Number of cinema screens in China 2014-2024

China is one of the countries with the highest number of cinema screens, mainly driven by its growing urban population and rising demand for entertainment. In 2024, there were over 90 thousand cinema screens in China. 

Accelerating growth of cinemas in China

The rising number of cinemas propels the demand for cinema screens in China. In 2015, the country saw its movie tickets sales surpassing the one billion mark for the first time, and had been expanding until the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country. The rising disposable income among Chinese citizens has also encouraged box office sales. 

Hollywood faces hardship

Second after the United States, China is the largest movie market in the world and has been largely influenced by Hollywood productions. Movies such as Titanic and Transformers have been considered to contribute some new elements to the current movie culture in China, which eventually attracts more new moviegoers. The film, Avengers: End Game had been one of the most successful movies in China of all time and had generated 4.25 billion yuan. In recent few years, there have been fewer foreign movies but more Chinese comedy and action films making into the annual highest-grossing chart. This implies a preference change among the Chinese cinema audience from overseas blockbusters, as well as family and romance-related content. It is worth noting that the Chinese authorities still have a large influence on which films are released in the country and are rated by the State Administration for Radio, Film, and Television.