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Audiences: ABS data: Cultural activities

Cinema attendance of people aged 15 years and over compared with other cultural venues and activities, 1995, 1999, 2006

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According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), going to the cinema continues to be the most popular cultural activity for Australians.

In 2006, 65 per cent of Australians aged 15 years and over went to the cinema at least once during the year – 10.4 million people when extrapolated to the Australian population. This was almost double the attendance of the second most popular venue type, zoological parks and aquariums (5.7 million people).

Other popular cultural venues/activities include botanic gardens and libraries, each of which recorded attendances of more than 5 million in the 12 months to June 2006.

Venue or activity (ranked by attendance in 2006)	1995¹		1999²		2006³
Venue or activity (ranked by attendance in 2006)	Persons (’000)	Attendance rate (%)⁴	Persons (’000)	Attendance rate (%)⁴	Persons (’000)	Attendance rate (%)⁴
Cinema	8,733.8	62.1%	9,987.6	67.0%	10,431.4	65.2%
Library	5,403.1	38.4%	5,684.1	38.1%	5,454.5	34.1%
Botanic gardens	5,410.5	38.5%	5,379.8	36.1%	5,390.9	33.7%
Zoological parks and aquariums	4,966.0	35.3%	5,048.5	33.9%	5,699.8	35.6%
Popular music	3,790.7	26.9%	3,781.8	25.4%	4,035.9	25.2%
Art gallery	3,134.1	22.3%	3,159.7	21.2%	3,630.7	22.7%
Museum	3,905.6	27.8%	2,975.4	19.9%	3,611.9	22.6%
Other performing arts	2,634.4	18.7%	2,648.0	17.8%	2,655.0	16.6%
Theatre	2,336.3	16.6%	2,464.9	16.5%	2,723.2	17.0%
Opera or musical	2,722.1	19.3%	2,430.4	16.3%	2,613.9	16.3%
Dance	1,407.5	10.0%	1,345.0	9.0%	1,625.0	10.2%
Classical music	1,081.3	7.7%	1,310.3	8.8%	1,508.1	9.4%
At least one venue or event	11,670.0	82.9%	12,615.8	84.6%	13,574.1	84.8%

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues and Events (cat no 4114.0).

Notes:
1. 12 months to March 1995.
2. 12 months to April 1999.
3. 12 months to June 2006.
4. The number of people who attended a venue or event once during the year, expressed as a percentage of the population aged 15 years and over.