Global Film Production Hits Historic High, Surpassing Pre-Pandemic Levels

India remains by far the global leader in film production, producing over 2,500 films, more than triple the output of the next highest producer. Egypt nearly doubled its national film production, signaling a broader resurgence across emerging markets.

These insights are based on new data from WIPO and Omdia to be featured in the upcoming Global Innovation Index 2025, launching on September 29, 2025.

To recall: Film production suffered under COVID-19 restrictions, with feature film production dropping 40% in 2020.

Figure 1: The State of Global Cinema (films produced, left axis and box-office revenues, in USD billion, right axis), 2015-2024

While global box office revenue also exhibited steady growth from 2020 to 2023 (Figure 1), it has not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels and experienced a decline again in 2024 (-8%). This slight decoupling between film production and box office revenue in 2024 is mainly driven by the box office decline of nearly 24% in the People’s Republic of China (China), driven by slowing domestic economic growth and an ensuing decrease on entertainment spending.  Regardless, Chinese domestic film production is going strong and increasing, as per the below figures.

Figure 2: Annual Number of National Feature Films Produced Globally, 2000-2023

The rise in global film production was driven primarily by China (+412 films), more than doubling its film output to reach 792 films produced and overtaking both Japan (676 films produced) and the US (510 films produced) for the first time.

Figure 3: Annual Number of National Feature Films Produced Globally, by Main Movie-Producing Countries, 2000-2023

• Italy increased its film production from 251 films to 356 —its highest output in over two decades, driven by box office successes such as Paola Cortellesi’s There's Still Tomorrow (C'è ancora domani), which outperformed international blockbusters Barbie and Oppenheimer to become the highest-grossing film of the year in Italy.
• The Philippines nearly doubled its film production from 75 to 145 films, thanks to the revival of the Sinag Maynila Film Festival, domestic streaming platforms’ for theatrical productions and growing international acclaim for local titles such as Hello, Love, Again.
• Egypt nearly doubled its production of national feature films, adding 19 more films, while Kenya (+77%) and Morocco (+79%) also saw notable increases.

Top producers by total number of films produced in 2023 (Table 1, left-hand side)

• India firmly retains its position as the world’s leading film producer, with over 2,500 movies produced.
• China ranks second, with nearly 800 films. This marks the first time in cinematic history that China has overtaken both Japan and the United States in terms of film production.
• Japan holds third place for the second consecutive year, with 676 films, reflecting a steady increase in production.
• The US, which occupied second place in 2022, has dropped to fourth, with 510 films.
• Spain remains in fifth position, and first in the European Union, for the third year running.
• Notably, nine middle-income economies are represented among the top 20 global film producers, including India, China, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Türkiye, the Philippines, Iran (Islamic Republic of), and Indonesia (listed in descending order of number of films produced in 2023). Mexico continued its strong performance, ranking 8th globally and securing a spot in the top 10 for the third consecutive year.

Top producers by films per capita (Table 1, right-hand side)

• Iceland retains the top position in per capita film production, followed by Estonia, Switzerland, Latvia and Croatia.
• Among emerging economies, the Dominican Republic and North Macedonia have climbed into the top 20 per capita producers.

Table 1: Top economies for feature film production, absolute (left) and scaled by working age population (right), 2023

Top 5 Economies by Vanessa Behrens

An outlook

Film production is expected to have grown significantly again in 2024, with figures to be released by Omdia and WIPO in April 2026. Global box office revenues are also projected to rise in 2025, to surpass USD 34 billion, driven in part by this production rebound.

Animated films continue to play a key role in box office growth. A notable example is China’s  Ne Zha 2, which has become the highest-grossing animated film of all time in China and ranks among the top five films globally in terms of box office earnings. Additionally, Latvia’s low-budget animation Flow not only contributed to revenue growth but also won the 2025 Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

Innovative marketing and release strategies are also emerging with strong potential to boost cinema revenues. French YouTuber Inoxtag’s documentary Kaizen, sold out cinemas across France, highlighting how online creators are reshaping theatrical success.

Looking at 2026 and 2027, film release slates appear as robust as they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. Established franchises such as Avatar, Shrek, Toy Story, Avengers, Ice Age, Jurassic Park, and Star Wars are likely to draw diverse audiences back to theaters. Meanwhile, streaming platforms like Amazon and Netflix remain committed to producing films for theatrical release.

All signs suggest that the future of cinema may once again be bright.

The Global Innovation Index (GII) includes a pillar on Creative Outputs, featuring indicators such as the number of national feature films produced. WIPO collaborates with Omdia, a leading media data provider, to track trends in the film, TV and media sectors, including film production, theatrical distribution and cinema exhibition. You can check individual GII country profiles, for India, China, Japan, US, Italy and others. For more information, visit the GII webpage and Omdia.