Contribution of the cultural sector to the Argentinean economy and allocation of public resources: Asymmetry or proportionality?

The aim of this paper was to analyze the contribution of the cultural sector to the Argentinean economy and the public expenditure on culture. Both variables were studied for the period 2015-2022. The hypothesis was that the evolution of the main variables indicating the cultural sector’s contribution to the economy (Cultural Gross Value Added, Employment, and National Cultural Consumption) and the allocation of public resources for developing cultural activities are effectively asymmetrical. The analysis is based on secondary and documentary sources. The results revealed that the sector’s contribution to the Argentinean economy is significant and growing over time, while public expenditure on culture remains below the target set by the Ibero-American Cultural Charter, at less than 1% of total public expenditure. This value indicates that there is still ample room for developing public cultural policy.