Annual Museums Survey

Museum Development England have revealed the results of the Annual Museums Survey for 2024. The 2024 Annual Museum Survey, which surveyed non-National museums in spring this year, provides a comprehensive report on the operating context of museums in England. The findings highlight the ongoing impact of the cost-of-living crisis, and the resulting pressures placed on these institutions.

The 2024 Report – National Findings

The 2024 report emphasises the uphill battle museums face in their post-pandemic recovery due to rising expenditure. Museums deserve recognition for the remarkable work of their volunteers and their creative approaches to diversifying income streams. In less exceptional times, museums might have been able to fully recover from the pandemic, but the increased costs associated with high inflation and contracting funding opportunities have hindered their efforts.

Museum visitor numbers are currently lagging behind pre-pandemic levels by 8%. Visitor numbers have recovered 80% in the past four years (20/21 – 23/24), but museums still have not bounced back to pre-pandemic levels. However, the sector is determined to maintain its journey towards full recovery.

This year’s report reaffirms the indispensable asset of volunteering to the museum sector, with more than a third of museums operating entirely on volunteer power. The ratio of volunteers to paid staff in England is six to one, highlighting the vital role volunteers play in enabling access to museums and collections. The number of volunteer hours contributed by volunteers is now only 5% short of pre-pandemic level. While smaller museums have seen a strong recovery in volunteer numbers, larger organisations operating multiple sites continue to struggle to regain this important capacity. These institutions are still down 32% on 2019/20 in volunteer numbers and 24% in volunteer hours compared to pre-pandemic levels.

In addition, rising costs are outpacing the growth in museum income. Despite the encouraging growth in donations (up 27%) and admissions income (up 20%) since 2019/20, museums are still struggling to keep pace with rising costs. The overall increase in income (15%) is offset by a 20% increase in expenditure, highlighting the ongoing financial challenges faced by museums.

Developed and operated by Museum Development South West the Annual Museums Survey has been operating across England for eight years. This is the first year that the Annual Museums Survey will reflect the five new Museum Development England areas: London, South East, South West, Midlands and North in the reporting.

All reports can be found on their website: Annual Museum Survey – Museum Development South West