Creative Economy: A Feasible Development Option

The aim of this report is to sensitize policymakers to thepositive economic and social spillovers of these usually neglectedcreative industries. In the absence of data for marketing andbrands, and owing to the difficulty in distinguishing between afashion creation and the more popular mass-production manufacturing,only trade data for accessories are includedin the fashion subsector. The trade figures presented inthis report for the design industry are based on a revisedlist of products made by UNCTAD. Therefore, figuresare slightly different from those shown in the firstreport, 50 as we have sought to improve the accuracy andcomparability of data for trade of creative designgoods.International tradeThis assessment of global trade in design goodshas shown impressive results. Design was found to bethe leading subgroup in the world market for creativegoods. World exports of design goods nearly doubledfrom $115 billion to $242 billion from 2002 to2008, with an annual growth rate of 12.5 per cent(see chart 5.15 and table 5.20). The share of designproducts in total exports of creative goods remainedstable at about 41 per cent in 2008. The inclusion ofdesign as a creative industry has completely changedthe position of key players in the world market forcreative goods and services. China and Italy becameleading exporters of creative-industry productsthanks to their competitive position in the productionand trade of design goods and services.Design appears to be the largest contributor totrade of creative industries, partly because it is the sectorwith the best reported statistics. It encompassessix main groups of goods, including interior design,graphics, fashion accessories, jewellery and toys. Forservices, the main item is architectural services, whichwill be featured under “creative services”.Key players in global marketsDuring the years under review, exports ofdesign products from developed economies and theirshare in world markets indicated contrasting trends.While the value of exports of design productsChart 5.15(in billions of $)140120100806040200increased from $61 billion in 2002 to $118 billion in 2008,the market penetration of their products decreased from53.2 per cent to 48.7 per cent. Italy maintained its positionas leading exporter, with 9.76 per cent of world market sharethanks to its renowned role in the fields of interior design,Design: Exports, by economic group,2002, 2005 and 2008DevelopedeconomiesDevelopingeconomies2002 2005 2008TransitioneconomiesSource: UNCTAD based on official data reported to UN COMTRADE databaseTable 5.20Economic group and regionDesign: Exports, by economic group and region,2002 and 2008Value (inmillions of $)World 114,692 241,972 111Developed economies 60,967 117,816 93Europe 49,221 98,164 99United States of America 6,280 12,150 93Japan 1,521 3,783 149Canada 3,104 2,773 -11Developing economies 53,362 122,439 129Eastern and South-Eastern Asia 47,534 98,851 108China 23,529 58,848 150Western Asia 1,916 8,452 341Latin America and Caribbean 3,292 5,007 52Africa 422 1,140 170LDCs 222 467SIDS 47 96 102Transition economies 362 1,716 374Source: UNCTAD, based on official data in UN COMTRADE databaseChange(%)2002 2008 2002-20085International trade in creative goods and services: Global trends and features50 When UNCTAD revisited its list of selected creative goods, two elements were considered for the new selection of design goods. First, it adopted the statistical codes from the2002 revision of the Harmonized System, instead of the 1996 version. Second, it undertook a comparative analysis with the list of codes used by other institutions and nationalsources. As a result, the number of selected design products was reduced from 139 in 2005 to 102 codes in 2008. Thus, the coverage of products shown in this report for theperiod 2002-2008 is different from the figures presented in the Creative Economy Report 2008 for the period 1996-2005.CREATIVE ECONOMY REPORT 2010157