According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, arts and culture contributed $804 billion to the nation’s economy in 2016. This represents 4.3 percent of the GDP—a larger share of the economy than transportation, agriculture, and construction.

The entire U.S. arts and culture sector (i.e., nonprofit, commercial, education) was a $804 billion industry in 2016. This represents 4.3 percent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)—a larger share of the economy than transportation, agriculture, or construction—according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.