For the 12th year, we’ve worked with our National Cultural Institutions to capture data on their activities and build a picture of their impact over time. The data includes in-person and online visitation to the institutions, collection growth and accessibility, and participation of the institutions in the domestic and international arts and culture sectors.

The latest trends from 2023-24 show our National Cultural Institutions have continued to face challenges in the wake of economic uncertainty, with visitation still lower than pre-COVID levels.

However the trends also reveal there is a lot to celebrate. The number of objects in the national collection continues to grow, reaching 15.6 million objects in 2023-24, with 11.3 million of these available to the public. In addition, the digital accessibility of the national collection continues to grow, with 3.2 million items digitised in 2023-24.

The number of student and public program visits increased in 2023-24, and feedback collected from teachers on school visits and public program visitors was overwhelmingly positive.

The data reflects the significance of our National Cultural Institutions in maintaining a rich, educational and accessible national collection for all Australians to enjoy. 

https://www.arts.gov.au/news/celebrating-impact-our-national-cultural-institutions