Special Report

Cost of a Movie Ticket the Year You Were Born

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Moviegoers in the U.S. and Canada bought 1.3 billion movie tickets in 2018, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners. While this is higher than in 2017, it is still well below Hollywood’s best year. After peaking at 1.57 billion in 2002, ticket sales have steadily declined throughout the 21st century. 

Despite the declining attendance, Hollywood has never made more money — 2018 had a record-breaking box office haul of $11.8 billion. This is largely because movie tickets have never been more expensive. The national average cost of a movie ticket in 2018 was $9.11, marking the first time the average price has eclipsed $9.00. For most of the 1990s, tickets sold for an average of less than $5 apiece, and dating back to the 1960s, many Americans could go to the movies for less than a buck.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the National Association of Theatre Owners to determine the cost of a movie ticket the year you were born. The personal consumption expenditure price index was used to estimate the cost in the years for which there was no data. The year’s top grossing movie is the film released during that year with the highest domestic box office gross for its entire theatrical run, according to movie industry data site The Numbers.

The domestic box office has been dominated by superhero films in recent years. Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, The Avengers franchise, and various recent takes on the X-Men and DC universes have all earned billions. These films have maintained a grip on Hollywood for a decade, largely because they tend to be financial successes. These are the best superhero movies of all time.

Box office success is not limited to superhero movies, though those films tend to have a key ingredient to selling lots of tickets — franchising. Hollywood is often criticized for not making original films, but the reality is that a new story featuring familiar concepts and characters stands the best chance of being a box office smash. Star Wars, Jurassic Park, James Bond, and other extended cinematic universes are rewriting box office history with each new release. These are the top grossing franchises of all time.

Click here to see the cost of a movie ticket the year you were born

Courtesy of Marvel Studios

2018
> Avg. ticket price: $9.11
> Price adjusted for inflation: $9.11
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Black Panther

Courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

2017
> Avg. ticket price: $8.97
> Price adjusted for inflation: $9.16
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Star Wars Ep. VIII: The Last Jedi

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Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2016
> Avg. ticket price: $8.65
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.94
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Courtesy: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2015
> Avg. ticket price: $8.43
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.84
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Star Wars Ep. VII: The Force Awakens

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

2014
> Avg. ticket price: $8.17
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.56
> Top-grossing movie of the year: American Sniper

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2013
> Avg. ticket price: $8.13
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.65
> Top-grossing movie of the year: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

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Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2012
> Avg. ticket price: $7.96
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.60
> Top-grossing movie of the year: The Avengers

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

2011
> Avg. ticket price: $7.93
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.82
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

2010
> Avg. ticket price: $7.89
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.92
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Toy Story 3

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Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

2009
> Avg. ticket price: $7.50
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.70
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Avatar

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

2008
> Avg. ticket price: $7.18
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.33
> Top-grossing movie of the year: The Dark Knight

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

2007
> Avg. ticket price: $6.88
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.33
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Spider-Man 3

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Courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

2006
> Avg. ticket price: $6.55
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.09
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

Courtesy of Lucasfilm Ltd.

2005
> Avg. ticket price: $6.41
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.23
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Star Wars Ep. III: Revenge of the Sith

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Courtesy of DreamWorks Pictures

2004
> Avg. ticket price: $6.21
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.21
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Shrek 2

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

2003
> Avg. ticket price: $6.03
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.13
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Finding Nemo

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

2002
> Avg. ticket price: $5.81
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.04
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Spider-Man

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Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

2001
> Avg. ticket price: $5.66
> Price adjusted for inflation: $7.92
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

2000
> Avg. ticket price: $5.39
> Price adjusted for inflation: $7.82
> Top-grossing movie of the year: How the Grinch Stole Christmas

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Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1999
> Avg. ticket price: $5.08
> Price adjusted for inflation: $7.57
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Star Wars Ep. I: The Phantom Menace

Courtesy of DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures

1998
> Avg. ticket price: $4.69
> Price adjusted for inflation: $7.11
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Saving Private Ryan

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1997
> Avg. ticket price: $4.59
> Price adjusted for inflation: $7.07
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Titanic

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Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1996
> Avg. ticket price: $4.42
> Price adjusted for inflation: $7.01
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Independence Day

Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

1995
> Avg. ticket price: $4.35
> Price adjusted for inflation: $7.09
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Toy Story

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Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

1994
> Avg. ticket price: $4.18
> Price adjusted for inflation: $7.00
> Top-grossing movie of the year: The Lion King

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1993
> Avg. ticket price: $4.14
> Price adjusted for inflation: $7.11
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Jurassic Park

Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

1992
> Avg. ticket price: $4.15
> Price adjusted for inflation: $7.36
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Aladdin

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Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

1991
> Avg. ticket price: $4.21
> Price adjusted for inflation: $7.66
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Beauty and the Beast

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1990
> Avg. ticket price: $4.22
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.11
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Home Alone

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Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

1989
> Avg. ticket price: $3.99
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.07
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Batman

Courtesy of MGM / UA Communications Company

1988
> Avg. ticket price: $4.11
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.70
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Rain Man

Courtesy of Interscope Communications

1987
> Avg. ticket price: $3.91
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.61
> Top-grossing movie of the year: 3 Men and a Baby

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Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1986
> Avg. ticket price: $3.71
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.29
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Top Gun

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1985
> Avg. ticket price: $3.55
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.24
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Back to the Future

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1984
> Avg. ticket price: $3.36
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.08
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Ghostbusters

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1983
> Avg. ticket price: $3.15
> Price adjusted for inflation: $7.89
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Star Wars Ep. VI: Return of the Jedi

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1982
> Avg. ticket price: $2.94
> Price adjusted for inflation: $7.64
> Top-grossing movie of the year: ET: The Extra-Terrestrial

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Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1981
> Avg. ticket price: $2.78
> Price adjusted for inflation: $7.83
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Raiders of the Lost Ark

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1980
> Avg. ticket price: $2.69
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.47
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Star Wars Ep. V: The Empire Strikes Back

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Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

1979
> Avg. ticket price: $2.52
> Price adjusted for inflation: $9.04
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Kramer vs. Kramer

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1978
> Avg. ticket price: $2.34
> Price adjusted for inflation: $9.17
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Grease

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1977
> Avg. ticket price: $2.23
> Price adjusted for inflation: $9.34
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Star Wars Ep. IV: A New Hope

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Courtesy of United Artists

1976
> Avg. ticket price: $2.13
> Price adjusted for inflation: $9.38
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Rocky

Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1975
> Avg. ticket price: $2.05
> Price adjusted for inflation: $9.64
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Jaws

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Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

1974
> Avg. ticket price: $1.89
> Price adjusted for inflation: $9.93
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Blazing Saddles

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

1973
> Avg. ticket price: $1.76
> Price adjusted for inflation: $10.12
> Top-grossing movie of the year: The Exorcist

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1972
> Avg. ticket price: $1.70
> Price adjusted for inflation: $10.13
> Top-grossing movie of the year: The Godfather

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Courtesy of Warner Bros.

1971
> Avg. ticket price: $1.65
> Price adjusted for inflation: $10.16
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Billy Jack

 

1970
> Avg. ticket price: $1.55
> Price adjusted for inflation: $10.04
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Love Story

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1969
> Avg. ticket price: $1.42
> Price adjusted for inflation: $9.77
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1968
> Avg. ticket price: $1.31
> Price adjusted for inflation: $9.41
> Top-grossing movie of the year: 2001: A Space Odyssey

Courtesy of Walt Disney Productions

1967
> Avg. ticket price: $1.20
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.93
> Top-grossing movie of the year: The Jungle Book

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Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1966
> Avg. ticket price: $1.10
> Price adjusted for inflation: $8.47
> Top-grossing movie of the year: The Bible

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1965
> Avg. ticket price: $1.01
> Price adjusted for inflation: $7.93
> Top-grossing movie of the year: The Sound of Music

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Courtesy of Walt Disney Productions

1964
> Avg. ticket price: $0.93
> Price adjusted for inflation: $7.37
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Mary Poppins

Courtesy of 20th Century-Fox

1963
> Avg. ticket price: $0.85
> Price adjusted for inflation: $6.85
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Cleopatra

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1962
> Avg. ticket price: $0.81
> Price adjusted for inflation: $6.61
> Top-grossing movie of the year: The Longest Day

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Courtesy of Walt Disney Productions

1961
> Avg. ticket price: $0.77
> Price adjusted for inflation: $6.33
> Top-grossing movie of the year: 101 Dalmatians

Courtesy of Walt Disney Productions

1960
> Avg. ticket price: $0.75
> Price adjusted for inflation: $6.27
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Swiss Family Robinson

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Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1959
> Avg. ticket price: $0.68
> Price adjusted for inflation: $5.74
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Ben-Hur

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1958
> Avg. ticket price: $0.65
> Price adjusted for inflation: $5.57
> Top-grossing movie of the year: South Pacific

Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

1957
> Avg. ticket price: $0.62
> Price adjusted for inflation: $5.50
> Top-grossing movie of the year: The Bridge on the River Kwai

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Courtesy of Motion Picture Associates

1956
> Avg. ticket price: $0.59
> Price adjusted for inflation: $5.39
> Top-grossing movie of the year: The Ten Commandments

Courtesy of Walt Disney Productions

1955
> Avg. ticket price: $0.58
> Price adjusted for inflation: $5.32
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Lady and the Tramp

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Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1954
> Avg. ticket price: $0.55
> Price adjusted for inflation: $5.01
> Top-grossing movie of the year: White Christmas

Courtesy of Walt Disney Productions

1953
> Avg. ticket price: $0.51
> Price adjusted for inflation: $4.70
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Peter Pan

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1952
> Avg. ticket price: $0.48
> Price adjusted for inflation: $4.44
> Top-grossing movie of the year: The Greatest Show on Earth

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Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1951
> Avg. ticket price: $0.47
> Price adjusted for inflation: $4.53
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Quo Vadis?

Courtesy of Walt Disney Productions

1950
> Avg. ticket price: $0.46
> Price adjusted for inflation: $4.79
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Cinderella

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Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

1949
> Avg. ticket price: $0.46
> Price adjusted for inflation: $4.69
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Samson and Delilah

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1948
> Avg. ticket price: $0.44
> Price adjusted for inflation: $4.55
> Top-grossing movie of the year: The Snake Pit

Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

1947
> Avg. ticket price: $0.44
> Price adjusted for inflation: $5.01
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Forever Amber

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Courtesy of Walt Disney Productions

1946
> Avg. ticket price: $0.42
> Price adjusted for inflation: $5.65
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Song of the South

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