April 7 to May 7, 2020; September 7 to October 7, 2020; April 15 to May 29, 2021
Number of respondents
approx. 840*
Special properties
museum employees and governance
Supplementary notes
*Survey count for the May 2021 survey. Survey count for October 2020 = approximately 900. Survey count for May 2020 = approximately 1,600.
The source specifies the following for the May 2021 survey: "51 percent of respondents come from Europe, 8.3 percent from North America, 13.9 percent from Latin America and the Caribbean, 11.6 percent from Asia, 8.3 percent from Africa, 4.3 percent from the Pacific, and 2.6 percent from the Arab Countries region".
Multiple answers were possible.
Citation formats
Share of museum staff worldwide as of May 2020, October 2020, and May 2021, by status
Three surveys conducted between May 2020 and May 2021 focused on the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on museum employees worldwide. According to the May 2021 study, nearly two-thirds of interviewed staff claimed to be working on site. Meanwhile, laid-off employees accounted for roughly ** percent of surveyed staff as of May 2021.
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International Council of Museums. (July 5, 2021). Share of museum employees worldwide as of May 2020, October 2020, and May 2021, by status [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Retrieved July 23, 2026, from /statistics/1289323/museum-employees-worldwide-by-status/
International Council of Museums. "Share of museum employees worldwide as of May 2020, October 2020, and May 2021, by status." Chart. July 5, 2021. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Accessed July 23, 2026. /statistics/1289323/museum-employees-worldwide-by-status/
International Council of Museums. (2021). Share of museum employees worldwide as of May 2020, October 2020, and May 2021, by status. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 23, 2026. /statistics/1289323/museum-employees-worldwide-by-status/
International Council of Museums. "Share of Museum Employees Worldwide as of May 2020, October 2020, and May 2021, by Status." ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc., 5 Jul 2021, /statistics/1289323/museum-employees-worldwide-by-status/
International Council of Museums, Share of museum employees worldwide as of May 2020, October 2020, and May 2021, by status ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, /statistics/1289323/museum-employees-worldwide-by-status/ (last visited July 23, 2026)
Share of museum employees worldwide as of May 2020, October 2020, and May 2021, by status [Graph], International Council of Museums, July 5, 2021. [Online]. Available: /statistics/1289323/museum-employees-worldwide-by-status/
