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Film industry in Spain - statistics & facts

The Spanish cinema market struggled to recover from the pandemic, its toughest challenge in this century. While some economies across the globe saw their movie theaters' income grow more than 80 percent in 2021, paving the way for a swifter comeback, Spain's box office revenue grew by less than 60 percent that year, to just below 252 million euros. That represented less than half of the earnings reported between 2000 and 2019. The annual number of movie tickets sold in Spain followed a similar pattern, amounting to almost 42 million, or just 40 percent of the attendance seen in 2019. Even the most dedicated cinephiles seem to have taken a break from moviegoing since the coronavirus outbreak. The share of Spaniards going to the cinema weekly reached a record-low 1.6 percent in 2021. For comparison, during the late 1990s and early 2000s, the figure surpassed 10 percent.

Lower budget, more products, younger audience

Despite the obstacles to theatrical distribution, filmmaking became more affordable in 2021. The average cost of producing a movie in Spain decreased to 2.7 million euros, slightly below the 2.8-million average for the 21st century. A rise in quantity followed the reduction in expenses. The number of feature films made in Spain reached an all-time high in 2021, at 273. That was over one-third more than the years 2000 and 2001 combined. It was also likely that those movies were watched mostly by people born around the early 2000s. In 2021, the cinema penetration rate was higher among people aged between 20 and 24 years, at about three percent. Other than that, only the 14-19 and 25-34 age groups had shares above two percent in Spain.

What to expect from Spanish moviemaking?

Following the production boom, the movie sector in Spain was projected to skyrocket during the first half of the 2020s. According to forecasts, Spain's filmed entertainment revenue will more than double between 2000 and 2025 – one of the 10 best performances worldwide. That expansion would place the Iberian country among the top 15 filmed entertainment markets by 2025, above European counterparts such as Italy, Russia, and the Netherlands. But even if those extraordinary predictions are confirmed, movie theaters are not likely to see days as bright as those before COVID-19. A source estimated that Spain's cinema industry revenue would start to catch up quicker starting in 2022. Yet three years later, the annual figure would still fall behind the results recorded in the late 2010s.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Jan 6, 2023

Key insights

Annual box office revenue in Spain
252m EUR
Annual number of movie tickets sold in Spain
47.7m
Top-grossing film in Spain
Spider-Man: No Way Home
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Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Number of domestic feature films produced in Spain from 2000 to 2021

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Number of feature movies produced in Spain 2000-2021

Box office revenue of domestic feature films in Spain from 2000 to 2021 (in million euros)

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Box office revenue of domestic feature films in Spain 2000-2021

Leading video and film production companies in Spain in 2020, by revenue (in million euros)

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Top video and film production companies in Spain in 2020, by revenue

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