Movie theater attendance (also called admissions) is still rebuilding toward pre-2020 levels, with big differences by region and a strong dependence on blockbuster supply. Below are the most-cited, recent attendance benchmarks (global, North America, and Europe), plus a few useful per-capita and event-driven indicators.
Worldwide: about 4.8 billion cinema tickets were sold in 2024 (about 500 million fewer than 2023).
North America: the domestic market sold about 770.6 million tickets in 2025 (vs 1.23 billion in 2019).
Europe: admissions were about 841 million in 2024 and about 796 million in 2025.
Ticket-price increases have helped keep box office steadier even when admissions fall.
Global movie theater attendance
Worldwide cinema ticket sales were about 4.8 billion in 2024
Global admissions totaled roughly 4.8 billion tickets in 2024, with an estimated worldwide gross box office of about €28 billion.
Global attendance was about 68% of 2019 levels in 2024
A commonly cited global benchmark is that 2024 admissions were about 68% of 2019 (the last full year before the pandemic).
China, India, Europe, and North America account for most global admissions
One research summary cited the following 2024 admission shares: China (21%), India (19%), Europe (18%), USA & Canada (16%), and Latin America (11%). The remainder is other territories.
Market/Region (2024)
Bar
Share of global admissions
China
21%
India
19%
Europe
18%
USA & Canada
16%
Rest of world
15%
Latin America
11%
Max = 21%. Widths: China 100.00%, India 90.48%, Europe 85.71%, USA & Canada 76.19%, Rest of world 71.43%, Latin America 52.38%.
North America attendance (Domestic theatrical market)
The domestic market sold about 770.6 million tickets in 2025
The domestic theatrical market (North America territory used in many box office summaries) recorded about 770.6 million tickets sold in 2025, with an average ticket price of about $11.31.
Ticket sales are still far below 2019 in North America
In 2019, the same market sold about 1.23 billion tickets. By comparison, 2025 ticket sales were roughly 63% of 2019 on this measure.
U.S. domestic box office gross was about $8.66B in 2025
Domestic box office totals for 2025 are commonly summarized at about $8.66 billion (calendar year total).
Europe recorded about 841 million admissions in 2024
Early estimates placed Europe’s cinema attendance at about 841 million admissions in 2024, with commentary that the region appears to be stabilizing at around 24% below pre-pandemic averages (2017–2019).
Europe fell to about 796 million admissions in 2025
Preliminary figures show admissions declining to about 796 million in 2025 (about -5.5% year over year), while average ticket prices were estimated to rise (helping keep box office relatively stable).
Europe’s 2023 attendance reached about 861 million tickets sold
In 2023, admissions in wider Europe reached about 861 million tickets sold, with a stated recovery rate of about 77.3% versus the 2017–2019 average (about 1.1 billion tickets).
France is often cited at about 2.73 tickets per person per year (example benchmark)
One international comparison cited these approximate per-capita annual ticket rates: France (2.73), South Korea (2.39), Singapore (1.39), Japan (1.17), and China (0.71).
Event-driven attendance spikes
China set a single-day record with over 35 million cinema visits during Lunar New Year 2025
Holiday periods can produce extreme attendance spikes: one report cited a new single-day box office record in China on Jan 29, 2025, with over 35 million cinema visits.
Sources
The Numbers — Domestic theatrical market ticket sales and average ticket price (annual market summaries): https://www.the-numbers.com/market/
The Numbers — Movie Market Summary for Year 2025: https://www.the-numbers.com/market/2025/summary
European Audiovisual Observatory — 2023 Europe admissions (861 million) press release: https://www.obs.coe.int/en/web/observatoire/-/gbo-in-europe-up-to-eur-6.7-billion-in-2023-cinema-attendance-reached-861-million-tickets-sold
European Audiovisual Observatory — 2024 Europe admissions (841 million) preliminary data: https://www.obs.coe.int/en/web/observatoire/home/-/asset_publisher/wy5m8bRgOygg/content/pr-berlinale-2025
European Audiovisual Observatory — 2025 Europe admissions (796 million) preliminary data: https://www.obs.coe.int/en/web/observatoire/-/european-cinema-attendance-dropped-by-5.5-in-2025-with-stable-box-office-figures
Cineuropa — Global admissions (4.8B in 2024) and regional shares: https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/477743/
Channel NewsAsia — Per-capita attendance examples and global 2024 attendance context: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/today/big-read/cinema-attendance-decline-future-movie-theatres-5332536
Reuters — China Lunar New Year 2025 box office and cinema visits: https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-lunar-new-year-holiday-box-office-takings-hit-record-high-13-bln-2025-02-05/
