In 2023, European cinemas experienced a significant boost, thanks to a lineup of highly anticipated international and national films. According to preliminary estimates by the International Union of Cinemas (UNIC), European admissions saw a remarkable 21 percent increase last year, while the total box office reached approximately €7.1 billion ($7.6 billion). This represents a gain of 24 percent in Europe and 25 percent in the European Union compared to the year before, making it just 8 percent below the pre-pandemic results from 2017 to 2019.
UNIC, which represents cinema operators and trade associations across 39 territories, is set to release the final data for 2023 later this spring. However, based on the available information, several countries stood out for their impressive performance in the box office. The Netherlands, Croatia, Albania, Serbia, and Montenegro all ended the year with box office revenues surpassing their 2017-2019 averages. Meanwhile, Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, and Slovakia achieved results on par with pre-pandemic box office figures.
