Cinema industry trends Screens and theatres Total screens, seating capacity and theatres in Australia, 1980–2016 Next update March 2018 The number of cinema screens in Australia has risen more than 150 per cent between 1980 and 2016, from 829 to 2,121. 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, with growth continuing since then. However, the screens are increasingly concentrated. Screens (incl. digital) Digital screens Capacity (‘000 seats) Theatres 1980 829 - 378 713 1981 842 - 384 723 1982 833 - 381 711 1983 863 - 395 737 1984 822 - 377 702 1985 742 - 324 573 1986 676 - 295 509 1987 645 - 303 506 1988 712 - 285 520 1989 772 - 286 501 1990 851 - 295 510 1991 885 - 301 522 1992 906 - 296 510 1993 951 - 300 518 1994 1,028 - 312 537 1995 1,137 - 332 557 1996 1,251 - 355 551 1997 1,422 - 387 563 1998 1576 - 413 567 1999 1,748 - 446 580 2000 1,817 - 453 554 2001 1,855 - 463 547 2002 1,872 - 464 547 2003 1,907 - 472 553 2004 1,909 - 467 525 2005 1,943 - 473 519 2006 1,964 27 467 494 2007 1,941 30 457 485 2008 1,980 54 462 493 2009 1,989 184 463 492 2010 1,994 452 459 482 2011 1,991 704 457 475 2012 1,997 n.p. 452 478 2013 2,057 1,168 445 486 2014 2,041 1,160 439 489 2015 2,080 1,179 443 493 2016 2,121 1,195 440 498 Source: Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia (MPDAA). Notes: Each year is based on annual data accessed the following January/February in the MPDAA theatre report and does not reflect any subsequent updates by the MPDAA. 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. n.a. Not available. n.p. Data is out-of-date and may be incorrect.