Olympic Games Budget Overruns: Every Games Since 1960
Olympic Games are the most reliable cost overrun in modern megaproject history. Every single Games since 1960 has exceeded its budget. The average overrun is 172%.
100%
Games since 1960 that overran
+172%
average cost overrun (real terms)
+352%
Montreal 1976 (worst Summer Games)
Every Olympics since 1960
| Host | Year | Type | Cost overrun (real terms) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rome | 1960 | Summer | +9% |
| Tokyo | 1964 | Summer | +135% |
| Mexico City | 1968 | Summer | +170% |
| Munich | 1972 | Summer | +204% |
| Montreal | 1976 | Summer | +352% |
| Moscow | 1980 | Summer | +50% (estimate) |
| Los Angeles | 1984 | Summer | +1% |
| Seoul | 1988 | Summer | +33% |
| Barcelona | 1992 | Summer | +417% (with infra) |
| Atlanta | 1996 | Summer | +147% |
| Sydney | 2000 | Summer | +90% |
| Athens | 2004 | Summer | +49% |
| Beijing | 2008 | Summer | +2% (sport-only); +163% (full) |
| London | 2012 | Summer | +76% |
| Rio | 2016 | Summer | +352% |
| Tokyo | 2020/21 | Summer | +244% |
| Paris | 2024 | Summer | +115% (early reporting) |
| Lake Placid | 1980 | Winter | +324% |
| Albertville | 1992 | Winter | +135% |
| Lillehammer | 1994 | Winter | +277% |
| Nagano | 1998 | Winter | +56% |
| Salt Lake City | 2002 | Winter | +24% |
| Turin | 2006 | Winter | +82% |
| Vancouver | 2010 | Winter | +13% |
| Sochi | 2014 | Winter | +289% (Games-only); much higher with infra |
| PyeongChang | 2018 | Winter | +91% |
| Beijing | 2022 | Winter | +~50% (limited data) |
All figures from Flyvbjerg, Stewart and Budzier (2024) Oxford Olympics Study, real-terms vs original bid budget.