Discover the latest findings on the contribution of our National Cultural Institutions.

Line drawing of people outside of the National Library of Australia.

2021–22 data demonstrates that Australia's National Cultural Institutions continue to safekeep and share our nation's stories.

COVID-19 continued to present challenges in 2021–22 with the National Cultural Institutions reporting considerable downturns in some key performance areas. Despite this, 2021–22 also produced some record results, highlighting the resilience and dedication of the National Cultural Institutions.

The National Cultural Institutions protect and provide access to Australian stories, content, collections and cultural heritage and provide arts project development and support opportunities.

Key highlights for 2021–22 include:

  • 5.3 million visits to the National Collecting Institutions
  • the number of objects in our national collections has reached an all-time high of 12.6 million
  • the highest ever amount of 1.9 million objects were available online representing 15.3% of the total collection
  • an all-time high of 1.7 million students and teachers attended school program visits (inclusive of on-site, off-site visits, virtual excursions and on-line courses)
  • the number of digitised objects grew to 2.5 million
  • the cumulative audience of Screen Australia supported TV productions grew to 155.7 million.

This is the tenth year this information has been captured, building a comprehensive picture of trends in visitation, audience reach and educational programs.

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