Launched today at Westminster is the latest Design Economy 2026, the Design Council’s flagship tri-annual study into the value of design, shows the scale of design’s contribution across industries, places and jobs, and argues that strengthening design capability will be critical to delivering good growth across the UK. See the full press release here.

The UK design economy contributed £136.7 billion to the economy in 2023, equivalent to 5.5% of UK Gross Value Added (GVA) – approximately £1 in every £20 – according to new research from the Design Council. 

Design Economy 2026 is published by the Design Council and is available to view / download: here. 

Dids Macdonald OBE, Chairman and Co-Founder of Anti Copying In Design (ACID) and part of the Design Economy Advisory Group said today, “Year on year, the design economy research demonstrates the extraordinary breadth of design within innovation across all sectors and its exponential growth. I hope that the government will listen to Design Council policy asks to support SMEs to protect and manage intellectual property and in growing the design workforce of the future, that ‘Learning Labs’ will help designers develop skills in AI, green design, systems thinking, commercial capability and intellectual property literacy.”

She continued, “Above all Government must realise the economic weight behind the intellectual capital underpinning the design economy and that intellectual property protection will play an increasingly more important role in safeguarding this national asset to achieve even more growth.”

Laura Newbold Breen, CEO of ACID said, “Whilst these figures are enormously encouraging, many lone, micro and SME design creators are facing seismic challenges having their work stolen online and they are the ones most at risk through insidious and consistent David & Goliath copying. I hope intellectual property protection and cost-effective means of redress will play a key role in government’s thinking. With such enormous UK talent across all elements of design, it is imperative they are supported with IP literacy and easy access to cost effective enforcement.” 

FACTS AND FIGURES

• Design contributed £136.7bn in GVA in 2023, 40% more than in 2019, compared with 23% growth across the wider UK economy. 
• The design economy supports 2.27 million jobs, following a 15% increase in employment since 2020.
• Design is contributing to regional growth, with an 88% increase in design GVA in Wales, 67% in the Northeast and 32% in Scotland since 2019. 
• UK design is valued globally with 10% of all British exports coming from design goods and services.

Employment growth reinforces that picture. More than 2.27 million people were employed across the design economy in 2025, up 15% since 2020 – an increase of approximately 297,000 jobs – while total UK employment grew by less than 2.5% over the same period. Of those working in the design economy, around 1.88 million are employed in design occupations, which now account for 6.2% of all UK employment. 

Mat Hunter, Chief Executive of the Design Council said, “These figures should change the way we think about design. It is not a niche creative activity sitting at the edge of the economy; it is a £136.7 billion capability embedded in the way organisations effectively innovate, tackle complex problems, and grow. The opportunity now is to make sure that capability is available everywhere – in businesses and public services, across every region and nation – and that we invest in the skills and diversity needed to sustain it for the future.” 

The Rt Hon Ian Murray, Minister of State in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport said, “This is a story that extends beyond London. Across the UK, design supports local economies, creates high-value jobs, and helps places build distinctive strengths. As we deliver our Industrial Strategy and Creative Industries Sector Plan, the evidence here shows how design can support growth and opportunity in every region and nation.”