Global cinema takings are expected to show a steady rise during 2004 with a boost in admission numbers, a research body has predicted.
Research body Informa predicted 8.5bn visits to the cinema would be recorded this year, up from 8.2bn in 2003.
Global hits The Passion of the Christ and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban have helped growth, it said.
The global average ticket price is $2.68 (£1.48), reflecting low charges in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Worldwide hits
Takings are expected to rise 7% to $22.8bn (£12.6bn) in 2004, Informa predicted.
Informa predicted muted annual growth until 2010, as the number of cinema multiplexes reaches saturation point.
The US accounts for 44% of all global box office takings.
Americans are expected to have seen 5.74 films each this year, compared with the global average of 1.33 cinema visits per person.
It is thought unlikely that these cinema habits will change "significantly" over the next six years.
Global box office revenues are forecast to rise to $25.6bn (£14bn) by 2010, nearly double the 1995 total.
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