The International Union of Cinemas (UNIC), the trade body representing cinema operators and their national associations across 39 European territories, has today published its annual report on key cinema trends across Europe.
The report—available online here—offers a comprehensive overview of the challenges, opportunities and achievements that have shaped the European cinema industry over the past year, highlighting the sector’s creativity, dynamism and diversity.
With revenues close to €6.9 billion, box office in 2025 remained relatively stable for European cinemas as a whole, a 1.2% decrease year-on-year, reflecting a 4.4% fall in admissions at 873.2 million.
Results varied across European territories, reflecting an uneven slate of US studio releases—partly due to ongoing supply constraints following the 2023 Hollywood strikes—as well as a lack of strong local productions in some markets. Box office returns were up on the previous year in Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Romania, UK and Ukraine.
US studio titles continued to represent a substantial share of the European market. The most-watched films across Europe included Disney’s Zootopia 2, Avatar: Fire and Ash and Lilo & Stitch, Warner Bros’ A Minecraft Movie and The Conjuring: Last Rites, Universal’s Jurassic World: Rebirth, Paramount’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and Sony’s 28 Years Later.
The strength of local productions also played a vital role in 2025.
In Germany, local films accounted for 27.4% of total admissions – 8 percentage points above the previous year. The top film of 2025 was home-grown comedy Manitou’s Canoe, a sequel to 2001 hit Manitou’s Shoe, which recorded over 5 million admissions and €50.9 million at the box office. Denmark was the Scandinavian country recording the highest year-on-year growth in attendance in 2025, up 4.5%. This performance was driven by Danish films, which contributed to a record 37% national market share, against 23.3% in 2024. Six Danish films ranked in the yearly Top 10. In total, 39 Danish films were released in 2025, compared to just 19 the year before. In Italy, the market share for locally-made films reached 32.7% by box office, the highest since 2016. Buen Camino, starring comedian Checco Zalone and released on Christmas Day, took €36 million in seven days becoming the top film of 2025 and in the first months of 2026 breaking all records as highest-grossing film ever in Italy.
The market share of European films in the EU reached 31.4 per cent in 2025, with 42 local or European films ranking among the Top 5 films of the year.
December 2025 delivered very strong results across Europe and globally, with the monthly worldwide box office reaching $3.5 billion. It was the highest-grossing December since 2019 and recorded double digit growth (+10%) compared with December 2024, previously the strongest December of the decade.
This positive momentum continued into the first quarter of 2026, with more than 15 countries recording double-digit growth – and in some cases even triple-digit growth – including France, the UK, Germany, Italy, Austria, Spain, Sweden, Croatia, Serbia and Greece.
Gower Street Analytics’ global box office projection for 2026 increased slightly to $34.55 billion from $34.50 billion. The box office projection for the International market (excluding China) increased by $50 million from $18.40 billion to $18.45 billion, driven mainly by the EMEA region. In May 2026, EMEA was +24% above even the pre-pandemic benchmark, ahead of the +17% from July 2023.
The report highlights the continued strength and investments of cinemas, while underlining the key conditions required to secure their long-term success. Chief amongst these are meaningful theatrical exclusivity and a consistent, diverse pipeline of films—spanning Hollywood blockbusters, local productions and international titles—that can continue to attract audiences to the big screen and sustain a vibrant cinema ecosystem.
It also provides an overview of UNIC’s advocacy efforts in Brussels, where the association works to ensure that the voice of cinema exhibition is clearly heard in European policymaking. From safeguarding the interests of exhibitors in key legislative and regulatory discussions to promoting the cultural, social and economic value of cinemas, UNIC remains committed to championing a thriving and sustainable future for the sector.
Welcoming the report, UNIC CEO Laura Houlgatte said:
“As the European cinema industry continues to navigate a rapidly-evolving landscape, one thing remains clear: cinemas are as relevant, dynamic and valued as ever. Throughout the past year, the sector has once again demonstrated its ability to adapt, innovate and connect audiences with stories that entertain, inspire and bring communities together.
While challenges remain, the foundations of our industry are robust. Cinemas continue to be a vital cultural, social and economic force, supporting creativity, generating growth, and delivering unparalleled shared experiences to audiences across Europe.
At UNIC, we remain committed to championing the interests of cinema exhibitors, fostering collaboration across the industry and helping to shape the conditions for a vibrant and sustainable future. As we look ahead, we do so with confidence in the strength of the cinema experience and the enduring appeal of the big screen.”
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