United Kingdom
About this story
The Design Council’s Design Economy 2026 research reports that design contributed £136.7 billion in gross value added in 2023, a 40-percent increase since 2019. It identifies 2.27 million design workers in 2025, up 15 percent since 2020, and reports that 80 percent of designers work in wider industries rather than conventional design-sector businesses, contributing £90.6 billion in GVA.
Status and timeline
Design Economy 2026 findings and downloadable data were published September 7, 2026.
Design highlights
The research measures design as an economy-wide capability rather than limiting it to architecture, product, graphic or other conventional design firms. Its regional analysis maps economic contribution and growth across the United Kingdom.
Important dates
· Design Economy discussion during London Design Festival · Details
