Cultural Statistics – New Methodological Document “Methodology of Cultural Statistics, 2025”
Introduction: The Agency for Statistics of BiH, the Federal Institute for Statistics of FBiH, and the Republika Srpska Institute of Statistics, in cooperation with ministries responsible for culture and representatives of the cultural sector, have developed a new methodological document that includes statistical templates and reporting methodology in the field of culture.
As part of the regional project “Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans”, significant progress has been made in the field of cultural statistics in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Through the subcomponent “Enhancement of Cultural Statistics”, financed by the European Union and with technical support from UNESCO’s Regional Bureau for Culture and Science in Venice – Sarajevo Office, a revised cultural statistics methodology has been developed, along with corresponding statistical reporting templates.
The aim of this initiative is to improve the quality of cultural statistics data by relying on international practices and recommendations. Using existing templates, representatives of statistical institutions in BiH, in cooperation with relevant ministries at all levels of government and legal entities involved in various cultural activities, worked on revising and aligning templates for all identified cultural domains in the country.
A total of 14 cultural domains were addressed in the development process, resulting in 20 reporting templates. The data collected through the cultural statistics templates provide insight into the programme content of legal entities and the activities conducted during the reporting year, specific to each cultural area. The statistical templates for cultural reporting gather data from legal entities engaged in cultural activities in accordance with the BiH Classification of Activities 2010, which is harmonised with the EU’s NACE Rev.2 statistical classification of economic activities, and UNESCO’s Framework for Cultural Statistics.
By establishing an effective statistical ecosystem in the cultural field and strengthening institutional capacities, a foundation has been laid for more informed cultural policy planning. This initiative also contributes to highlighting the importance of culture as a vital segment of social and economic development.
This activity is supported by UNESCO through the “Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans” (CC4WBs) project, financed by the European Union, which aims to foster dialogue in the Western Balkans by strengthening the cultural and creative sectors as a means of enhancing the socio-economic sphere.
