20 Oct 2025
Creative New Zealand has today released its Audience Atlas research, giving a comprehensive snapshot of New Zealanders’ engagement with arts and culture.
The research shows declines in average spending and engagement, and highlights barriers to engagement and potential donors who are waiting to be activated.
Arts organisations and groups that are part of Creative New Zealand’s investment programme receive individual reports, with the overview report giving the national picture.
David Pannett, Senior Manager Strategy and Engagement says the key findings show increases in the cost-of-living are having a measurable impact on arts participation, and that impact is greater for low-income New Zealanders.
“Arts spending has declined since 2020 and the link between income and engagement is clear. Those with lower incomes were significantly less likely to have spent on the arts recently. Looking ahead, more people expect to reduce their arts engagement and spending over the next 12 months than increase it,” David says.
Another key finding is the scale of missed engagement opportunities, estimated at 1.6 million. In 2025, four in ten New Zealanders recalled a recent occasion when they wanted to attend an arts event or organisation but were unable to. Younger, Māori, Pacific, and disabled audiences were disproportionately affected, with social barriers particularly affecting younger and Pacific communities.
“The vision of our long-term strategy is that ‘the arts and ngā toi are flourishing: created by an empowered arts community, sought after globally and enriching all our lives.’ That finding prompts us to think about what will remove the barriers and make it easier for people to engage with the arts.”
The Audience Atlas research does point to arts philanthropy as an area with potential for growth. While the number of donors has dropped by 23 percent since 2020, an estimated 1.2 million New Zealanders say they would consider financially supporting the arts.
“Increasing sources of a financial support, including philanthropy, is a priority for us. We have a role as brokers to connect individuals and business with artists and groups to foster new relationships and new sources of funding. These connections have an impact at community and local level, while we retain our big-picture view as the national arts development agency.”
Despite the decline in donors, the research also shows positive lifts in the number of New Zealanders with active arts memberships or subscriptions, and those volunteering their time to the arts sector.
Audience Atlas is conducted every three to five years; this is the fifth iteration since 2011. This report draws on the responses of 4,836 New Zealanders. The responses can be analysed by age, gender, educational attainment, and ethnicity. It is a vital resource for arts organisations wanting to understand and grow their audiences—including attendees, donors, and volunteers.
Read the full Audience Atlas Aotearoa New Zealand 2025 report on our website
For more information
Dinah Vincent
Communications Manager
E: dinah.vicent@creativenz.govt.nz
T: 0274635835
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