A positive boost for the film market

The total number of tickets sold reached 13.02 million in 2023, up 16% compared to 2022, and only slightly below the level of 2019, when 13.1 million cinema tickets were purchased in Romania.

In terms of box office, cinema operators reported a 25% increase compared to 2022, reaching 308.8 million lei (~63 million euros). This also represents an increase compared to 2019, when the previous record level of 265 million lei (~56 million EUR) was recorded. It should also be noted that the average ticket price increased from 20 lei to 23.7 lei in the period 2019-2023. Romania had 103 cinemas throughout the country at the end of last year, compared to 95 in 2022.

The data includes both single-screen theaters and multiplexes, with the latter accounting for over 96% of the box office and 94% of the total attendance.

The number of cinema visits per capita also increased in 2023 compared to 2022, from 0.59 to 0.68, reaching the level recorded in 2019.

The largest cinema markets in Romania are: Bucharest (4,132,145 spectators in 2023), Cluj-Napoca (857,806), Timișoara (811,978), Constanța (736,424) and Brașov (625,608), cities that have a total share of 55% attendance at national level. level.

The evolution of the cinematographic market in Romania is extremely impressive, considering that the year 2023 was marked by record inflation, which had a clear impact on the purchasing power of Romanians and which decreased the growth rates of retailers and shopping centers. The decrease in inflation, already visible in the dynamics of retail sales, but also the increase in the multiplex offer through the development of new commercial centers or the expansion of existing ones, will all contribute to creating a positive impulse for the film market in the future. period.
Dana Radoveneanu, head of retail agency, Cushman & Wakefield Echinox

Regarding the Romanian counties with the highest number of visits per capita, Brașov (2.37 visits per capita in 2023), Bucharest (1.82), Brăila (1.54) Cluj (1, 26), Timiș (1.24), Iași (1.21) and Constanta (0.93) rank high. The counties with the highest use and occupation of the existing cinema infrastructure are Iasi (1.44 spectators/place/day), Dolj (0.83 spectators/place/day), Bihor (0.78 spectators/place/day), followed by Alba (0.72 viewers). /place/day) and Brașov (0.51 spectators/place/day). The corresponding number in Bucharest was 0.46 spectators/place/day, below the level reported in 2022.