The number of cinema-goers in Iran has fallen sharply this year, with ticket sales dropping from 20 million to about 16 million during the first eight months of the Persian calendar year, according to data from the national cinema management and sales platform.

Between March to early November, total cinema revenues reached 13.2 trillion rials (about $12.2 million), with 16.65 million tickets sold. The figures mark a nearly 20 percent decline in attendance compared with the same period last year, when 20 million people went to theaters.

Economic hardship hits entertainment spending

Film industry observers attribute the downturn to worsening economic and social conditions, as well as public fatigue with repetitive film genres. The news outlet Didban Iran reported that “the 12-day Iran-Israel war and the country’s social climate directly affected audience turnout and cinema revenues.”

Years of soaring inflation and stagnation have sharply reduced the share of entertainment -- including travel and cinema -- in Iranian household budgets. Many families now prioritize basic necessities over leisure activities as the cost of living continues to climb.

Media reports in recent months have pointed to steep increases in food and consumer prices, with the shrinking household table becoming a widely used expression of hardship. The Statistical Center of Iran’s latest data showed broad-based inflation in essential goods and the government’s failure to control rising prices, fueling widespread economic anxiety.

Warnings of deeper economic distress

Economists warn that the country could face severe stagflation if inflationary pressures persist. On November 1, an Iranian economist said that if President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration fails to stabilize the economy and calm political tensions, inflation could exceed 60 percent by the end of the year.

With inflation approaching 50 percent on a year-on-year basis, the decline in cinema attendance has become another indicator of how deeply economic hardship is reshaping everyday life.