Québec municipalities increased expenditures on culture in 2010

Québec, May 16, 2012 – Québec municipalities spent $739.5 million on culture in 2010, up 17.6% from 2008 as revealed in a study by the Observatoire de la culture et des communications (OCCQ) of the Institut de la statistique du Québec.

According to the survey findings published in the Optique culture newsletter, municipalities devote on average 4.9% of their operating expenditures to culture. This percentage varies, however, with municipality size. Municipalities with a population between 25,000 and 99,999 allot up to 5.8% of their operating expenditures to culture. 

Strong growth in small municipalities

Between 2007 to 2010, municipalities with a population of under 10,000 saw the highest increase in their average cultural expenditures in services rendered. They went up 52.4% in municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants and up 45.8% in those with 5,000 to 9,999.

Financing of cultural services

The newsletter also reveals that municipalities in the province of Québec paid 83.7% of their cultural expenditures through the taxes and property taxes of their taxpayers. The sale of goods and services, and subsidies are among the other sources of revenue.

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