Abstract
Introduction Unlike most previous studies that synthesized the literature using a single major technique, we used a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis of the literature on cultural and creative industries in the developing-country context. Moreover, we integrated the PRISMA literature selection protocol. Methods We conducted a comprehensive search of the Scopus and Web of Science databases covering January 2007 to December 2025; after screening and reapplying the developing-country eligibility criteria using the World Bank FY2026 income classification, we retained 151 articles for analysis. Results The major findings suggest rapid growth in CCI publications after 2020 (annual growth rate 26.1%; 88% of the corpus published since 2020), with research output concentrated in China (41% of corresponding authors). Keyword clustering identifies six thematic clusters: (1) sustainable development, China and the creative and cultural industries; (2) cultural industries, tourism and regional/rural planning; (3) economic development, environment and urbanization; (4) SDGs, tourism industry and conservation; (5) cultural policy and creative ecosystems; and (6) creative city, entrepreneurship and design. SDG mapping reveals an imbalance: economic and urban goals (SDGs 8, 11, 9) dominate, while social (SDGs 1, 5, 10) and climate and environmental goals (SDGs 13–15) remain significantly underrepresented. Regarding research methods, quantitative approaches dominate (44%), while longitudinal and experimental designs are largely absent in CCIs and sustainable development. Discussion Because the evidence base is concentrated in China and East Asia and drawn from two English-language databases, the findings characterize the indexed literature rather than all developing countries. The identified thematic, geographic, and methodological gaps inform a future research agenda.