The Ministry of Sports, Youth, and Associative Life announced a significant decrease in the sports budget as part of the 2025 budget bill. The budget for sports will be reduced by 268 million euros (-24.9%), leading to an overall decrease in the ministry’s budget from 1,810 million to 1,578 million euros (-14.7%). This reduction was expected, but the extent of it was larger than anticipated. Minister of Sports Gil Avérous had previously commented on the logic behind the decrease in funding following the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The reduction in funds is primarily attributed to the end of exceptional expenses related to the Games, such as the construction of Olympic sites, athlete bonuses, costs associated with high-performance programs, solidarity ticketing, the Club France initiative, and hosting foreign Olympic delegations. This represents a mechanical decrease of 151 million euros between 2024 and 2025. This reduction means that the budget for sports, excluding Games-related expenses, will decrease by 115 million euros.
The majority of savings will come from cutting expenses related to funding “structural” sports facilities like gyms, fields, and pools. The plan “5,000 fields – generation 2024” was supposed to allocate 300 million euros over three years, but this budget has been frozen for 2025. Critics argue that these expenses, which support local communities, should be seen as necessary investments to promote sports participation. Many clubs are struggling with shortages of facilities, especially pools, leading to a denial of children’s entry in some cases.
Several lawmakers, such as Senator Michel Savin and Senator Claude Kern, express disappointment with the budget cuts, as they believe it does not align with the goal of making France a leading sports nation. They argue that the government should capitalize on the success of the Summer Olympics to strengthen sports infrastructure and encourage greater participation. The burden of these cuts is often shifted to local authorities, who are already under financial strain.
Concerns are raised about the impact of these budget cuts on grassroots sports and the development of future athletes. The funding freeze for sports facilities could hinder access to sports for many communities and limit opportunities for aspiring athletes to train and compete. The broader societal benefits of sports participation, such as improved health, social cohesion, and personal development, may also be at risk if funding continues to decline. It remains to be seen how these budget cuts will impact the sports landscape in France in the coming years.
