EIF Diversity Survey – report and actions

August 13, 2024
|In All Posts, Campaigning, EIF events
|By EIF Admin
Eif Diversity Survey 2022
Image credit: Tania Yakunova

EIF Diversity Survey report

The European Illustrators Forum carried out a survey to better understand the opportunities and challenges within the illustration sector today in different countries across Europe. 

Our aims for the Survey

  • We wanted to know the diversity of the group of illustration professionals
  • To understand how EIF can best champion under-represented minority groups within the illustration industry
  • Review the financial income differences between the different countries.

A total of 1107 illustrators from 9 countries responded to the survey, which was launched in late 2022. Nearly 14% of respondents are from an ethnic minority background and nearly 6% identify as having a disability. 70% of all respondents were female.

Illustrators’ Income

Illustrators reported a big range in income over the previous year. When asked if illustration is their main source of financial income:

  • 59% said illustration work is their primary source of income.
  • 79% have another job as their primary source of income.
  • 63% comes equally from both illustration work and another source of income.

Across the 9 countries where illustrators responded to the survey, Denmark had the highest average annual income (average 41,068€) and Turkiye the lowest (average 4556€).

This range shows that freelance illustration brings in a varied income, and although half the respondents made most of their income from illustration, the other half required an additional income stream to support themselves financially.

The Diversity of illustration professionals

The survey asked about the diversity of illustration professionals:

  • 91% consider themselves to be part of an ethnic minority group where they live.
  • 87% consider themselves to have a disability.
  • 89% chose not to provide an answer to the question of disability.

What are the main issues for illustrators?

We want to understand what the biggest obstacles faced by illustrators in their careers are.

This graph covers all the survey respondents, and gives the obstacles in order of illustrators’ concerns.

It reveals that the main concerns for respondents are based around fees and income as a freelancer, which ties in with a concern that clients do not appreciate the value illustration and so may not be willing to pay appropriately, as well as lack of support from the state. These areas were closely followed by concerns over the unfavourable contract terms that clients may offer to illustrators they commission.

The highest scoring are:

  • Low Fees and Wages
  • No common pricing standards
  • Lack of knowledge in the value of illustration by clients

We asked illustrators from under-represented groups for their main issues.

For ethnic minority illustrators the top three main issues are:

  • Low Fees and Wages
  • Inadequate negotiation skills
  • Lack of knowledge in the value of illustration by clients

For disabled illustrators the top three main issues are:

  • Low Fees and Wages
  • Lack of knowledge in the value of illustration by clients
  • Lack of social security as self employed

The common issues across the above under-represented groups are:

  • Low Fees and Wages – Resources
  • Inadequate negotiation skills – Event
  • Lack of knowledge in the value of illustration by clients

This shows that there are common issue areas for illustrators in these groups, which also are reflected in the general concerns for all respondents.

These main issues will make it difficult for illustrators from under-represented groups to maintain a successful career.

EIF Diversity Survey Report 2023. Thanks to Prof. Dr. Şakir Çinkir, Ankara University, Faculty of Educational Sciences.

 

How EIF will respond to the survey results

Based on the results of the survey, EIF aim to help illustrators and champion under-represented minority groups by responding to their concerns by:

1 Publicising the results of the Diversity survey via the EIF website and through EIF member organisations.

2 Making information on the value of illustration and licensing / pricing available for all illustrators via the EIF website in 2024 by relaunching our Price It Right campaign with additional material. This campaign supports illustration business by helping increase the understanding of, and confidence in, pricing illustration. Go here for more.

3 Hold an online event in 2024 for illustrators on Licensing and Negotiating for illustrators, covering fees and contracts.

4 Use the survey results to inform our own organisations’ activities in each country to benefit illustrators in each country.

Illustration by Tanya Yakunova