Cinema Statistics 

Why collect data on feature films? To gather information on the world’s most lucrative cultural industry and one of the most popular cultural practices -- movie-watching.  Demand for data has never been greater as digital technology transforms the ways in which films are produced, distributed and consumed by audiences in theatres and homes.

What is the role of the UIS?

Our goal is to provide internationally comparable and reliable data that reflect a selection of major cultural industries and practices. In particular, the UIS has developed a biennial survey on feature film statistics to monitor global trends in selected areas of this industry. This is the only international survey of its kind to include countries in all regions and at all stages of development. It uses comparable definitions to collect data on a range of issues, including: the top ten films viewed per country; linguistic diversity in film production; admissions; national versus international co-productions per country; and distribution mechanisms.

According to the most recent UIS survey results released in 2011, India remains the world’s leading film producer, and Nigeria, with its prolific home video market, continues to hold second place ahead of the United States.

Overall, the survey yielded data from 115 countries including all key countries in the film industry.  The survey provides a unique perspective on how different countries and regions are transforming traditional approaches to the art and industry of film-making, especially in video and digital formats. Key indicators below focus on habits of film consumption by looking at the origin of films viewed, as well as the most popular films, based on the frequency of attendance. Two indicators focus on indoor cinemas per capita and average ticket price per capita, providing a good perspective on cinema infrastructure and access.