70 creativity statistics: work, school, and more

Creativity is a complex and multifaceted mental process that involves generating new and novel ideas, concepts, or solutions to problems. It’s the ability to think outside the box, connect seemingly unrelated things, and produce something original and valuable.

Global creativity statistics

Global creativity refers to the ability of individuals, groups, or organizations to generate innovative and creative ideas, solutions, or products on a global scale.

It involves harnessing creativity and innovation across cultural, geographical, and organizational boundaries to address complex challenges and opportunities that transcend local or regional contexts.

1. Approximately 75% of people feel they must make the most of their creative abilities and believe they must fully tap into their creative potential.¹
2. A majority of 72% of individuals claim to experience creative revelations while taking a shower.²
3. Only 25% of individuals feel they’re maximizing their creative potential.³
4. Globally, 52% of people, and in the United States, 70% of individuals believe creativity is undervalued or underappreciated.³
5. 80% of people believe unlocking creativity is critical to economic growth.³
6. Nearly two-thirds feel creativity is valuable to society.³
7. Only 25% believe they’re living up to their creative potential.³

8. 75% of respondents are pressured to be productive rather than creative at work.³
9. People spend only 25% of their time at work creating.³
10. The biggest barrier to creativity is lack of time (47% globally, 52% in the US).³
11. Japan ranked as the most creative country, and Tokyo as the most creative city.³
12. The US ranked as the second most creative nation.³
13. Generational and gender differences in creativity are marginal.³
14. 40% believe they need more tools or access to tools to create.³
15. Creative tools are the biggest driver to increase creativity (65% globally, 76% in the US).³
16. Technology is recognized for helping overcome creative limitations (58% globally, 60% in the US) and inspiring (53% globally, 62% in the US).³
17. In the UK, 34% of all creative businesses are located in London, and 62% are in the greater southeast of London.⁴

Creativity vs productivity in the workplace across the top 5 countries

18. 90% of business leaders believe creativity is essential for competitiveness in the market​.⁴
19. Over 165 million creators joined the global creator economy in the last two years​.⁵
20. 17% of creators are business owners, with 39% aspiring to be one.⁵
21. Nearly all creators (95%) take action to support causes important to them​.⁵
22. Creators making daily content or spending 10+ hours per week on it report being happiest overall​​.⁵
23. 83% of teams get creative project approval in five review rounds or fewer.⁶
24. The speed of work is the top challenge for 77% of creative teams.⁶
25. 65% of creative professionals are getting new responsibilities.⁶

The business world, in particular, places a high value on creativity, with CEOs and professionals acknowledging its role in driving innovation and future success. Global creativity continues to grow and show innovation across industries. The next section follows how creativity is used and improved within the workplace.

Creativity at work statistics

Overall, regularly integrating periods of creative thinking can be advantageous for your career. This goes beyond just taking breaks to relax. It offers the chance to indulge in unrestrained and innovative thought processes.

1. 94% of hiring managers consider creativity important when hiring job candidates.⁵
2. Creativity is the most important skill in the world.⁷
3. 35% of workers are only given time to be creative a few times yearly.⁸
4. Creative problem-solving sessions with groups trained in creativity tools and principles generated 350% as many ideas, which were 415% more original than those from untrained groups.⁹
5. 78% of college-educated workers over 25 wish they had more creative ability​.⁵
6. High Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores correlate with lower confidence in entrepreneurial capabilities.¹⁰
7. Creativity is linked to 9 of the top 10 essential skills.¹¹
8. 89% of respondents in a survey believe that creative work is essential for meeting business objectives​​.⁶
9. Only 31% of creative teams are measuring their return on investment (ROI)​​.⁶

10. 65% of creative professionals are getting new responsibilities​​.⁶
11. The speed at which creative teams work is the top challenge for 77% of these teams​​.⁶
12. 83% of teams get creative project approval in five or fewer review rounds​​.⁶
13. Deloitte's survey of 1,015 executives showed that high-growth brands are more likely to allow creativity to flourish​​.¹²
14. High-growth brands consider creative thinking one of the most important attributes of talent​​.¹²
15. Creative ideas in business are now coming from various sources, not just employees but also external partners, suppliers, and customers​​.¹²
16. CMOs are encouraged to redefine the role of creativity, bring the organization along, and inspire different thinking​​.¹²
17. Co-creation is becoming more prominent, with external creative partners playing a significant role in brand authenticity​​.¹²
18. Nearly four out of five respondents find collaborating with creators on creative strategy easy​​.¹²
19. Creators are seen as strategic partners in creativity and growth plans, with 69% of creators prioritizing brand relevance to their audience when partnering with businesses​​.¹²

How generations prioritize creativity 

20. Analytical and creative thinking are the most important skills for workers in 2023, according to the World Economic Forum​​.¹³
21. Six in 10 workers will require training before 2027, with a high priority on promoting creative thinking​​.¹³
22. In the US, 7 in 10 people believe that creativity is crucial for the growth of the economy​​.⁴
23. 60% of CEOs polled say that workplace creativity is a critical leadership quality​​.⁴

These statistics illustrate creativity's growing importance and diverse applications in the workplace, highlighting its role in problem-solving, innovation, and business growth. Moving forward, we see how creativity continues to grow within schools.

Creativity at school statistics

Creativity in education enhances students' learning experiences and overall development. It fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills and boosts engagement, confidence, and academic performance.

1. Teachers who frequently assign creative tasks are more likely to observe their students engaging in problem-solving, demonstrating critical thinking, making connections between different subjects, deeply learning subject matter, and retaining what they've learned​​.¹⁵
2. Creativity in the classroom correlates with students who are more engaged and confident. They take responsibility for their learning, feel confident about mastering complex material, are willing to take risks and display a strong desire to learn more about the subjects taught in school​​.¹⁵
3. The findings are based on a survey of 1,036 K-12 teachers, 2,673 parents of students in grades K-12, and 853 students in grades 6 to 12​​.¹⁵
4. 85% of teachers focusing on creativity and using technology in transformative ways often see their students engaging in problem-solving, compared to 50% of teachers who neither focus on creativity nor transformative technology​​.¹⁵
5. Teachers in supportive school environments are likelier to assign creative learning activities. 53% of teachers in highly supportive environments report that their students often try new ways of doing things​​.¹⁵
6. 83% of teachers get ideas for incorporating technology into lesson plans from other teachers they know personally​​.¹⁵
7. 87% of teachers and 77% of parents agree that creativity-inspired teaching methods, though more work-intensive, have a bigger payoff for students​​.¹⁵
8. 73% of students feel they spend too little time choosing what they learn in class, 44% too little time demonstrating what they've learned creatively, and 43% too little time trying new ways of doing things​​.¹⁵
9. Teachers who frequently assign creative learning activities and make transformative use of technology are more likely to perceive their students as highly engaged, confident problem-solvers who think critically and retain what they learn​​.¹⁵

10. Creativity in learning, especially when supported by transformative uses of technology, leads to positive outcomes in problem-solving, critical thinking, retention of learning, and deep learning of subject matter​​.¹⁶
11. 85% of teachers with high creativity and transformational technology scores stated that their students often demonstrated problem-solving skills, compared to 50% of teachers who scored low​​.¹⁶
12. 87% of teachers and 77% of parents agree that creativity in learning leads to more positive cognitive outcomes than traditional methods​​.¹⁶
13. Teachers in the top 33% for supportive environments were likelier to use technology in transformative ways and infuse creativity in learning​​.¹⁶
14. Only 20% of teachers reported that their school leaders valued creative projects or portfolios as demonstrations of student achievement, while 88% viewed creative products as a better indication of student learning​​.¹⁶
15. Teachers in schools serving low-income communities were less likely to score highly on creativity, though not necessarily on technology use​​.¹⁶
16. 42% of teachers serving students from low-income communities reported a lack of access to creative tools in school, and 66% stated a lack of access outside of school​​.¹⁶
17. Participation in art-based programs significantly impacted academic achievements, with increases in grades for language, math, art, and overall GPA.¹⁷
18. Art-based programs positively impact socio-emotional skills, fostering awareness, experimentation, creativity, and improved student relationships​​​​.¹⁷
19. Participation in art-based programs increases students' intent to pursue higher education by 16%​​​​.¹⁷

Steps to promote creativity in education 

20. Art-based programs positively influence students' engagement in cultural activities, like watching films, creating cultural goods, and visiting libraries​​​​.¹⁷
21. 87% of teachers and 77% of parents agree that teaching approaches inspiring creativity have a bigger payoff for students​​.¹⁸
22. Creativity in learning leads to positive critical outcomes for students, particularly when supported by transformative technology use​​.¹⁸
23. 75% of teachers fostering creativity in learning say their students often demonstrate problem-solving skills​​.¹⁸
24. 26% of students report they often work on projects with real-world applications.¹⁸
25. 81% of teachers believe that lesson plans making transformative use of technology are better for students to connect their learning to the real world​​.¹⁸

Creativity in schools is a vital catalyst for intellectual growth and personal development. It transcends traditional learning methods, offering students a platform to explore, experiment, and express themselves uniquely. This approach nurtures critical thinking and problem-solving skills, essential for thriving in an ever-evolving world. 

By integrating creativity into the curriculum, schools don't just teach; they inspire. This inspiration leads to a generation of knowledgeable, innovative, adaptable, and equipped learners to navigate and contribute to a complex, dynamic society. Schools that prioritize creativity, therefore, are not just educational institutions; they are incubators of future leaders, thinkers, and creators.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Adage
2. Business Insider
3. Adobe
4. MarketSplash
5. Adobe
6. Lytho
7. Linkedin
8. Gallup
9. Wiley
10. Zhao Learning
11. weforum.org
12. Deloitte
13. weforum.org
14. Great Place To Work.com
15. Gallup
16. Getting Smart
17. Nature.com
18. Gallup