05/05/2010

As every year, the German Film Institute (FFA) has published its study on cinema admissions in 2009, with the support of market research company GfK (Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung). The statistics reveal worrying signs of the gradual ageing of audiences in cinemas, which are attracting fewer and fewer young viewers. This is the opposite of what was happening just 10 years ago.

The 2009 season was one of the best years for cinema in Germany, with takings at their highest since 2001, and a reversal of the downward trend in admissions, with an increase of 13% compared to the previous year. Likewise, it was a great year for German films, whose market share reached 27.4%.

However, certain figures offer food for thought. For example, while home video prices have fallen in recent years and cinema admission prices have risen slightly, their market shares have remained relatively stable at around 65% and 35%, respectively.

On the other hand, since the start of the century, the division of cinemagoers into age groups has continued to vary. The main group in 2000 (20-29 year-olds) accounted for 40% of viewers, whereas today they represent only 26%, although they still remain the dominant group. The only age group to have seen a significant increase during this period has been the over-60s, going up from 3-9% of the total number of viewers.

The study also reveals that women are going to the cinema increasingly more often than men and the over-60s are the biggest fans of domestic films. The latter also prefer single-screen theatres, compared to students and middle-aged people, who flock to multiplexes.

(Translated from Spanish)