Cinema screen statistics span exhibition capacity, ticket demand, box office, film supply and title concentration. The measures below cover Europe, Australia and France, with each figure kept in its original unit and scope.
Key Cinema Screen Statistics
The most quotable findings are:
- In 2023, 861 million cinema tickets were sold in wider Europe, 18.3% above 2022 and 77.3% of the 2017-2019 average admission level.
- In 2023, EU27 plus the United Kingdom recorded 784 million admissions, 19.6% above 2022 and 20.1% below its 982 million pre-pandemic average.
- European cinemas generated an estimated EUR 6.7 billion in box office in 2023, up 22.3% from EUR 5.5 billion in 2022.
- EU27 plus United Kingdom box office reached EUR 6.2 billion in 2023, a 22.1% year-on-year increase.
- European feature-film production reached 2,347 titles in 2023, the second-highest total after 2019.
- European documentary features accounted for 887 titles, or 37.8% of 2,347 feature films, in 2023.
- American films represented 70.1% of European cinema admissions in 2023, up 7.4 percentage points from 2022.
- European films represented 26.4% of European cinema tickets sold in 2023.
- European films made up more than 66% of titles available in European cinemas in 2023, compared with 19.7% for American films and 13.2% for films from the rest of the world.
- Fourteen films exceeded 10 million European admissions in 2023, while 113 exceeded 1 million.
- Barbie led the listed European titles with 49.3 million admissions in 2023.
- Australia’s theatres fell 36% over the 45 years to 2024, while its number of screens almost tripled.
- The average Australian cinema grew from 1.2 screens per theatre in 1980 to 4.9 in 2024.
- Average seats per Australian screen declined from 456 in 1980 to 162 in 2024.
- France recorded 180.76 million cinema admissions in 2023, 18.9% above 2022 and 13.1% below its 2017-2019 average.
- French films generated 71.9 million admissions and a 39.8% market share in 2023.
- American films generated 74.7 million French admissions and a 41.3% market share in 2023.
- 42 films exceeded 1 million admissions in France in 2023, including 16 above 2 million.
- Super Mario Bros. recorded 7.15 million French admissions in 2023, the highest total in the CNC top ten.
Contents
- Key Cinema Screen Statistics
- European Cinema Attendance and Box Office Data
- European Theatrical Market Shares and Title Concentration
- European Film Production Statistics
- Australian Cinema Screen and Seating Capacity
- French Cinema Admissions and Film Market Statistics
European Cinema Attendance and Box Office Data
The European Audiovisual Observatory reported 861 million tickets in wider Europe in 2023, covering Council of Europe member states except Azerbaijan. EU27 plus the United Kingdom recorded 784 million admissions, compared with a stated pre-pandemic average of 982 million.
| Measure | 2023 result | Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Wider Europe attendance | 861 million tickets | 18.3% above 2022; 77.3% of 2017-2019 average |
| EU27 + UK attendance | 784 million admissions | 19.6% above 2022; 20.1% below 982 million average |
| Wider Europe box office | Estimated EUR 6.7 billion | 22.3% above EUR 5.5 billion in 2022 |
| EU27 + UK box office | EUR 6.2 billion | 22.1% above the prior year |
Source: GBO in Europe up to EUR 6.7 billion in 2023, cinema attendance reached 861 million tickets sold.
The Observatory identifies the 2023 European figures as provisional. Box office is gross revenue, not exhibitor profit or net revenue, and attendance counts tickets rather than unique viewers.
European Theatrical Market Shares and Title Concentration
Film-origin shares measure admissions or title availability, not physical screens. American films accounted for 70.1% of European admissions in 2023, while European films accounted for 26.4%; European incoming productions held 0.9%.
| European 2023 measure | Share or result |
|---|---|
| American share of admissions | 70.1% |
| European share of admissions | 26.4% |
| European incoming productions | 0.9% |
| European share of available titles | More than 66% |
| American share of available titles | 19.7% |
| Rest-of-world share of available titles | 13.2% |
Fourteen feature films exceeded 10 million European admissions and 113 exceeded 1 million. Barbie recorded 49.3 million admissions, The Super Mario Bros.
Movie 36.1 million, and Oppenheimer 35.1 million; Astérix & Obélix: L’Empire du Milieu led European films with 6.4 million.
Source: GBO in Europe up to EUR 6.7 billion in 2023, cinema attendance reached 861 million tickets sold.
The ranking uses markets with results stored in LUMIERE as of 2 May 2024, so it represents the Observatory’s available European data rather than an unrestricted global total.
European Film Production Statistics
European feature-film production totaled 2,347 titles in 2023, 12 more than in 2022 and the second-highest total after 2019. Fiction production reached 1,460 titles, compared with 1,456 in 2022 and 1,445 in 2019.
| Production measure | 2023 result |
|---|---|
| All feature films | 2,347 titles |
| Fiction features | 1,460 titles |
| Documentary features | 887 titles |
| Italy | 354 titles |
| Spain | 306 titles |
| France | 236 titles |
Documentaries represented 37.8% of the 2,347-title feature output. Production counts are not admissions or screen counts, and co-production double counting and differing national collection methods limit precise country comparisons.
Source: GBO in Europe up to EUR 6.7 billion in 2023, cinema attendance reached 861 million tickets sold.
Australian Cinema Screen and Seating Capacity
Screen Australia’s long-run series shows a shift toward larger multiplex-style theatre complexes. Over 1980-2024, theatre numbers fell 36% while screen numbers almost tripled.
| Australian infrastructure measure | 1980 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Average screens per theatre | 1.2 | 4.9 |
| Average seats per screen | 456 | 162 |
Source: Screens And Theatres.
The seating figures describe capacity, not attendance. Screen Australia attributes part of the decline in seats per screen to premium seating, and an average does not describe every individual venue.
French Cinema Admissions and Film Market Statistics
France recorded 180.76 million admissions in 2023, up from 152.02 million in 2022 but below the 207.95 million 2017-2019 average. French films generated 71.9 million admissions and a 39.8% share, American films 74.7 million and 41.3%, and other nationalities 34.1 million and 18.9%.
| French 2023 measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Annual admissions | 180.76 million |
| French films | 71.9 million; 39.8% |
| American films | 74.7 million; 41.3% |
| Other nationalities | 34.1 million; 18.9% |
| Films above 1 million admissions | 42, including 16 above 2 million |
Selected monthly admissions were 14.81 million in January, 18.02 million in February, 18.53 million in April, 18.21 million in July, 15.46 million in August, 8.95 million in September and 17.83 million in December 2023. April was close to its 18.51 million 2017-2019 average, while July was 32.1% above July 2022 and 9.1% above its historical average; August was 47.8% above August 2022 but 1.3% below its historical average.
September was 18.3% above September 2022 but 19.6% below its 2017-2019 average, and December was 2.1% below December 2022 and 20.2% below its historical average. These are ticket admissions, not unique people.
Eighty-one American films were released in France in 2023, compared with 68 in 2022 and a 127-film annual average in 2017-2019; the CNC linked the 2023 result to the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes. In the CNC top ten, Super Mario Bros. recorded 7.15 million admissions, Barbie 5.80 million and Oppenheimer 4.39 million.
Source: A 181 millions d’entrées, la fréquentation des salles en 2023 confirme sa forte dynamique.