WASHINGTON.- Cultural industries are economic powerhouses and states have the data to prove it, according to a new analysis from the National Endowment for the Arts. Drawing on data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Arts and the GDP: Value Added by Selected Cultural Industries is a new NEA research note that examines the value added by three selected cultural industries: (1) performing arts, sports, and museums; (2) motion pictures and sound recording; and (3) publishing (including software).

Combined, these three cultural industries contributed a total of $278.4 billion to the U.S. economy in 2009. The NEA research note also looks at dollars and jobs added to individual state economies by these cultural industries.

Each year, the Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates the value added by major industry groups, including performing arts, sports, and museums. “Value added” refers to an industry’s contribution to the U.S. economy through its labor and capital, excluding material and energy costs.

More detailed industry breakouts that isolate the performing arts and museums from sports are conducted every five years, most recently for 2002 data. That year, for example, value added from sports was $16.9 billion, value added from the performing arts was $7.2 billion, and value added from museums was $4.7 billion.