Economic insecurity is negatively related with cultural engagement

Economic insecurity—understood as the anxiety associated with the anticipation of adverse financial events and uncertainty about recovery—has become increasingly relevant in recent years, particularly in the wake of rising living costs. While its impact on economic and social outcomes is well documented, less is known about its effects on cultural engagement. This study explores the relationship between economic insecurity and participation in cultural activities in Italy—a country rich in cultural heritage yet marked by low levels of engagement. Using ten waves of nationally representative cross-sectional surveys (2013–2022) from the Italian Institute of Statistics, we construct a novel index of cultural engagement through Item Response Theory. This methodology identifies the most discriminative cultural practices and generates a composite measure of individual engagement. We find that visits to museums, exhibitions, archaeological sites, and monuments are the strongest indicators of cultural involvement in Italy. We then examine how subjective economic insecurity—captured by individuals’ reported economic concerns—relates to cultural participation. Tobit regression models reveal a significant and negative association: individuals experiencing higher levels of economic insecurity are less likely to engage in cultural activities, even after controlling for current economic status and key socio-demographic factors. This relationship is especially pronounced among individuals with lower educational attainment and among childless couples. Our findings suggest that subjective economic insecurity, beyond material deprivation, plays a central role in shaping cultural practices.