Highest grossing movie by year

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.

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2018

• Avg. ticket price: $9.11

• Price adjusted for inflation: $9.11

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Black Panther

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

2016

• Avg. ticket price: $8.65

• Price adjusted for inflation: $8.94

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

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

2014

• Avg. ticket price: $8.17

• Price adjusted for inflation: $8.56

• Top-grossing movie of the year: American Sniper

2013

• Avg. ticket price: $8.13

• Price adjusted for inflation: $8.65

• Top-grossing movie of the year: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

2012

• Avg. ticket price: $7.96

• Price adjusted for inflation: $8.60

• Top-grossing movie of the year: The Avengers

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

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2010

• Avg. ticket price: $7.89

• Price adjusted for inflation: $8.92

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Toy Story 3

2009

• Avg. ticket price: $7.50

• Price adjusted for inflation: $8.70

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Avatar

2008

• Avg. ticket price: $7.18

• Price adjusted for inflation: $8.33

• Top-grossing movie of the year: The Dark Knight

2007

• Avg. ticket price: $6.88

• Price adjusted for inflation: $8.33

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Spider-Man 3

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

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

2004

• Avg. ticket price: $6.21

• Price adjusted for inflation: $8.21

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Shrek 2

2003

• Avg. ticket price: $6.03

• Price adjusted for inflation: $8.13

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Finding Nemo

2002

• Avg. ticket price: $5.81

• Price adjusted for inflation: $8.04

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Spider-Man

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

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2000

• Avg. ticket price: $5.39

• Price adjusted for inflation: $7.82

• Top-grossing movie of the year: How the Grinch Stole Christmas

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

1998

• Avg. ticket price: $4.69

• Price adjusted for inflation: $7.11

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Saving Private Ryan

1997

• Avg. ticket price: $4.59

• Price adjusted for inflation: $7.07

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Titanic

1996

• Avg. ticket price: $4.42

• Price adjusted for inflation: $7.01

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Independence Day

1995

• Avg. ticket price: $4.35

• Price adjusted for inflation: $7.09

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Toy Story

1994

• Avg. ticket price: $4.18

• Price adjusted for inflation: $7.00

• Top-grossing movie of the year: The Lion King

1993

• Avg. ticket price: $4.14

• Price adjusted for inflation: $7.11

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Jurassic Park

1992

• Avg. ticket price: $4.15

• Price adjusted for inflation: $7.36

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Aladdin

1991

• Avg. ticket price: $4.21

• Price adjusted for inflation: $7.66

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Beauty and the Beast

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1990

• Avg. ticket price: $4.22

• Price adjusted for inflation: $8.11

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Home Alone

1989

• Avg. ticket price: $3.99

• Price adjusted for inflation: $8.07

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Batman

1988

• Avg. ticket price: $4.11

• Price adjusted for inflation: $8.70

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Rain Man

1987

• Avg. ticket price: $3.91

• Price adjusted for inflation: $8.61

• Top-grossing movie of the year: 3 Men and a Baby

1986

• Avg. ticket price: $3.71

• Price adjusted for inflation: $8.29

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Top Gun

1985

• Avg. ticket price: $3.55

• Price adjusted for inflation: $8.24

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Back to the Future

1984

• Avg. ticket price: $3.36

• Price adjusted for inflation: $8.08

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Ghostbusters

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

1982

• Avg. ticket price: $2.94

• Price adjusted for inflation: $7.64

• Top-grossing movie of the year: ET: The Extra-Terrestrial

1981

• Avg. ticket price: $2.78

• Price adjusted for inflation: $7.83

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Raiders of the Lost Ark

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

1979

• Avg. ticket price: $2.52

• Price adjusted for inflation: $9.04

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Kramer vs. Kramer

1978

• Avg. ticket price: $2.34

• Price adjusted for inflation: $9.17

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Grease

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

1976

• Avg. ticket price: $2.13

• Price adjusted for inflation: $9.38

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Rocky

1975

• Avg. ticket price: $2.05

• Price adjusted for inflation: $9.64

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Jaws

1974

• Avg. ticket price: $1.89

• Price adjusted for inflation: $9.93

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Blazing Saddles

1973

• Avg. ticket price: $1.76

• Price adjusted for inflation: $10.12

• Top-grossing movie of the year: The Exorcist

1972

• Avg. ticket price: $1.70

• Price adjusted for inflation: $10.13

• Top-grossing movie of the year: The Godfather

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

1969

• Avg. ticket price: $1.42

• Price adjusted for inflation: $9.77

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

1968

• Avg. ticket price: $1.31

• Price adjusted for inflation: $9.41

• Top-grossing movie of the year: 2001: A Space Odyssey

1967

• Avg. ticket price: $1.20

• Price adjusted for inflation: $8.93

• Top-grossing movie of the year: The Jungle Book

1966

• Avg. ticket price: $1.10

• Price adjusted for inflation: $8.47

• Top-grossing movie of the year: The Bible

1965

• Avg. ticket price: $1.01

• Price adjusted for inflation: $7.93

• Top-grossing movie of the year: The Sound of Music

1964

• Avg. ticket price: $0.93

• Price adjusted for inflation: $7.37

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Mary Poppins

1963

• Avg. ticket price: $0.85

• Price adjusted for inflation: $6.85

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Cleopatra

1962

• Avg. ticket price: $0.81

• Price adjusted for inflation: $6.61

• Top-grossing movie of the year: The Longest Day

1961

• Avg. ticket price: $0.77

• Price adjusted for inflation: $6.33

• Top-grossing movie of the year: 101 Dalmatians

1960

• Avg. ticket price: $0.75

• Price adjusted for inflation: $6.27

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Swiss Family Robinson

1959

• Avg. ticket price: $0.68

• Price adjusted for inflation: $5.74

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Ben-Hur

1958

• Avg. ticket price: $0.65

• Price adjusted for inflation: $5.57

• Top-grossing movie of the year: South Pacific

1957

• Avg. ticket price: $0.62

• Price adjusted for inflation: $5.50

• Top-grossing movie of the year: The Bridge on the River Kwai

1956

• Avg. ticket price: $0.59

• Price adjusted for inflation: $5.39

• Top-grossing movie of the year: The Ten Commandments

1955

• Avg. ticket price: $0.58

• Price adjusted for inflation: $5.32

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Lady and the Tramp

1954

• Avg. ticket price: $0.55

• Price adjusted for inflation: $5.01

• Top-grossing movie of the year: White Christmas

1953

• Avg. ticket price: $0.51

• Price adjusted for inflation: $4.70

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Peter Pan

1952

• Avg. ticket price: $0.48

• Price adjusted for inflation: $4.44

• Top-grossing movie of the year: The Greatest Show on Earth

1951

• Avg. ticket price: $0.47

• Price adjusted for inflation: $4.53

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Quo Vadis?

1950

• Avg. ticket price: $0.46

• Price adjusted for inflation: $4.79

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Cinderella

1949

• Avg. ticket price: $0.46

• Price adjusted for inflation: $4.69

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Samson and Delilah

1948

• Avg. ticket price: $0.44

• Price adjusted for inflation: $4.55

• Top-grossing movie of the year: The Snake Pit

1947

• Avg. ticket price: $0.44

• Price adjusted for inflation: $5.01

• Top-grossing movie of the year: Forever Amber

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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