After three years of above average levels, total cinema admissions in the European Union decreased by 3.0% in 2018, to 955 million tickets sold.

This is 29.4 million fewer than in 2017 and the fourth lowest level registered in the EU since 2009, according to a report issued on Thursday by the European Audiovisual Observatory.

Cinema attendance increased in eight and decreased in 13 EU markets (data for Malta was not available), while remaining practically stable in four of the 25 EU markets for which provisional data were available.

Geographically speaking the moderate decline in EU cinema attendance was primarily caused by a major drop in German admissions (-16.9 million, -13.9%) as well as a comparatively poor year-on-year performance in France (-8.9 million, -4.3%) and Italy (-7.0 million, -7.0%).

Out of the five major EU markets, only the United Kingdom registered an increase in cinema attendance of 3.7% to 177 million admissions. This is the highest admissions level in the UK since 1970.

The observatory said figures would seem to suggest that the drop in admissions was largely caused by a year-on-year decline in admissions to US films.
As in 2016 and 2017, there were no break-away successes in 2018. Top ranking films in the EU include Avengers: Infinity War, Incredibles 2 and Bohemian Rhapsody.

Compared to 2017, national market shares of EU films increased in 13 and declined in 11 of the 24 EU markets for which 2018 data were available. The UK registered a 44.8% market share for UK qualifying productions (including US studio-backed, UK-made titles). This was the highest national market share among EU markets, though independent UK productions captured only 11.7%.

Ranking second was France with a national market share of 39.3%, ahead of Poland (33.1%).