The Philippines’ creative economy expanded to P2.12 trillion in 2025, accounting for 7.6% of gross domestic product (GDP), according to preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The figure marks a 6.9% increase from P1.98 trillion in 2024, with technology-driven segments playing a growing role in the sector’s expansion.
Among the nine industries tracked, digital interactive goods and services emerged as one of the largest contributors, accounting for 19.7% of total gross value added (GVA).
The segment includes game development, digital content platforms, software-based creative tools, and other tech-enabled services.
The symbols and images and related activities category remained the top contributor at P670.15 billion, or 31.6% of the total, covering areas such as design, multimedia production, and visual content — many of which are increasingly powered by digital tools and artificial intelligence.
Meanwhile, advertising, research and development (R&D), and artistic services, which often rely on data analytics, automation, and creative software platforms, contributed 15.9%.
Despite the sector’s overall growth, employment dipped slightly by 0.4% to 8.71 million workers in 2025, down from 8.74 million the previous year.
The PSA data suggests a gradual shift toward higher-productivity, technology-enabled roles even as total headcount remains largely stable. The creative economy still accounts for 17.8% of the country’s total workforce.
On the trade front, the Philippines recorded P426.99 billion in exports of creative services, reflecting strong global demand for digitally delivered outputs such as animation, software, and design services. Creative goods exports reached P320.06 billion.
Imports, however, remained high, with P711.48 billion in creative goods and P138.00 billion in creative services, indicating continued reliance on foreign content, tools, and platforms.
The PSA said the figures are part of an ongoing pilot study and signaled plans to formalize the Philippine Creative Economy Satellite Account, which aims to provide more consistent data for policymaking, particularly in fast-growing areas such as digital media, gaming, and AI-assisted creative work.
“The steady growth of our creative industries reflects the immense talent and economic potential of the Filipino people. As we move toward institutionalizing these metrics, we pave the way for more targeted support for our artists and innovators,” the PSA said.
