The Olympics Have Never Come In Under Budget

Estimated cost of hosting the Olympics, constant 2022 dollars

A table showing the increasing costs of hosting the olympics for each city since 1988. The 2014 Sochi Olympics were the most expensive, but the 2016 Rio Olympics were the most over budget.

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Note: This data includes operational and construction costs. It does not include wider capital costs, such as investments in urban and transportation infrastructure, which can be substantial.

Source: Budzier and Flyvbjerg, “The Oxford Olympics Study 2024: Are Cost and Cost Overrun at the Games Coming Down?,” SSRN.