The UK screen industry added £13.2 billion to the economy in 2022. This analysis breaks down the latest production, employment, and export data.
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
- The UK screen sector employed 244,000 people in 2022, with 100,000 in film and TV production
- UK film studios attracted £15 billion inward investment 2010-2022
- UK screen exports value £2.8 billion in 2022, up 20% from 2021
- UK produced 199 theatrical feature films in 2022
UK screen industry statistics show steady growth, with more productions and rising audience engagement driving momentum.
Related reading
01 · Category
Economic Contribution30 stats
01
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
02
In 2022, high-end TV production spend in the UK reached £5.5 billion, a 9% increase from 2021
03
The UK film sector generated £4.7 billion GVA in 2019 pre-pandemic, representing 0.2% of total UK GVA
04
Animation production spend in the UK totalled £800 million in 2022, up 15% from previous year
05
Children's screen content spend was £1.2 billion in 2022, with 70% from international sources
06
UK screen sector tax relief claims totalled £1.1 billion in 2022/23 under Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit
07
Film tax relief supported £1.3 billion in production spend in 2021/22
08
High-end TV VFX spend reached £750 million in 2022
09
UK box office takings for UK films hit £1.1 billion in 2022
10
Streaming platforms spent £4 billion on UK content in 2022
11
UK screen exports generated £2.8 billion in 2022
12
Post-production spend in UK was £1.4 billion in 2022
13
Indie film production spend £2.1 billion in 2022
14
TV drama spend £3.2 billion in 2021
15
Overall screen sector spend £11.9 billion in 2022
16
GVA per FTE job in screen industries averaged £85,000 in 2022
17
Tax contributions from screen sector £2.5 billion in 2022
18
Regional screen spend outside London £3.8 billion in 2022
19
UK screen multiplier effect created £20 billion indirect economic impact in 2022
20
Film distribution spend £450 million in 2022
21
UK screen industries grew 6% in GVA terms 2021-2022
22
High-budget film spend £6.2 billion in 2022
23
TV factual spend £900 million in 2022
24
Animation GVA contribution £450 million in 2022
25
Children's TV spend growth 12% to £1.3 billion in 2023 forecast
26
UK VFX market size £1.2 billion in 2023
27
Post-production GVA £700 million in 2022
28
Indie TV production £2.5 billion spend 2022
29
Screen sector R&D spend £300 million in 2022
30
Total screen tourism revenue £2 billion annually
Interpretation
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.
02 · Category
Employment and Skills25 stats
01
The UK screen sector employed 244,000 people in 2022, with 100,000 in film and TV production
02
Film and TV production jobs grew 14% to 100,000 FTEs in 2022
03
VFX and animation employed 35,000 people in 2022
04
Post-production workforce 25,000 in UK 2023
05
40% of screen jobs require university degree, but 60% vocational training
06
Female employment in screen sector 48% in 2022, up from 42% in 2017
07
BAME representation in screen workforce 14% in 2022
08
Apprenticeships in screen industries reached 5,000 in 2022
09
High-end TV crew size averaged 250 per production in 2022
10
Freelance workers make up 65% of screen workforce
11
Under 30s represent 28% of screen employees in 2022
12
Disabled workers 7% in screen sector 2022
13
Regional employment outside London 40% of total screen jobs 2022
14
VFX skills gap affects 20,000 jobs unfilled in 2023
15
TV production traineeships 2,500 per year
16
Film crew daily rate average £450 in 2022
17
15,000 international workers in UK screen via visas 2022
18
LGBTQ+ workforce 8% in screen 2022
19
Animation entry-level jobs 4,000 in 2022
20
Post-production HGVAs certified 10,000 workers 2022
21
Screen sector unemployment rate 3.2% vs national 4.2% in 2022
22
Women directors 25% in TV drama 2022
23
BAME crew on high-end TV 18% in 2022
24
50,000 jobs supported by streaming commissions 2022
25
Skills bootcamps trained 8,000 in screen 2022/23
Interpretation
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.
03 · Category
Infrastructure and Investment25 stats
01
UK film studios attracted £15 billion inward investment 2010-2022
02
Pinewood Studios expanded with £200m investment 2022
03
Shepperton Park expansion £500m for 1m sq ft
04
Regional screen hubs funded £100m by government 2022
05
BFI lottery invested £150m in production 2022
06
Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC) claimed £1.1bn 2022/23
07
Private equity in UK screen £2bn 2022
08
Sunderland film studio £100m development 2023
09
NFTS expansion £20m for training facilities
10
30 new sound stages built 2022, total 200 nationwide
11
VFX studio investments £300m in facilities 2022
12
Nations & Regions infrastructure £450m since 2018
13
Streamers invested £4bn in UK content infrastructure 2022
14
DIT inward investment service supported 200 projects £10bn
15
Animation studios new builds 10 facilities 2022
16
Post-production tech upgrades £150m R&D 2022
17
Glasgow studio cluster £250m
18
Equity release schemes for indies £50m 2022
19
VR/AR production facilities 50 new sites 2022
20
Tax credit uptake 95% of eligible high-end TV 2022
21
London screen cluster funding £80m EU/UK 2022
22
Northern Powerhouse investment £300m screen 2022
23
Indie distributor funds £20m BFI 2022
24
Total studio capacity 4m sq ft by 2023
25
£1 billion green screen fund announced 2023
Interpretation
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.
More related reading
04 · Category
International Trade and Exports25 stats
01
UK screen exports value £2.8 billion in 2022, up 20% from 2021
02
US market took 45% of UK TV exports £1.2bn in 2022
03
Film exports to international territories £800 million 2022
04
Animation exports £500 million, 60% to US/Europe 2022
05
UK content licensed to 200 territories worldwide 2022
06
Netflix UK content watched 2.5 billion hours globally 2022
07
TV formats sold to 150 countries, £400m revenue 2022
08
VFX services exported £900 million 2022
09
Co-production treaties with 20 countries facilitated £300m 2022
10
UK films grossed £500m overseas box office 2022
11
Disney+ UK shows top 10 global in 50 markets 2022
12
Post-production exports to Hollywood £600m 2022
13
Children's content exports £250m, 80% international sales 2022
14
UK IP value overseas £1.5bn for TV/film 2022
15
EU single market exports £700m post-Brexit 2022
16
Asia-Pacific screen exports doubled to £200m 2022
17
Talent exports: UK actors/crew in 40% global blockbusters 2022
18
Streaming platforms 70% of UK export growth 2022
19
Latin America TV sales £100m from UK 2022
20
Merchandising from UK screen £300m global 2022
21
UK films in top 100 global box office: 8 titles 2022
22
TV drama exports to MENA region £150m 2022
23
Gaming screen crossovers exported £400m 2022
24
500 UK titles on global FAST channels 2022
25
UK screen trade surplus £1.9bn 2022
Interpretation
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.
05 · Category
Production Output25 stats
01
UK produced 199 theatrical feature films in 2022
02
High-end TV titles commissioned 2022: 250 hours from US streamers
03
UK animation TV series produced 150 hours in 2022
04
Children's programmes: 200 hours UK originated 2022
05
Indie films: 120 features completed 2022
06
TV drama episodes: 1,200 hours produced 2022
07
VFX shots delivered 2.5 billion for global projects from UK 2022
08
Post-production facilities handled 500 major titles 2022
09
UK box office releases: 350 UK-involved films 2022
10
Streaming originals UK-produced: 100 series 2022
11
Factual TV hours: 800 hours UK 2022
12
Feature animation films: 12 UK releases 2022
13
High-end TV budget over £1m/hour: 180 hours 2022
14
Short films produced: 2,000 by BFI lottery 2022
15
Regional productions: 40% of high-end TV 2022
16
Co-productions: 50 international film/TV 2022
17
VR/AR screen content: 100 projects funded 2022
18
Scripted comedy hours: 150 UK 2022
19
Documentary features: 30 UK theatrical 2022
20
Game screen adaptations: 20 in production 2022
21
Micro-budget films: 500 under £500k 2022
22
TV formats exported originated 100 new 2022
23
Nations & Regions films: 80 features 2022
24
Unscripted TV peak hours: 400 2022
25
UK led 15% of global high-end TV production volume 2022
Interpretation
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.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Margot Villeneuve. (2026, February 13). Uk Screen Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/uk-screen-industry-statistics
MLA
Margot Villeneuve. "Uk Screen Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/uk-screen-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Margot Villeneuve. 2026. "Uk Screen Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/uk-screen-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
56 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level