You Can Tell How Rich a Country Is by Looking at Its Artists

When politicians talk about building a stronger economy, the conversation usually revolves around roads, tax cuts, exports and productivity. Rarely do they talk about artists, musicians or writers. Yet if you want to know how wealthy a society really is—not just financially, but intellectually, emotionally and culturally - you only have to look at how it treats its creative community. Do children have the opportunity to learn music at school? Are galleries, theatres and community arts organisations thriving? Can young people afford to pursue creative careers, or are these opportunities steadily disappearing as budgets tighten?

For decades, the arts have been treated as a luxury: something that is desirable when times are good but expendable when governments need to save money. It is an understandable instinct, but it is also a mistaken one. Prosperous societies do not become creative because they are rich. More often, they become rich because they have invested in creativity, innovation and the freedom to imagine new possibilities.

That may sound like an idealistic claim, but the modern economy depends on creativity far more than many people realise. Every successful product begins with an idea. Every memorable brand relies on design. Businesses compete through innovation, communication and problem-solving rather than simply producing more of the same. Architects shape our cities, designers create the products we buy, software developers solve problems in new ways, and advertisers persuade us to choose one company over another. Creativity is not separate from the economy; it is one of the engines that drives it.

This is reflected in research from the OECD, which identifies creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking as some of the most valuable skills for modern economies. These are precisely the qualities fostered through music, visual arts, drama and creative writing. While schools quite rightly emphasise literacy and numeracy, education should also help young people learn to question, experiment and imagine. Those abilities will become increasingly valuable as artificial intelligence and automation take over routine tasks.

New Zealand already benefits enormously from its creative industries. According to Creative New Zealand, the arts and creative sector contributed around $17.5 billion to the country's GDP in the year to March 2024, representing about 4.2 per cent of the economy. That is hardly the contribution of a niche interest. It is a significant economic sector that supports thousands of jobs while enriching the country's cultural identity.

This is why recent reductions in arts funding are concerning. Budget savings affecting organisations such as Creative New Zealand, Te Papa, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Royal New Zealand Ballet, the New Zealand Music Commission and Radio New Zealand may appear modest on paper, but institutions that already operate with lean budgets often have little room to absorb further cuts. The result is fewer programmes, fewer opportunities for emerging artists and, ultimately, a weaker creative ecosystem.

The greatest cost, however, may not be felt immediately. When arts education is reduced, the country is not simply producing fewer painters or concert pianists. It is also producing fewer inventive engineers, imaginative entrepreneurs, thoughtful designers and confident communicators. Most children who learn an instrument or paint a picture will never make a living from it, and that has never been the point. Creative experiences shape the way people think. They encourage curiosity, resilience and the confidence to solve problems in original ways.

There is also a growing body of evidence that participation in the arts contributes positively to individual and community wellbeing. People who sing in choirs, attend performances, paint, write or engage with cultural activities consistently report stronger feelings of belonging and social connection. While it would be simplistic to claim that increased arts funding would directly reduce depression or suicide, it is equally simplistic to dismiss creativity as merely entertainment. Human beings need opportunities to express themselves, to share stories and to participate in something larger than themselves. These experiences help build stronger communities, and strong communities are generally healthier ones.

It is no coincidence that countries such as Finland, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands, which regularly rank among the happiest nations in the world, also invest heavily in arts education, public libraries, cultural institutions and creative spaces. Their success cannot be attributed to the arts alone, of course, but these countries have long recognised that culture is not simply a reward for prosperity. It is one of the ingredients that helps create prosperous, engaged and resilient societies.

Governments will always face difficult choices about how to allocate public money, and no budget can fund everything. Nevertheless, budgets also reveal what a country values. If we continue to see creativity as an optional extra rather than an essential investment, we risk saving a relatively small amount today while diminishing our capacity for innovation tomorrow.

Perhaps it is time to adopt a broader understanding of wealth. A truly wealthy nation is not defined solely by the size of its economy or the balance of its accounts. It is defined by its ability to imagine, create and inspire. A country that nurtures artists, musicians, writers and designers is investing not only in culture but also in the ideas, skills and confidence that underpin future prosperity.
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If we genuinely want New Zealand to become more productive, more innovative and more resilient, we should stop asking whether we can afford the arts. The more important question is whether we can afford to neglect them.