Domestic movie theatre attendance has dropped by an average of 46% in the last five years, according to a report on the state of moviegoing in Canada.

Commissioned by Telefilm Canada and the Movie Theatre Association of Canada, the report was conducted by ERm Research and surveyed 3,458 Canadians over the age of 13 this April. It said Canadians purchased an average of 1.6 film tickets in 2024, down 46% compared to 2019, when the average Canadian purchased three film tickets per year. In 2014, when the study was first conducted, the average was 3.6.

In 2024, 62% of Canadians watched a film in theatres. That represents a 15% drop from 2019 and a 4% decline from 2014.

The numbers pose as a contrast to other existing data. In its year-end 2024 results, Cineplex said its 2024 box office was down 20% from 2019, coming to $562 million, compared to $705 million, though the figures don’t factor in the number of tickets sold.

The report also highlighted demographic consumption rates. The ratio of 2024 moviegoers climbs to 85% when just looking at those under 35. However, 49% of Canada’s ticket sales were concentrated in 12% of moviegoers who saw 10 or more films in theatres last year.

Men (1.9 tickets per capita) along with the age cohorts of 13 to 17 (2.8), 18 to 24 (2.3) and 25 to 34 (2.6) were shown to be the most heavy consumers of theatrical film. Women (1.4) and the older age groups of 55 to 64 (1) and 65+ (0.6) had the lowest consumption rates.

Compared to 2019, theatrical film consumption from younger teens is up 4%, but down 39% from those 18 to 24. The 25 to 34 cohort remained relatively steady while the older age groups all dropped by significant margins. The 65+ cohort saw the biggest decrease, falling 76%.

The 12% heavy moviegoer demographic skews towards a Quebec or Ontario-based male between the ages of 25 to 34. The demographic is more diverse than Canada’s general population, as 33% identify with an ethnicity that is non-white.

The heavy moviegoer’s top film choices resided in the superhero and horror genres. However, they also have an affinity for independent and foreign-language films.

When it came to theatre experience and its effect on moviegoers’ decisions, seating (86%), theatre quality (84%), ticket price (82%) and location (76%) remained the most important from 2019 and 2014. However, luxury options such as large-format screens (58%), reclining seats (48%), reserved seating (51%) and in-theatre dining (28%) saw significant increases in 2024.

Good reviews (67%), genre (75%), being “big-screen worthy” (75%) and the cast (67%) were the top four factors for the film choices. The distribution studio factor did see a jump of more than 11% from 2019, landing at 35% for 2024 viewers.

Moviegoers were most likely to leave their homes for action films (55%) followed by science-fiction (41%), thriller (38%) and horror films (38%). Horror saw the biggest positive jump for audiences in 2024, increasing from 32% compared to 2019.

Romantic comedy (17%), drama (25%) and comedy (28%) were the genres that audiences felt the least inclined to see in theatres.

In 2019, 50% of respondents said a movie that goes straight to home-viewing is worse than one that goes to theatres first. 2024 saw a major shift as 51% said straight-to-streaming films are equal to ones released theatrically and 29% – compared to 5% in 2019 – said they are better.

According to data from Comscore, Canada’s 2024 box office totaled $885.6 million. Accounting for factors such as childcare, transportation and food and drinks, the estimated total economic contribution of moviegoing was $2.9 billion.

All age groups of moviegoers plan to see more films in 2025 with men and the age groups of 18 to 24 and 25 to 34 planning the highest increases.

The 2024 iteration of the study is the last in a series on Canadian movie watchers. The full study can be found here.

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