The table below lists the top-grossing Documentary movie released in each calendar year (based on worldwide box office). Click on the year number for a list of all the Documentary films released that year.
The "Annual Stats" links will take you to a summary of the domestic film business for Documentary movies for the year in question (this part of our archive starts in 1995). Click on
the movie name to see information on the individual film.
| Year | Annual
Stats | Total
Movies | Average
Production
Budget | Combined
Worldwide
Box Office | No. 1 Movie |
|---|
| TBD |
|
187 |
|
|
|
| 2029 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
| 2025 |
|
22 |
|
|
|
| 2024 |
Annual Stats |
865 |
$3,000,000 |
$83,248,255 |
Am I Racist? |
| 2023 |
Annual Stats |
1,048 |
$5,000,000 |
$86,354,896 |
Beijing 2022 (北京 2022) |
| 2022 |
Annual Stats |
849 |
$350,000 |
$62,262,764 |
Moonage Daydream |
| 2021 |
Annual Stats |
701 |
$3,400,000 |
$60,210,530 |
Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain |
| 2020 |
Annual Stats |
781 |
|
$67,980,399 |
Beureikeu deo sa illeonseu |
| 2019 |
Annual Stats |
781 |
$250,000 |
$148,494,633 |
Bring the Soul: The Movie |
| 2018 |
Annual Stats |
718 |
$1,893,040 |
$285,514,451 |
Li hai le, wo de guo |
| 2017 |
Annual Stats |
650 |
$622,714 |
$162,772,917 |
Twenty-Two |
| 2016 |
Annual Stats |
551 |
$4,681,250 |
$182,367,519 |
A Beautiful Planet |
| 2015 |
Annual Stats |
450 |
$468,333 |
$128,294,364 |
Amy |
| 2014 |
Annual Stats |
264 |
$914,818 |
$131,406,237 |
My Love, Don't Cross That River |
| 2013 |
Annual Stats |
262 |
$814,286 |
$89,053,741 |
Justin Bieber’s Believe |
| 2012 |
Annual Stats |
218 |
$1,420,833 |
$177,740,046 |
Chimpanzee |
| 2011 |
Annual Stats |
194 |
$1,292,000 |
$189,001,245 |
Born to be Wild 3D |
| 2010 |
Annual Stats |
177 |
$15,466,667 |
$231,716,345 |
Oceans |
| 2009 |
Annual Stats |
111 |
$17,662,500 |
$484,674,545 |
Michael Jackson's This Is It |
| 2008 |
Annual Stats |
140 |
$2,445,833 |
$102,036,147 |
Dolphins and Whales Tribes of the Ocean 3D |
| 2007 |
Annual Stats |
105 |
$3,533,333 |
$109,534,459 |
Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure |
| 2006 |
Annual Stats |
106 |
$1,067,727 |
$216,697,851 |
Deep Sea 3D |
| 2005 |
Annual Stats |
92 |
$947,344 |
$278,525,818 |
La marche de l'empereur |
| 2004 |
Annual Stats |
91 |
$2,095,000 |
$339,360,836 |
Fahrenheit 9/11 |
| 2003 |
Annual Stats |
54 |
$6,383,333 |
$231,655,788 |
Winged Migration |
| 2002 |
Annual Stats |
29 |
$933,333 |
$245,435,899 |
Space Station |
| 2001 |
Annual Stats |
15 |
|
$25,378,577 |
Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure |
| 2000 |
Annual Stats |
28 |
$7,000,000 |
$99,664,514 |
Dolphins |
| 1999 |
Annual Stats |
29 |
$437,500 |
$151,629,916 |
Encounter in the Third Dimension |
| 1998 |
Annual Stats |
18 |
|
$239,902,960 |
Everest |
| 1997 |
Annual Stats |
13 |
|
$36,299,005 |
Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun |
| 1996 |
Annual Stats |
11 |
|
$17,099,308 |
Microcosmos |
| 1995 |
Annual Stats |
13 |
|
$76,304,410 |
The Living Sea |
| 1994 |
|
4 |
$700,000 |
$15,543,503 |
Hoop Dreams |
| 1993 |
|
3 |
|
$464 |
Vale Abraão |
| 1992 |
|
3 |
|
$116,195 |
Daddy and the Muscle Academy: The Life, Art and Times of Tom of Finland |
| 1991 |
|
8 |
|
$70,253,781 |
Antarctica |
| 1990 |
|
4 |
|
|
|
| 1989 |
|
5 |
$140,000 |
$59,714,812 |
To the Limit |
| 1988 |
|
5 |
|
$5,069,109 |
Imagine: John Lennon |
| 1987 |
|
4 |
|
$774,913 |
Hail! Hail! Rock'n'Roll |
| 1986 |
|
4 |
|
$39,065 |
Stripper |
| 1985 |
|
10 |
|
$75,925,775 |
The Dream is Alive |
| 1984 |
|
7 |
|
$239,023,465 |
Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets |
| 1983 |
|
5 |
|
$645,331 |
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars |
| 1982 |
|
5 |
|
$2,113,330 |
It Came From Hollywood |
| 1981 |
|
5 |
|
$442,124 |
This is Elvis |
| 1980 |
|
2 |
|
$22,000,000 |
In Search of Historic Jesus |
| 1979 |
|
7 |
$170,000 |
$12,937,413 |
Dirt |
| 1978 |
|
3 |
|
$23,800,000 |
Beyond and Back |
| 1977 |
|
5 |
|
$151,006 |
Billy Connolly: Big Banana Feet |
| 1976 |
|
7 |
|
$120,736,923 |
To Fly! |
| 1975 |
|
4 |
|
$32,270 |
Torre Bela |
| 1974 |
|
6 |
|
$26,328,764 |
Erinnerungen an die Zukunft |
| 1973 |
|
3 |
|
|
|
| 1972 |
|
3 |
|
$699 |
Five Summer Stories |
| 1971 |
|
3 |
|
$13,082 |
Le chagrin et la pitié |
| 1970 |
|
7 |
$600,000 |
$34,764,015 |
Woodstock |
| 1969 |
|
3 |
|
$20,073 |
Muhammad Ali: The Greatest |
| 1968 |
|
2 |
|
$49,342 |
The Queen |
| 1967 |
|
3 |
|
$27,158 |
Bob Dylan: Don't Look Back |
| 1965 |
|
4 |
|
$28,812 |
Io la conoscevo bene |
| 1964 |
|
2 |
|
$885 |
Belarmino |
| 1963 |
|
2 |
|
$7,257 |
Mahanagar |
| 1962 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
| 1961 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
| 1960 |
|
2 |
|
$105,953 |
Jazz on a Summer’s Day |
| 1959 |
|
1 |
|
$10,203 |
India: Matri Bhumi |
| 1958 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
| 1957 |
|
3 |
|
$92,055 |
Le mystère Picasso |
| 1955 |
|
3 |
|
$11,500,487 |
Galapagos |
| 1954 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
| 1953 |
|
2 |
|
|
|
| 1950 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
| 1934 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
| 1929 |
|
1 |
|
$3,956 |
Chelovek s kino-apparatom |
| 1927 |
|
1 |
|
$133,826 |
The Epic of Everest |
| 1926 |
|
1 |
|
$2,993 |
Moana |
| 1922 |
|
2 |
|
$85,214 |
The Great White Silence |
| 1919 |
|
1 |
|
$46,865 |
South |
| 1918 |
|
1 |
|
$9,685 |
Godovshchina revolyutsii |
| Total |
9,742 |
$3,090,593 |
$5,463,186,539 |
Michael Jackson's This Is It |
The table below shows the highest-grossing Documentary movie that begins with each letter of the alphabet. Click on the name of the film
to go to its page. Or click on the letter at the beginning of each row for a list of all the Documentary movies beginning with that letter.
| Index | Total
Movies | Average
Production
Budget | Combined
Worldwide
Box Office | No. 1 Movie |
|---|
| ( |
1 |
|
|
|
| 0 |
1 |
|
$44,559 |
0,03 Seconds |
| 1 |
50 |
|
$5,163,110 |
1950 Ta Men Zheng Nian Qing |
| 2 |
29 |
$1,750,000 |
$44,830,006 |
2016: Obama’s America |
| 3 |
16 |
|
$1,290,361 |
35 Up |
| 4 |
10 |
$900,000 |
$855,125 |
42 Up |
| 5 |
18 |
$350,000 |
$1,143,101 |
56 Up |
| 6 |
4 |
|
$483,685 |
63 Up |
| 7 |
9 |
|
$79,571 |
78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene |
| 8 |
6 |
$2,500,000 |
$215,743 |
‘85 The Greatest Team in Football History |
| 9 |
9 |
|
$82,973 |
93Queen |
| A |
625 |
$1,394,444 |
$288,024,429 |
Antarctica |
| B |
716 |
$645,000 |
$414,670,578 |
Bowling for Columbine |
| C |
598 |
$3,550,000 |
$156,960,785 |
Chimpanzee |
| D |
452 |
$1,917,143 |
$395,253,247 |
Deep Sea 3D |
| E |
339 |
$23,612,500 |
$421,841,344 |
Everest |
| F |
411 |
$2,091,083 |
$317,777,950 |
Fahrenheit 9/11 |
| G |
381 |
$875,000 |
$366,369,895 |
Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets |
| H |
381 |
$3,280,000 |
$132,705,649 |
Hubble 3D |
| I |
392 |
$1,027,083 |
$175,099,581 |
An Inconvenient Truth |
| J |
200 |
|
$94,417,594 |
Justin Bieber’s Believe |
| K |
202 |
|
$38,316,658 |
Kang rinpoche |
| L |
460 |
$6,000,000 |
$188,380,375 |
Li hai le, wo de guo |
| M |
726 |
$8,353,358 |
$747,143,491 |
Michael Jackson's This Is It |
| N |
237 |
$2,000,000 |
$63,415,815 |
NASCAR: The IMAX Experience |
| O |
268 |
$14,516,667 |
$129,184,064 |
Oceans |
| P |
469 |
$1,028,333 |
$138,026,980 |
Pina |
| Q |
52 |
|
$3,512,969 |
The Queen of Versailles |
| R |
413 |
$1,485,000 |
$115,120,708 |
Red Dog |
| S |
861 |
$2,046,611 |
$471,051,196 |
Space Station |
| T |
477 |
$930,769 |
$395,696,577 |
To Fly! |
| U |
184 |
$625,000 |
$58,177,922 |
Under the Sea 3D |
| V |
170 |
$933,333 |
$23,553,642 |
Visages villages |
| W |
437 |
$5,371,429 |
$244,789,586 |
Winged Migration |
| X |
12 |
|
$4,890,897 |
Xuan feng jiu ri |
| Y |
86 |
|
$22,553,027 |
Yves St. Laurent |
| Z |
40 |
|
$2,063,346 |
Zheng qi |
