German Cinemas Face Moderate Decline in Attendance in 2024
The German cinema industry experienced a slight drop in ticket sales in 2024, according to the Filmförderungsanstalt (FFA), a Berlin-based film funding organization. The FFA reported that approximately 90.1 million tickets were sold, representing a 5.8% decrease compared to the 95.7 million tickets sold in 2023.
The decline in ticket sales was accompanied by a reduction in cinema revenue. The FFA estimated that German cinemas generated around 868.4 million euros in revenue in 2024, down from 929.1 million euros in 2023. Despite the decrease, ticket prices dropped slightly, averaging 9.64 euros in 2024 compared to 9.71 euros in 2023.
Children’s films played a significant role in shaping the cinema landscape in 2024. Six children’s films ranked among the ten most popular films of the year. "Children’s films always perform well, but the strong performance this year is quite special," observed Norina Lin-Hi, head of market research and statistics at the FFA.
"Inside Out 2," the animated sequel to the 2015 box office hit, topped the German box office with over 5.7 million tickets sold. Close behind was "Despicable Me 4" with more than 4.3 million tickets.
"Moana 2" secured the third spot with approximately 3.6 million tickets sold. Only two German productions, "Chantal in Fairyland" and "The School of Magical Animals 3," made it into the top 10.
FFA board member Peter Dinges characterized the decline in ticket sales as "moderate." He attributed the drop to several factors, including the UEFA European Championship and the Olympic Games held in the country in 2024, as well as the impact of the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes in 2023.
"We can look back on the year with satisfaction," Dinges said. The strikes in the U.S. caused the postponement of several film releases, which affected the German market in the long run.
Nevertheless, 2024 also saw the release of several blockbuster films, including "Wicked," "Dune: Part Two," and "Deadpool & Wolverine."
The number of cinemas in Germany decreased by 1.3% in 2024 compared to 2023, while the number of screens declined by 1.2%. Dinges noted that these declines were still relatively minor but emphasized the need for vigilance to prevent a further decline in the future.
"We must pay attention to these trends so that we can continue to say in the coming years that German cinemas are not dying out," he said.
