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UK admissions saw tremendous growth from 1984-2002 but in the years since 2003-2015 have been flat. Had the growth continued in the years after UK admissions would be at levels they were in the late 60s.

In 1996 to celebrate 100th anniversary of cinema there was National Cinema Day all cinemas £1 was a massive success boosting admissions dramatically and was repeated the following year. This year was the 120th anniversary while Ireland had a National Cinema Day on August 26th was surprising the rest of the UK didn't.

According to figures by UK Cinema Association cinema tickets are up 68% from 2003 - 2015. While annual box office has increased 67%;

The UK Cinema Association claimed average price was £7.21 they will point to independent cinemas PeckhamPlex £4.99 and Premiere Romford £4 as two cheap cinemas. But there have been many surveys that have said average ticket price is a lot more was one recently that said it was £8.24 Voucherbox was closer to £9.50.

Using £9.50 as the average ticket price for last year admissions would be 130.5m which would be the lowest since 1996. Even with Spectre and Star Wars: The Force Awakens admissions were 2.2% less than they were in 2002.

Within the £1.24bn of box office last year was Secret Cinema with ticket prices £70+, Event Cinema with tickets double regular prices and 3D and IMAX adding a third to regular prices.

This week Bridget Jones’s Baby overtook Bridget Jones’s Diary at the box office but admissions are 5,126,213. still 49.1% less than Bridget Jones Diary 10,070,675 admissions and 36.1% less than Edge of Reason 8,017,817.
It was claimed to be the biggest British rom-com but 1994’s Four Weddings and a Funeral took £27,762,650 admissions were 8,542,354 (average ticket prices £3.25 150% less than are now).

In the US its similar story with box office increasing 21% from 2002 - 2015 but ticket prices according to official figures up 45% from $5.81 - $8.43. NATO might claim average ticket price is $8.43 but real average is closer to $12.