About the ASTC and Ecsite Collaboration
The 2023 Annual Statistics Survey was conducted by the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) in partnership with Ecsite, the European network of science engagement organizations.
ASTC is dedicated to increasing the understanding of and engagement with science and technology among all people. Ecsite connects, inspires and empowers science engagement organizations and professionals, extending the reach and strengthening the impact of their work.
Attendance Highlights from the Annual Survey
In 2023, 153 science engagement organizations reported a total attendance of more than 44 million visits (41.7 million onsite and 2.4 million through offsite events and programs, such as school outreach, community festivals, and local workshops).
Extrapolating from the reported data to include all 762 ASTC and Ecsite member science engagement organizations, it is estimated that there were more than 108.5 million visits to member organizations worldwide last year.
In the United States, the total reported attendance for 94 science engagement organizations was more than 23 million. It is estimated that there were over 62 million visits to ASTC’s 419 member science centers and museums located in the United States during 2023.
In Europe, the total reported attendance for 47 science engagement organizations was more than 13.6 million. It is estimated that there were over 33 million visits to Ecsite’s 311 member organizations during 2023.
What is the Annual Statistics Survey?
The summary report contains information based primarily on 2023 data collected in a survey conducted between February and April 2024. The survey was distributed by email to the 763 science centers, museums, and other informal science education organizations that were then members of ASTC and/or Ecsite. By the time data entry closed, there were 185 responses received, a response rate of 24%.
Of survey respondents, 53% are science centers, while another 17% are children’s museums. The remaining 30% include a variety of other types of museums and organizations. Most of the survey respondents (104, or 56%) are located within the United States, while 5 (3%) are in Canada. 65 (35%) respondents represent countries from Europe, while the remaining responses come from 10 additional countries.
This year’s survey contains information collected from 185 science engagement organizations that are members of ASTC and/or Ecsite. This data was collected between February and April 2024, and primarily reflects operations during calendar year 2023. For the purposes of this reporting, “science engagement organizations” refers to science centers, museums, and other informal science education organizations.
Want more data? Access this year’s survey!
ASTC members can access the report for free at myASTC.org; those members who contributed to the survey will also get access to the raw data. The report is also available for purchase to non-members.
By using this report, organizations can benchmark their own operations against key data points, gaining valuable insights into visitor demographics, engagement strategies, financial health, and more. Whether you’re looking to refine your exhibits, optimize visitor experiences, or make informed decisions about staffing and resources, our data collection efforts offer actionable benchmarks to help guide your organization’s growth. Don’t miss the opportunity to see how your organization stacks up and identify new opportunities for improvement and innovation in the ever-evolving science engagement field.
Next year’s survey will go out in early 2025 to collect data on 2024 operations. Please keep an eye out for this important fieldwide resource, and subscribe to Informer for more updates on ASTC’s data and research efforts.