Cinema admissions across Europe declined 5.3% in 2025 to 863.6 million tickets sold, according to UNIC, the trade body representing exhibitors in 39 territories.
Despite the drop in footfall, total box office revenue proved resilient, slipping just 1% year-on-year to €6.9 billion ($8.2 billion), suggesting that ticket price increases and premium formats helped offset lower attendance.
UNIC described the overall performance as stable, noting that a combination of local hits and major U.S. blockbusters supported revenues, even as release schedules remained uneven across certain markets.
Germany delivered one of the strongest performances among major territories, with box office revenues rising 6.4% to €924 million and admissions increasing 2.1% to 91.9 million. Local productions accounted for more than a quarter of total admissions, signaling solid national film engagement. Local comedy sequel Manitou’s Canoe, following the 2001 hit Manitou’s Shoe, was a key driver of admissions.
Austria recorded a standout year with an 11% revenue increase to €124.6 million with Christmas comedy Aufputzt contributing to it, while Croatia climbed 13.3% to €22.5 million. In the Nordics, Denmark’s admissions rose 4.5% to 10.3 million, while Norway saw box office revenue grow 7.7% and admissions increase 2.5%. Family title A Mouse Hunt for Christmas attracted nearly 451,000 admissions. Norwegian films achieved a 28.8% market share, outperforming several Hollywood releases and underlining the strength of local content.
The UK box office edged up 1.2% to £989.5 million, maintaining momentum in one of Europe’s largest markets. Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy became the top local production of the year. However, not all territories fared equally well. France experienced a sharp 13.6% drop in admissions to 156.8 million, while Spain saw an 11% decline to 65 million admissions. UNIC attributed weaker performances in several markets to a shortage of strong domestic titles and an inconsistent release pipeline.
Looking ahead, UNIC CEO Laura Houlgatte expressed optimism for 2026, citing a robust upcoming film slate and continued investment from cinema operators. She emphasized that a steady flow of diverse, well-marketed films, supported by meaningful theatrical exclusivity windows, remains critical to sustaining cinema recovery across Europe.
