Albertans continue to be this country’s biggest spenders on cultural goods, services and activities, according to an analysis of Statistics Canada household spending data released Wednesday.

The report, prepared by Hill Strategies Research of Hamilton, Ont., shows that in 2008, Albertans’ per capita cultural spending was $963 – down from the $971 recorded in 2005, but 15-per-cent higher than the 2008 national per capita average of $841.

Calgary, in fact, is the country’s most cultural city by expenditures. In 2008, Calgarians spent $1,020 each on arts events and art works, a two-per-cent increase from 2005. Saskatoon was second in 2008, at $1,000 per capita. Canada’s most populous city, Toronto, ranks seventh ($868), Vancouver is 11th ($795) and Montreal 12th ($722).

The statistics are derived from a survey of almost 10,000 households nationwide. The survey discovered that, two years ago, Canadians spent $27.4-billion on cultural goods and services, a nine-per-cent increase from 2005. Included in the goods and services category are expenditures on live events, museum visits, DVD players, art supplies, books, magazines, digital recorders, music lessons, movies, photography equipment and TV sets.

Among Canadians, Albertans spent the most per capita attending movies – $48.15, with overall theatre admissions totalling $160-million. More than half of the province’s cultural spending ($1.8-billion) went to home-entertainment services and equipment, with expenditures on reading material ($550-million) making up the second-largest category.

Saskatchewan, Ontario, British Columbia and Manitoba all joined Alberta in having higher per-capita culture spending than the $841 national average, while Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick ranked among the lowest, with per-capita spending of $716, $733 and $747, respectively.