Among the European Union member states, Hungary had the highest share of government spending on sports and leisure in 2017 in terms of total public spending.
The European Union’s Statistical Office said, by population, that Luxembourg spends the most on sports and leisure, with Hungary in the first third of the European Union countries on this list.
According to a Eurostat report that records 2017 data, Hungary spent 2.5 percent of total government spending on sports and entertainment. Hungary is followed by 1.4 percent, followed by Luxembourg, at 1.2 percent.
The EU average was 0.7 percent, scored by Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Portugal and Slovenia. Ireland, Slovakia, the United Kingdom and Malta also accounted for 0.4 percent of public spending on sports and leisure. It is below the European Union average, with Germany, Austria and Italy alongside Lithuania and Bulgaria. At the end of the line, Croatia rose 0.2 percent.
The report shows that the 28 member states of the European Union spent 51.3 billion euros on sports and leisure in 2017, an amount almost unchanged since 2004.
According to Eurostat, Luxembourg spent the most on sports and leisure among the population during the period under review, at 492 euros per person. Luxembourg follows Sweden with 256 euros, followed by Finland with 206 euros, the Netherlands with 199 euros, Denmark with 192 euros, and France with 183 euros. Hungary comes next, well above the European Union average of 100 euros, with nearly every per capita government spending on sports and entertainment. It amounted to 150 euros in 2017.
Croatia spent less than 13 euros per person on sports and recreation. Bulgaria spent a little more, with 16 euros, Slovakia 23 euros, Romania 25 euros, Lithuania 31 euros and Malta 32 euros. (MTI)
