Total screens, seating capacity and
theatresin Australia, 1980−2009
Next update February 2011
The number of cinema screens in Australia
has risen by 140 per cent between 1980 and 2009, from 829 to 1,989. After
a decline in the mid-1980s, growth was particularly strong in the three
years to 1999, when screen numbers rose by 150 to 175 per year. Following
several years of gradual growth, 2007 recorded the first fall in screen
numbers since 1987. This was reversed in 2008, while 2009 held steady.
The number of digital screens has risen dramatically,
from just 27 in 2006 to 311 in 2009.
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
Screens
829
842
833
863
822
742
Capacity (‘000 seats)
378
384
381
395
377
324
Theatres
713
723
711
737
702
573
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
Screens
676
645
712
772
851
885
Capacity (‘000 seats)
295
303
285
286
295
301
Theatres
509
506
520
501
510
522
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
Screens
906
951
1,028
1,137
1,251
1,422
Capacity (‘000 seats)
296
300
312
332
355
387
Theatres
510
518
537
557
551
563
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
Screens
1,576
1,748
1,817
1,855
1,872
1,907
Capacity (‘000 seats)
413
446
453
463
464
472
Theatres
567
580
554
547
547
553
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Screens (inc. digital)
1,909
1,943
1,964
1,941
1,980
1,989
Digital screens
n.a.
n.a.
27
30
54
311
Capacity (‘000 seats)
467
473
467
457
462
463
Theatres
525
519
494
485
493
492
Source: Motion Picture Distributors Association
of Australia (MPDAA).
Notes:
All figures are from the MPDAA theatre report accessed 28 January 2010
and, due to adjustments made by the MPDAA, some figures do not match
previously published data.
Includes drive-ins, as well as ‘non-commercial’ screens not
generally open to the public, such as those at army, naval and airforce
bases, mining camps, film societies, colleges and universities.
