Movie theater attendance in France 2003-2022
A growing industry
Just like the number of ticket sales, the number of seats has increased in the country and reached 1.15 million mark in 2021, compared to 1.05 in 2009. In 2020, there were more than 6,000 active cinema screen in France, also a growing number over the past decade. But screens are not the only increasing element within the French cinema industry: the number of feature films produced in France is also growing. Proud of its so-called “cultural exception”, France produced 287 national feature movies in 2022, while local movies represent a significant part of ticket sales in the country.
Moviegoers in France
In a survey from 2023, almost half of French people declared that they went to the movies at least once every month. Despite the development of online streaming, the French seem to enjoy the experience of going to a movie theater. In 2022, Avatar: The Way of Water, the most successful movie in France, recorded almost 95 million euros of box office revenue. If elderly viewers enjoy French movies more, it appears that younger generations have a clear preference for American ones.