The World’s Favourite Films

Everyone’s heard of Avatar, but have you ever watched Loufa Kai Parallegi?

How about The Mermaid? Well, they were the biggest films of the past ten years in Greece and China, respectively.

To celebrate our Thumb-Stopping Moments short film competition, we have looked at the highest grossing films around the world between 2006 and 2016 to see how box-office habits differ between countries. See which films were the most successful around the world with our infographic.

Avatar is currently the highest grossing film of all time, which isn’t surprising seeing as it is also the highest grossing film since 2006 in 25 countries, including places as diverse as Hungary, Australia and Kenya.

While Hollywood films such as The Avengers and Furious 7 seem to have found audiences all over the world, some countries clearly favour their local filmmakers more than others.

The Mermaid, a Hong Kong-Chinese romantic comedy film, pulled in US$553 million (£449 million) at the start of 2016 in China, making it the country’s highest ever grossing film.

Highest-grossing films by country (2006-2016)


Location Film Gross Year
Argentina Minions $36,154,412 2015
Australia Avatar $105,779,507 2009
Austria Avatar $14,124,754 2009
Belgium and Luxembourg Avatar $13,576,624 2009
Bolivia Avengers: Age of Ultron $2,278,266 2015
Brazil The Avengers (2012) $63,904,807 2012
Bulgaria Avatar $3,406,100 2009
Chile Ice Age: Continental Drift $13,783,204 2012
China The Mermaclass (2016) $526,848,189 2016
Colombia Furious 7 $16,255,313 2015
Croatia Avatar $1,646,183 2009
Czech Republic Avatar $12,469,493 2009
Denmark Avatar $22,889,076 2009
East Africa Avatar $357,659 2009
Ecuador The Avengers (2012) $5,410,298 2012
Egypt Booha $2,546,327 2005
Estonia Avatar $1,209,048 2009
Finland Spectre $9,260,527 2015
France, Algeria, Monaco, Morocco, Tunisia Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis $193,764,365 2008
Germany Avatar $162,333,962 2009
Ghana The Twilight Saga: Eclipse $216,646 2010
Greece Loufa kai parallegi $11,680,950 2005
Hong Kong Avatar $22,923,033 2009
Hungary Avatar $7,300,532 2009
Iceland Avatar $1,128,859 2009
India Ghajini $34,320,002 2008
Italy Avatar $83,498,193 2009
Japan Frozen (2013) $249,036,646 2014
Latvia Avatar $83,498,193 2009
Lebanon Vitamin $2,384,762 2014
Lithuania Avatar $1,490,564 2009
Malaysia Furious 7 $15,992,077 2015
Mexico The Avengers (2012) $61,748,523 2012
Netherlands Skyfall $25,100,238 2012
New Zealand and Fiji Avatar $12,587,471 2009
Nigeria Skyfall $520,651 2012
Norway Mamma Mia! $16,759,894 2008
Peru Listy do M. $12,605,088 2011
Philippines Iron Man 3 $14,949,472 2013
Poland Avatar $28,337,868 2009
Portugal and Angola Avatar $9,294,777 2009
Romania Avatar $5,556,796 2009
Russia - CIS Avatar $117,103,251 2009
Serbia and Montenegro Montevclasseo, bog te vclasseo: Prica prva $2,192,931 2010
Singapore Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation $53,055,712 2015
Slovakia Avatar $2,916,247 2009
Slovenia Avatar $1,825,003 2009
South Africa Furious 7 $5,884,842 2015
South Korea Myeong-ryang $131,556,156 2014
Spain Avatar $109,992,746 2009
Sweden Mamma Mia! $25,059,113 2008
Taiwan Transformers 3 $37,667,064 2011
Thailand Pee Mak Pra Kanong $18,161,322 2013
Turkey Recep Ivedik 4 $32,427,194 2014
Ukraine Avatar $8,691,077 2009
United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta Star Wars: The Force Awakens $163,599,922 2015
United States, Canada Star Wars: The Force Awakens $936,662,225 2015
Uruguay Minions $1,696,276 2015
Venezuela Minions $27,015,386 2015

The Thumb-Stopping Moments short film competition challenges filmmakers of all levels to shoot an attention-grabbing 60-second film. The best submission will be awarded £7,000, with £2,000 and £1,000 for the second and third place runners-up respectively. The deadline for submissions is 11 November 2016.

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