Cinema admissions in Europe dropped by 5.3% to 863.6M in 2025, according to a report from Europe’s International Union of Cinemas (UNIC).
The body, which represents cinema operators and trade associations across 39 European territories, said that while admissions dipped slightly, box office takings remained relatively stable at €6.9BN ($8.2BN), dropping just 1% year-on-year.
The report found that box office returns were up year-on-year across multiple European countries including Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Romania, the UK and Ukraine.
Results were on a par with 2024 for Czech Republic, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, North Macedonia and Slovakia while Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland Luxembourg, Serbia and Montenegro, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Swizerland and Sweden were all down year-on-year.
German cinemas recorded a 6.4% year-on-year increase in box office with €924M in takings, while admissions increased by 2.1% to 91.9M. Local films accounted for 27.4% of total admissions, their top level since 2022. This was led by local comedy Manitou’s Canoe, a sequel to 2001 hit Manitou’s Shoe.
Austria achieved a record 11% in box office revenues at €124.6M, buoyed by Christmas comedy Aufputzt, while Croatia was up 13.3% year-on-year at €22.5M total box office for 2025.
Denmark’s admissions soared to 10.3M, up 4.5% compared to 2024 while Norway saw a 7.7% increase in box office and a 2.5% increase in admissions. Norwegian films reported a 28.8% market share, led by local family comedy A Mouse Hunt for Christmas, which drew close to 451,000 admissions and outperformed all major Hollywood releases.
The UK reported a £989.5M box office tally for 2025, a 1.2% increase. Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy was the top local production in the UK and Ireland, taking £46.4M in box office revenues and ranking second overall for the year behind Warner Bros. title A Minecraft Movie.
Meanwhile, France recorded 156.8M admissions, a 13.6% drop year-on-year and Spain saw an 11% drop in admissions to 65M during the same period. The report said this was due to “a lack of strong local titles” in both territories.
UNIC CEO Laura Houlgatte said: “European cinemas achieved encouraging results overall in 2025 thanks to a mix of local hits and U.S. blockbusters, although some countries faced challenges due to an uneven release schedule. However, 2026 looks set to pack a punch with a very strong slate of films and continuing investment by cinema operators.
“These two ingredients – great films and a great experience – are the key to cinematic success. With a consistent pipeline of quality, diverse genres and well-marketed titles, backed by a significant period of exclusivity, cinemas are the best place to enjoy the magic of film.”