Yesterday, the European Audiovisual Observatory (OAS) revealed that the cinema fair in the European Union and the United Kingdom recorded a 28% increase in audience in 2021 compared to 2020, when it reached 383.2 million spectators.
Based on statistical data from member states and the UK, the observatory stresses a “clear sign of recovery” in cinematic activity, with increased trips to cinemas, also taking into account the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, a year that saw the pandemic’s strong impact on the economy and cultural activity, the threshold reached 299 million movie tickets, which is a 70% decrease compared to 2019.
Although there is an increase in 2021, audience numbers are 61.9% lower than those recorded in 2019, the year when film fairs in the European Union and the United Kingdom crossed the one billion spectator barrier.
The Organization of American States also notes the wide disparity in statistics between member states, depending on the measures each country has enacted to contain COVID-19, between temporary closures or reductions in room capacity.
For example, in Bulgaria there was a 90.1% increase in the number of spectators in the theater in 2021 compared to 2020, while in Sweden the increase was 6.4%.
In Portugal, the increase was 43.8%, rising from 3.8 million spectators to 5.5 million.
In terms of total box office revenue, the observatory does not disclose the aggregate data, because it was not provided by all member countries, but in part, the data is highly variable, between countries that had an increase in revenue (eg Bulgaria, Spain or Romania), and others lost revenue, such as Italy and Greece.
The data from the European Audiovisual Observatory was published within the scope of the Berlin Film Festival, which runs until Sunday.
Emily Brontë is a journalist and feature writer specialising in culture, entertainment, literature, and current affairs. She is dedicated to producing clear, accurate reporting that helps readers stay informed about developments in the UK and around the world.
