Survey Shows Just Over Half of Americans Attend Movie Theaters Annually Amidst Recovery Efforts

A recent survey indicates that just over half of Americans attend movie theaters annually.

The Pew Research Center survey, conducted in the summer of 2025, found that 53% of U.S. adults had seen a movie in theaters within the prior 12 months.

Additionally, 7% reported never having seen a movie in a theater. This data reflects the domestic box office's ongoing efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic's impact, which caused an 81% decline in ticket sales in 2020.

Attendance and Revenue Trends

In 2025, U.S. and Canadian moviegoers purchased 769.2 million tickets, which is less than half of the 2002 peak of approximately 1.6 billion tickets.

While an August 2025 study by NRG/National Research Group showed 77% of Americans aged 12-74 went to at least one movie in the preceding 12 months, overall box office revenue remains below pre-pandemic levels.

Inflation-adjusted box office revenue peaked at $16.4 billion in 2002.

Last year, U.S. theaters generated over $9 billion in ticket sales, according to Comscore, indicating a recovery that is still about 20% below pre-pandemic figures.

Demographic Divides in Moviegoing

The survey data highlighted disparities in movie theater attendance across various demographic groups:

• Age: 67% of adults aged 18 to 29 attended a movie in the past year, compared to 39% of those 65 and older.
• Income: Upper-income Americans reported the highest attendance at 64%, followed by middle-income at 57%, and lower-income adults at 43%.
• Race/Ethnicity: Hispanic adults were most likely to attend at 59%, with white adults at 53% and Black adults at 49%.
• Gender: No significant difference was observed, with 53% of men and 54% of women reporting attendance.
• Political Affiliation: Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents reported a higher attendance rate of 58%, compared to 50% of Republicans and Republican-leaning respondents.