Creative exports: what the £59.4 billion figure tells a small studio
The latest DCMS trade release shows the scale of creative services exports. Read it alongside the dates, definitions and evidence from your own business.
Illustrative stock photography; not businesses identified in the DCMS data.
Photo: YuriArcursPeopleimages / Envato. Illustrative stock photography.
A substantial market, with a clear date
UK creative industries businesses exported an estimated £59.4 billion of services in 2023, accounting for 12.7% of UK services exports. Those are the figures in the latest available DCMS trade release.
For a small studio, they offer useful context: overseas customers already buy services from businesses across the UK’s creative industries. They do not tell you how much work is available for your particular specialism today.
The year matters. The release was first published in June 2025, and some tables were corrected in October 2026. The headline above still describes 2023. DCMS currently gives a provisional November–December 2026 window for its next trade release.
DCMS: Trade 2022 and 2023 main report (opens in a new tab) · DCMS: Trade 2022 and 2023 release history (opens in a new tab) · DCMS: Trade releases collection (opens in a new tab)
Know what the number measures
These services figures are classified by the industry of the business trading, rather than the type of service sold. They cover a broad sector, so the total cannot be treated as a count of design, film or marketing briefs.
The estimates are also in current prices, meaning they have not been adjusted for inflation. A bigger cash figure over time would not, by itself, prove an equivalent increase in the amount of work delivered.
It is useful to keep the national picture alongside your own evidence. Enquiries, repeat clients and paid projects tell you something much more specific about demand for your work.
Turn the context into a focused question
Our view: use the figures as a reason to investigate a possible customer group. Start with one type of organisation and a problem your service can help solve. Look at what those organisations commission and the evidence they ask suppliers to provide.
Then prepare a relevant case study that explains your role, the work delivered and the result you can support. A clear example helps a prospective client understand where you could contribute.
The national total provides context. A suitable brief and a credible response give you something concrete to act on.
Published 6 November 2026. Checked 6 November 2026. Article dates are separate from the dates of events and source data.
