Despite claims that the London Olympics were too expensive for Britain, the vast majority of people support the decision to spend almost £9 billion on the Olympic Games. A recent poll by ComRes indicates that 74 percent of the UK public thinks that the games were a good use of money for the UK.
The poll also suggests that the games were an overall benefit for society, with an estimated 11 percent of people exercising more in the wake of the events than in previous years. Over 24 percent of people aged between 18 and 25 exercise more since the Olympics were hosted in Britain last year.
Economists have claimed that the Olympics were an overly expensive investment for Britain, claiming that the £8.77 billion invested in the games was too great an expense following the financial crisis. Despite this, the games resulted in a major increase in trade, with over £9.9 billion directly attributable to the event.
The games had an original budget of just £2.4 billion, which was exceeded several times during the planning and execution of the events. Past Olympics have been a mixed bag financially, with some countries noting that the long-term income from the events was not as great as predicted prior to the games.
Brazil, which will host the next Olympics in 2016, has faced an increasing amount of criticism and hostility from the public over the cost of the games. Residents of Rio de Janeiro have voiced their concerns over an increase in their cost of living due to the expense of the games, which many claim has been accompanied by a declining level of public services due to budget redistribution.
In London, however, residents were largely supportive of the games. 22 percent of survey respondents claimed that games had improved the local economy, with over 32 percent claiming that the Olympics improved local sports facilities.
