2022
- UK film studios attracted £15 billion inward investment 2010-2022
- Pinewood Studios expanded with £200m investment 2022
- Shepperton Park expansion £500m for 1m sq ft
The UK screen industry is thriving with billions contributed to the economy.
Economic Contribution
- The UK screen industries contributed £13.2 billion to the UK economy in Gross Value Added (GVA) in 2022, supporting 518,000 jobs across the sector
- In 2022, high-end TV production spend in the UK reached £5.5 billion, a 9% increase from 2021
- The UK film sector generated £4.7 billion GVA in 2019 pre-pandemic, representing 0.2% of total UK GVA
- Animation production spend in the UK totalled £800 million in 2022, up 15% from previous year
- Children's screen content spend was £1.2 billion in 2022, with 70% from international sources
- UK screen sector tax relief claims totalled £1.1 billion in 2022/23 under Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit
- Film tax relief supported £1.3 billion in production spend in 2021/22
- High-end TV VFX spend reached £750 million in 2022
- UK box office takings for UK films hit £1.1 billion in 2022
- Streaming platforms spent £4 billion on UK content in 2022
- UK screen exports generated £2.8 billion in 2022
- Post-production spend in UK was £1.4 billion in 2022
- Indie film production spend £2.1 billion in 2022
- TV drama spend £3.2 billion in 2021
- Overall screen sector spend £11.9 billion in 2022
- GVA per FTE job in screen industries averaged £85,000 in 2022
- Tax contributions from screen sector £2.5 billion in 2022
- Regional screen spend outside London £3.8 billion in 2022
- UK screen multiplier effect created £20 billion indirect economic impact in 2022
- Film distribution spend £450 million in 2022
- UK screen industries grew 6% in GVA terms 2021-2022
- High-budget film spend £6.2 billion in 2022
- TV factual spend £900 million in 2022
- Animation GVA contribution £450 million in 2022
- Children's TV spend growth 12% to £1.3 billion in 2023 forecast
- UK VFX market size £1.2 billion in 2023
- Post-production GVA £700 million in 2022
- Indie TV production £2.5 billion spend 2022
- Screen sector R&D spend £300 million in 2022
- Total screen tourism revenue £2 billion annually
Economic Contribution Interpretation
While these glittering billions and thousands of jobs might look like pure Hollywood fantasy, they are in fact the very serious economic engine—powered by dragons, detectives, and dancing penguins—that is propping up a surprising amount of the UK's real-world economy.
Employment and Skills
- The UK screen sector employed 244,000 people in 2022, with 100,000 in film and TV production
- Film and TV production jobs grew 14% to 100,000 FTEs in 2022
- VFX and animation employed 35,000 people in 2022
- Post-production workforce 25,000 in UK 2023
- 40% of screen jobs require university degree, but 60% vocational training
- Female employment in screen sector 48% in 2022, up from 42% in 2017
- BAME representation in screen workforce 14% in 2022
- Apprenticeships in screen industries reached 5,000 in 2022
- High-end TV crew size averaged 250 per production in 2022
- Freelance workers make up 65% of screen workforce
- Under 30s represent 28% of screen employees in 2022
- Disabled workers 7% in screen sector 2022
- Regional employment outside London 40% of total screen jobs 2022
- VFX skills gap affects 20,000 jobs unfilled in 2023
- TV production traineeships 2,500 per year
- Film crew daily rate average £450 in 2022
- 15,000 international workers in UK screen via visas 2022
- LGBTQ+ workforce 8% in screen 2022
- Animation entry-level jobs 4,000 in 2022
- Post-production HGVAs certified 10,000 workers 2022
- Screen sector unemployment rate 3.2% vs national 4.2% in 2022
- Women directors 25% in TV drama 2022
- BAME crew on high-end TV 18% in 2022
- 50,000 jobs supported by streaming commissions 2022
- Skills bootcamps trained 8,000 in screen 2022/23
Employment and Skills Interpretation
While the UK screen industry is booming with a 14% job surge and enviably low unemployment, its glittering surface masks a persistent need to bridge the skills gaps, diversify its ranks beyond 48% female and 14% BAME representation, and spread the wealth beyond London, all while relying on a freelance army to keep the cameras rolling.
Infrastructure and Investment
- UK film studios attracted £15 billion inward investment 2010-2022
- Pinewood Studios expanded with £200m investment 2022
- Shepperton Park expansion £500m for 1m sq ft
- Regional screen hubs funded £100m by government 2022
- BFI lottery invested £150m in production 2022
- Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) claimed £1.1bn 2022/23
- Private equity in UK screen £2bn 2022
- Sunderland film studio £100m development 2023
- NFTS expansion £20m for training facilities
- 30 new sound stages built 2022, total 200 nationwide
- VFX studio investments £300m in facilities 2022
- Nations & Regions infrastructure £450m since 2018
- Streamers invested £4bn in UK content infrastructure 2022
- DIT inward investment service supported 200 projects £10bn
- Animation studios new builds 10 facilities 2022
- Post-production tech upgrades £150m R&D 2022
- Glasgow studio cluster £250m
- Equity release schemes for indies £50m 2022
- VR/AR production facilities 50 new sites 2022
- Tax credit uptake 95% of eligible high-end TV 2022
- London screen cluster funding £80m EU/UK 2022
- Northern Powerhouse investment £300m screen 2022
- Indie distributor funds £20m BFI 2022
- Total studio capacity 4m sq ft by 2023
- £1 billion green screen fund announced 2023
Infrastructure and Investment Interpretation
Through this blizzard of billions, one can see that the UK isn’t just inviting filmmakers to visit, but is furiously building them an entire, sprawling, and very well-funded country to film in.
International Trade and Exports
- UK screen exports value £2.8 billion in 2022, up 20% from 2021
- US market took 45% of UK TV exports £1.2bn in 2022
- Film exports to international territories £800 million 2022
- Animation exports £500 million, 60% to US/Europe 2022
- UK content licensed to 200 territories worldwide 2022
- Netflix UK content watched 2.5 billion hours globally 2022
- TV formats sold to 150 countries, £400m revenue 2022
- VFX services exported £900 million 2022
- Co-production treaties with 20 countries facilitated £300m 2022
- UK films grossed £500m overseas box office 2022
- Disney+ UK shows top 10 global in 50 markets 2022
- Post-production exports to Hollywood £600m 2022
- Children's content exports £250m, 80% international sales 2022
- UK IP value overseas £1.5bn for TV/film 2022
- EU single market exports £700m post-Brexit 2022
- Asia-Pacific screen exports doubled to £200m 2022
- Talent exports: UK actors/crew in 40% global blockbusters 2022
- Streaming platforms 70% of UK export growth 2022
- Latin America TV sales £100m from UK 2022
- Merchandising from UK screen £300m global 2022
- UK films in top 100 global box office: 8 titles 2022
- TV drama exports to MENA region £150m 2022
- Gaming screen crossovers exported £400m 2022
- 500 UK titles on global FAST channels 2022
- UK screen trade surplus £1.9bn 2022
International Trade and Exports Interpretation
While the world may have left the British Empire behind, the sun still never sets on the United Kingdom's cultural one, as evidenced by its formidable £1.9bn screen trade surplus, proving that from Hollywood VFX to streaming dominance, British creativity is the export that keeps on royally collecting.
Production Output
- UK produced 199 theatrical feature films in 2022
- High-end TV titles commissioned 2022: 250 hours from US streamers
- UK animation TV series produced 150 hours in 2022
- Children's programmes: 200 hours UK originated 2022
- Indie films: 120 features completed 2022
- TV drama episodes: 1,200 hours produced 2022
- VFX shots delivered 2.5 billion for global projects from UK 2022
- Post-production facilities handled 500 major titles 2022
- UK box office releases: 350 UK-involved films 2022
- Streaming originals UK-produced: 100 series 2022
- Factual TV hours: 800 hours UK 2022
- Feature animation films: 12 UK releases 2022
- High-end TV budget over £1m/hour: 180 hours 2022
- Short films produced: 2,000 by BFI lottery 2022
- Regional productions: 40% of high-end TV 2022
- Co-productions: 50 international film/TV 2022
- VR/AR screen content: 100 projects funded 2022
- Scripted comedy hours: 150 UK 2022
- Documentary features: 30 UK theatrical 2022
- Game screen adaptations: 20 in production 2022
- Micro-budget films: 500 under £500k 2022
- TV formats exported originated 100 new 2022
- Nations & Regions films: 80 features 2022
- Unscripted TV peak hours: 400 2022
- UK led 15% of global high-end TV production volume 2022
Production Output Interpretation
Amidst the glitz of billion-dollar blockbuster VFX and the hum of high-end TV budgets, the British screen industry thrives as a defiantly eclectic bazaar, churning out everything from twee indie films to reality TV marathons, proving that in a world of streaming algorithms, there's still a scrappy, brilliant human beating the drum for both art and commerce.
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