Preparation for the Olympics in Paris turned out to be a large-scale and costly project

On July 26, the 33rd Summer Olympic Games started in Paris, which cost the French capital almost 9 billion euros (about 10 billion dollars). This grandiose event attracted a large amount of resources and efforts to organize and hold the sports festival.

According to the Reuters agency, preparation for the Olympics in Paris turned out to be a large-scale and costly project. Scientists from the University of Oxford have estimated that the average cost of holding the Summer Olympic Games reaches 12 billion dollars, while non-sports costs can be several times higher. Usually, the budget for the summer games exceeds the initial plans by 213%, and the winter games - by 142%.

Paris became the host of the 2024 Olympics after Budapest, Hamburg, Los Angeles and Rome withdrew their bids due to the high cost and complexity of the organization. With an almost ready infrastructure, Paris remained the only option for the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

According to information, the hosting of the Olympics did not cause serious damage to the French budget. 95% of the necessary infrastructure facilities were already built or required minor repairs. This made it possible to minimize costs and ensure stable games.

The vast majority of competitions will take place at temporary locations or existing facilities. The main stadium was the 80,000-seat Stade de France in the suburbs of Saint-Denis, built even before the 1998 World Cup. This is where the closing ceremony of the games will take place.

Paris' biggest spending included three major projects: the €1.5 billion Olympic Village, the €175 million Aquatics Center and the €138 million badminton and gymnastics arena. The overall budget for the games was split, with €4.5 billion spent on new facilities and €4.4 billion on operational costs such as hosting and operating transport networks.

For Paris, this is already the third Olympics in history after the games in 1900 and 1924. Over the century, the number of sports increased from 17 to 32, and the number of athletes increased from 3,000 to more than 10,000. The cost of the organization has increased from 10 million francs to at least 10 billion dollars.

According to official data, 96% of the costs of holding the games are covered by sponsors and private donors. Only 4% of the budget comes from state funds for the organization of the Paralympic Games. The main sources of funding are the International Olympic Committee, partner companies, ticket sales and licensing.

The Paris 2024 Organizing Committee has a total budget of €4.38 billion, which covers all aspects of planning, organizing and running the event. This includes rental of premises, preparation and operation of facilities, organization of competitions, reception of delegations, accommodation and transportation of athletes, provision of security, as well as holding of opening and closing ceremonies.