— Published January 16, 2025

The 2024 Olympic Games have won over Parisians and residents of the Paris region

Events Focus

A winning bet and happy Parisians. Beyond the uncertainty about the political situation in France, security fears and doubts about the functioning of the public transport network, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games have proven to be a total success. An enchanted summer where fervour eclipsed scepticism. Including among locals, as shown by a survey conducted by the Paris Region Institute.

88% of Parisians aged 15 and over followed the Games. The sporting aspect particularly attracted young people, since 80% of 15-29 year-olds followed the Olympic events (compared to 76% for the population as a whole). A good point for the IOC, which has a clear interest in winning over a younger audience. At the heart of the event, residents of the Île-de-France region followed the Games more than the rest of the French (79%). With the Olympic magic at work, the Parisian public was even more involved than they thought a few months beforehand. The mass flight of Parisians faced with the specter of a capital incapable of managing an event of this magnitude? A fantasy: only 6% of Parisians packed their bags for this reason during the summer.

Balm for the heart and the body

The pollsters interviewed locals for the first time in May, and then again in September. The results showed that the Games had won over a number of sceptics. 78% of Parisians believe that the Olympic Games have contributed to France's international influence (compared to 65% before the summer). They are also more numerous in thinking that the Games will increase sports participation and contribute to improving the health of the French (71%, compared to 57% in May), and that they will have a positive impact on improving transport infrastructure (64%) and sports facilities (72%).

Another lesson in terms of legacy: the Games should fuel community engagement, according to a study by the National Institute of Youth and Popular Education (INJEP). This highlights the success of the Games from the volunteers' point of view. 97% of volunteers at the Paris 2024 Games say they are satisfied or very satisfied with their experience. Among those who were not volunteers in an association before the Olympic Games, 62% plan to get involved in the coming months. Eight out of ten volunteers also consider it likely or very likely that they will apply again for future editions of the Games. All these indicators confirm that the 2024 Olympic Games have succeeded in overcoming divisions and generating support.