Global Museum Attendance Trends in 2025 Show Regional Variations and Post-Pandemic Recovery

The Art Newspaper's annual survey of museum attendance for 2025 reveals that art institutions worldwide are generally popular, with over 200 million visits to the top 100 museums. This represents a significant recovery from the 54 million visits in 2020 but remains below the 230 million recorded in 2019. New museums in regions like the Middle East and East Asia, as well as in established cultural hubs such as London and New York, have attracted substantial visitor interest. However, recovery is uneven, with some previously dominant museums still struggling to return to pre-pandemic levels. For instance, London's National Gallery saw a 30% increase from 2024 to 4.2 million visitors but remains 30% below its 2019 figures. The museum's renovated Sainsbury Wing, which reopened in May 2024, has not fully restored attendance. In contrast, the British Museum reported 6.4 million visitors, similar to 2024 and above 2019 levels. The Louvre in Paris maintained its top position with over 9 million visitors, while the Prado in Madrid exceeded 3.5 million for the first time. In Asia, the National Museum of Korea in Seoul experienced a dramatic rise of over 70% to 6.5 million visitors. The U.S. saw modest increases, though some museums faced declines due to events like wildfires and government shutdowns. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York remained the most visited in the Western Hemisphere with nearly 6 million visitors. Financial challenges persist, with institutions like the National Gallery in London citing deficits and staff reductions. Overall, museums in Asia and South America are experiencing rapid growth, while those in Europe and the U.S. are stabilizing, barring external disruptions.