In absolute terms, Hungary’s fiscal expenditures on recreational and sporting services came to HUF 457 billion in 2017, according to Eurostat. Hungary hosted the FINA World Aquatics Championships in 2017, lifting central budget expenditures on sport.

The FINA event drew almost half a million spectators. Hungary’s central budget expenditures on recreational and sporting services stood at HUF 399 bln in 2016, and at HUF 177 bln in 2015, the Eurostat data show.

The second-biggest spender on recreational and sporting services was the government of Estonia, where 1.4% of budget expenditures were earmarked for such services.