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Press Release

Strasbourg, 9 February 2006

European cinema attendance down in 2005 yet national films improve their performance

  
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LUMIERE
Database on film admissions
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On the occasion of the 56th Berlin International Film Festival and the European Film Market (EFM), the European Audiovisual Observatory is releasing its first estimates for European cinema attendance in 2005. The Observatory estimates, on the basis of provisional admissions data now available for 11 European Union markets, that the number of cinema tickets sold in the EU fell by around 11% in relation to the preceding year.

Cinema Attendance in European Markets  (2001 - 2005) - In millions

Country
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
provisional
% change
2005/2004
% change
2005/2003
Source
CH - Switzerland
17,1
18,8
16,5
17,2
15,1
-12,2
-8,4
OFS
CZ - Czech Republic
10,4
10,7
12,1
12,1
9,5
-21,3
-21,9
Min. Cult./UFD
DE - Germany
177,9
163,9
149,0
156,7
127,3
-18,8
-14,5
FFA
DK - Denmark
12,0
12,9
12,3
12,7
11,8
-7,1
-4,0
DFI
ES - Spain
146,8
140,7
137,5
143,9
126,0
-12,5
-8,3
ICAA
FR - France
187,5
184,4
173,5
195,3
175,7
-10,1
1,3
CNC
GB - United Kingdom
155,9
175,9
167,3
171,3
164,7
-3,8
-1,5
CAA/
Nielsen EDI
IE - Ireland
15,9
17,3
17,4
17,3
16,4
-5,0
-5,9
CSA/TN MRBI/EDI
IT - Italy
113,3
115,6
110,5
116,3
107,7
-7,5
-2,5
OIA
NL - The Netherlands
23,8
24,1
24,9
23,0
20,5
-11,2
-17,6
NVF/NVB
NO - Norway 1
12,5
12,0
13,1
12,0
11,3
-5,7
-13,6
 Film&Kino
SE - Sweden
18,1
18,3
18,2
16,6
14,6
-12,0
-19,6
SFI
SK - Slovakia
2,8
3,0
3,0
2,9
2,2
-24,1
-25,8
AIC/SKFI
TR - Turkey
28,2
23,5
24,6
29,7
28,0
-5,9
13,5
Sinema Gazetesi
 
EU 25
(estimated total)
999
1 005
955
1 007
900
-11%
-6%
OBS
Source: European Audiovisual Observatory

1 007 million admissions were registered in the 25 European Union countries in 2004, the highest overall result since 1990. In 2005 cinema attendance slipped back by an estimated 11% in relation to this figure, with all major markets registering declines.

Germany (-18.8%), Spain (-12.5%) and France (-10.1%) all reported double-digit drops, while excellent results for the months of July and November in Italy and a strong year-end in the United Kingdom allowed these markets to resist somewhat better, with declines of -7.5% and -3.8% respectively. In France the provisional figure of 175.7 million admissions, was lower than the 2004 total of 195.3 million, though it still represents a small improvement on the 2003 figure. 

Among the mid-sized and smaller markets for which data is available, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Norway and Sweden all reported drops in attendance for the second consecutive year.  A drop of -5.9% was recorded in Turkey, in relation to an historic high in 2004, and at just under 28 million tickets sold the overall attendance figure for 2005 remains the third highest total since 1990.

National films perform well on many markets in 2005

Against a background of shrinking overall ticket sales, domestic production performed well on many of the markets for which provisional data is available. National films improved on their 2004 performance in 7 out of the 11 countries which have reported.

Market Shares for National Films on European Markets (2004 - 2005) - In %

 Country
2004
2005
provisional
Source
CH - Switzerland
2,5
5,8
OFS
CZ - Czech Republic
23,8
24,4
Min. Cult./UFD/Screen Int.
DE - Germany
23,8
17,1
FFA
DK - Denmark
23,7
34,0
DFI
ES - Spain
13,4
16,7
ICAA
FR - France
38,6
36,9
CNC
GB - United Kingdom
23,4
34,0
UK Film Council/Nielsen EDI
IT - Italy
20,5
24,8
Cinetel
NL - The Netherlands
9,2
13,6
NVF/NVB
NO - Norway 1
14,9
14,00
 Film&Kino
SE - Sweden
23,3
22,5 
SFI
Source: European Audiovisual Observatory

The most significant change was recorded in the United Kingdom, where the market share for national films reached 34%, an impressive 10% increase on the figure for 2004 (23.4%). A similar increase was recorded in Denmark, where national market share for 2005 is also estimated at 34%.  Italy and the Netherlands both reported national market shares up by 4% and smaller increases were registered in Switzerland and the Czech Republic. On the French, German and Swedish markets local films were less successful, but in all three cases this was in the context of strong results in 2004.

1. New data added 16 February 2006

Notes:

  • All 2005 figures are provisional.
  • 2005 cinema admissions for Italy reported here are an estimate by the Osservatorio Italiano dell'Audiovisivo,
    on the basis of figures published by Cinetel, whose reporting covers approximately 80% of the Italian market.
  • Market shares for the United Kingdom are on the basis of UK and Republic of Ireland gross box office, other market share figures are on the basis of admissions.

The European Audiovisual Observatory will publish a complete overview of 2005 European cinema market trends in early May 2006.

Press Contact:
Alison Hindhaugh, Alison.HINDHAUGH@coe.int
Direct phone: +33 3 90 21 60 10
Market Analyst:
Susan Newman-Baudais, Susan.NEWMAN@coe.int
Department for Information on Markets and Financing

The European Audiovisual Observatory

Set up in December 1992, the European Audiovisual Observatory's goal is to gather and distribute information on the audiovisual industry in Europe.  The Observatory is a European public service body comprised of 37 member states and the European Union, represented by the European Commission.  It operates as a partial agreement of the Council of Europe and works alongside a number of partner and professional organisations from within the industry, together with a Europe-wide network of correspondents.  In addition to contributions to conferences, other major activities are the publication of a Yearbook, a newsletter and reports, the management of the LUMIERE, KORDA and IRIS MERLIN databases, and the provision of information through the Observatory's Internet site.