Cultural participation

In the autumn of 2023, almost 9 in 10 residents of the Flemish Region aged 18 and older participated in at least 1 of 11 cultural activities surveyed (88%). Cultural participation has been increasing annually since 2021. In 2021, this concerned 77% of the population.

The total group of cultural participants can be divided into different types of participants. The ‘core participants’ participate daily or weekly in 1 or more activities or participate at least once a month in 2 of the 11 activities. In 2023, approximately 13% of the population was a core participant. The ‘interested participants’ are participants who are not core participants. 76% of the population belonged to this group in 2023. Finally, there are the ‘non-participants’. They did not participate in any cultural activities in the year prior to the survey. In 2023 this will be 12% of the population. The increase in cultural participation since 2021 is reflected in both an increase in the share of core participants and interested participants. As a result, the group of non-participants has become smaller. In 2021, 23% of residents were still non-participants, in 2023 this was only 12%.

In 2023, 68% of residents of the Flemish Region aged 18 years and older indicated that they had visited a monument or building worth seeing at least once during the year prior to the survey. This activity therefore has the highest participation rate of the 11 cultural activities surveyed. Attending a music performance, concert or festival (64%), visiting a museum, exhibition or gallery (60%) and seeing a film in the cinema (58%) were also quite popular. The participation rate was lowest for attending a circus performance or an opera performance.

There are large differences in cultural participation based on background characteristics. The most pronounced difference can be found by education level. The degree of cultural participation increases with the level of education. 96% of highly educated people will have participated in cultural participation in 2023. This was 66% among the low-skilled.

There are also major differences by age. In the oldest age group (over-65s), 74% will have participated in cultural participation in 2023. That share is higher in the younger age groups. This is 96% among 18 to 34 year olds.

Finally, there are also differences according to household typology and degree of urbanization. People who live alone participate least in culture (77%). The participation rate is highest among people who live with their partner and child(ren) and among people who live with parents (93% and 94% respectively). By degree of urbanization, participation is higher in the major cities (93%) than in the centre and smaller cities (85% and 84% respectively).