State of the Archaeological Market 2023

Report on the market for commercial archaeological services in the UK in 2022-23.

This report presents the results of the survey for 2022-23, in the United Kingdom. Some respondents also work in the Republic of Ireland and elsewhere in the world, and those data have been separated where appropriate to avoid double counting.

The overall aims of this survey are to provide:

• a unique analysis of the archaeological sector as part of the overall economy;

• statistics that allow estimation of total value of the sector to the economy;

• data on indicative numbers of employed professional archaeologists working in the commercial sector with comparative figures for other areas;

• data for analysis of long-term sustainability for the sector;

• data that can enable informed lobbying to help protect heritage; and

• data to support planning effectively for the future so that the industry is sustainable and results in a benefit for society.