Municipal spending on culture in Quebec in 2011
(Les dépenses culturelles des municipalités en 2011, Optique culture no 25)
Issue
Arts and culture funding and financesArticle Link
http://www.stat.gouv.qc.ca/salle-presse/communiq/2013/mai/mai1322_an.htmBased on a survey of Quebec municipalities (including all 10 cities with populations of at least 100,000), this report indicates that Quebec municipalities spent $812 million on culture in 2011, a 9.6% increase from 2010 and a 29.1% increase from 2008 (not adjusted for inflation). On a per capita basis, total cultural spending by Quebec municipalities represents about $102 per resident of the province. Cultural expenditures represent 4.8% of the total operating spending of Quebec municipalities.
For purposes of the report, cultural spending includes: libraries; arts and letters; heritage, public art and design; cultural festivals and events; events with a cultural component; cultural and scientific leisure activities; conservation of historical archives; and other cultural expenditures. Total spending includes expenditures on services (76% of the total), financing costs and depreciation (9%), as well as other costs (15%).
A very high proportion of municipal cultural expenditures come from municipalities' own contributions (79% via property or other taxes, etc.), but smaller percentages do come from sales and fees (9%), grants from other governments (7%), and other revenues (5%).
Libraries dominate cultural spending, representing 44% of total expenditures on cultural services. Arts and letters represent 20% of spending on cultural services, followed by heritage, public art and design (17%).