Special Report

Cost of a Movie Ticket the Year You Were Born

Charles Stockdale

Published: August 11, 2017 11:51 am

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 9:12 am

For many, a trip to the movie theater can put a serious dent in the wallet. With tickets, popcorn, soda, and candy – the cost quickly adds up. Yet this has hardly ended Americans’ love affair with the movies. In 2016 alone, the movie industry gross in the box office exceeded $11 billion – the greatest yearly amount to date.

One reason for the industry’s high gross figure is ticket prices, which have undergone dramatic increases over the last 70 years. In 1950, a person could purchase a movie ticket for a mere 46 cents on average. By 2016, the average ticket price had increased to $8.65 — and the increase in ticket prices shows no signs of slowing down.

Still, the prices of tickets are much more consistent when adjusted for inflation. In fact, ticket prices have actually decreased from the 1971 high of $10.16 in current dollars. The theater-going experience has also improved in many ways. As noted by the National Association of Theatre Owners, projection technology has improved as did seating and food and beverage service in many theaters.

24/7 Wall St. reviewed ticket prices for each year since 1946, in both dollars adjusted and unadjusted for inflation.

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

Click here to see our methodology.

Source: 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

[in-text-ad]

Source: 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

24/7 Wall St.
Most Common Last Names in the US

Source: 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

Source: 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

[in-text-ad-2]

Source: 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

Source: 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

Source: 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

[in-text-ad]

Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

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

Source: 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

Source: 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

[in-text-ad-2]

Source: 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

Source: 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

[in-text-ad]

Source: Courtesy of DreamWorks Pictures

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

Source: 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

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

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

[in-text-ad-2]

Source: 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

Source: 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

[in-text-ad]

Source: 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

Source: 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

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

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

[in-text-ad-2]

Source: 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

Source: 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

[in-text-ad]

Source: 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

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

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

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

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

[in-text-ad-2]

Source: 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

Source: 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

[in-text-ad]

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

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

24/7 Wall St.
50 Best Movies of All Time

Source: 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

Source: 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

[in-text-ad-2]

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

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

Source: 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

[in-text-ad]

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

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

Source: 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

Source: 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

[in-text-ad-2]

Source: 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

Source: 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

[in-text-ad]

Source: 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

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

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

Source: 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

[in-text-ad-2]

Source: Courtesy of United Artists

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

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

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

[in-text-ad]

Source: 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

Source: 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

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

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

[in-text-ad-2]

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

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

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

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

[in-text-ad]

Source: Courtesy of 20th Century Fox

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

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

1968
> Avg. ticket price: $1.31
> Price adjusted for inflation: $9.41
> Top-grossing movie of the year: Funny Girl

Source: 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

[in-text-ad-2]

Source: 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

Source: 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

[in-text-ad]

Source: 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

Source: Courtesy of 20th Century-Fox

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

Source: 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

[in-text-ad-2]

Source: 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

Source: 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

[in-text-ad]

Source: 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

Source: 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

Source: 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

[in-text-ad-2]

Source: 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

Source: 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

[in-text-ad]

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

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

Source: 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

Source: 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

[in-text-ad-2]

Source: 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?

Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Productions

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

[in-text-ad]

Source: 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

Source: 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

Source: 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

[in-text-ad-2]

Source: 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

Methodology:

To find the cost of a movie ticket the year you were born, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed cost data for each year since 1946 provided by the National Association of Theatre Owners. The prices from 1989 onward have been calculated, according to NATO, “by surveying movie theater companies and asking for their total box office and total tickets sold. The box office is divided by the number of tickets sold to arrive at the average ticket price for the industry.” Prior to 1989, ticket prices were based on the Consumer Price Index For Urban Wage Earners And Clerical Workers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Inflation-adjusted prices were calculated by 24/7 Wall St. using the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index. The top-grossing movie released in each calendar year, ranked by total domestic box office, comes from movie industry data site The Numbers.