Annual cinema spending per person in the United Kingdom (UK) 2000-2020

In 2020, average annual cinema-going spending in the United Kingdom (UK) amounted to 4.37 British pounds per head population. Compared with 2019, when expenditure amounted to 18.72 British pounds, average spending significantly dropped, presumably due to the coronavirus outbreak and the following closures of movie theaters.

UK cinema market has to deal with the coronavirus crisis

After several years of fluctuation, the number of cinema admissions in the UK stood at only 44 million in 2020. This figure represented a decline of over 130 million from 2019, which was a result of closed cinemas during the pandemic. The box office revenue decreased correspondingly, amounting to 307 million British pounds in 2020, down from 1.25 billion British pounds generated the year before.

Cinema spending in the UK

Average cinema ticket prices in the UK dropped as well. Admission fees can vary worldwide and even within the same region, as pricing depends on cinema location, competition, or a theater’s special features and technology. While ticket sales generally account for the largest share of movie-going spending, a considerable share of proceeds flows back to the studios, meaning that cinemas must top up revenues with food and beverage sales. Despite all this, the number of cinema sites across the UK has increased since 2015, with Cineworld and Odeon ranking as leading cinema exhibitor chains in the UK and Ireland based on market share in 2019.