Austrian Creative Industries Report 2025

Every seventh company in Austria is creative. The new creative industries report from 2025 provides impressive proof that the Austrian creative industries are a key driver of the future and an indispensable part of domestic value creation. With 76,000 companies, 208,000 employees and a turnover of 32.6 billion euros, the sector stands for economic clout, innovative strength and social transformation. It has a particularly strong impact as a driving force for digitalization, sustainability and new business models - topics that are central to the competitiveness of Austria as a business location.

 

Resilience despite crises
13% of all Austrian companies belong to the creative industries. "The creative industries are the trendsetters of our economy. Its companies are the 'speedboats' that help other companies to master the transformation through creative solutions and innovative business models," emphasizes Harald Mahrer, President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. One-person companies (EPU) dominate this sector with 74% of all companies. However, the report also shows that 42% of these EPUs generate less than EUR 10,000 in annual turnover; this corresponds to 31% of all companies in the creative industries. A total of 3% of companies employ more than 9 people, which illustrates the small-scale structure and the specific challenges of the sector. Despite economically challenging years, the sector is showing resilience: in 2023, an increase in employment of 0.9% was achieved - a strong sign for a sector that is characterized by many EPUs and yet constantly secures employment.

"The creative industries are a driver of innovation - and start-ups are their turbo. Many creative companies in Austria are young, courageous start-ups that bring together new technologies, design and digital business models. Whether in the games industry, fashion or media sector, start-ups are shaping the creative transformation of our economy and driving social progress. The Creative Industries Report 2025 shows impressively that one in seven companies in Austria is creative - and many of them are true pioneers of the future. 61% invest in digitalization, sustainability or new technologies. These start-ups need space, capital and visibility - and that's exactly what I'm campaigning for. Because creative start-ups today shape tomorrow," said Minister of Economic Affairs Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer and Elisabeth Zehetner, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism.

 

Key areas of activity: Digitization as a driving force, women in KAT

The creative industries are also a place of social modernization: 61% of companies plan to invest in one of the following future topics such as digitalization, innovation or sustainability. It is particularly impressive that 26% of employees in the software and games industry generate around 30% of the sector's turnover.

With a 43% share of women, the creative industries are above the average for the economy as a whole. At the same time, the tech sectors such as software & games (27%) still need to catch up.

 

European connectivity as leverage

The creative industries also provide important impetus internationally. The establishment of the CLC SEA in Vienna - a center of the European innovation network EIT Culture & Creativity - has sent a clear signal: Austria is a hub for creative innovation in and from Europe. This lead must be used and further expanded: "The CLC SEA strengthens the connection between our creative industries and European funding programs and offers a unique opportunity to make the potential of the industry internationally visible," explains Gerin Trautenberger, Chairman of Kreativwirtschaft Austria. (PWK238/EB)

 

You can find the full report here.

The Austrian Creative Industries Report is a measure of Kreativwirtschaft Austria as part of the Innovation Program Creative Industries 2030 of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, financed by funds from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism.