The Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau recently disclosed the 2025 utilization of locally retained sports lottery public welfare funds, revealing that total expenditures from 2023 to 2025 have exceeded 32 billion yuan. Funds have grown steadily year by year, with a focused and diverse allocation towards national fitness, youth sports, and competitive sports, propelling the high-quality development of the capital's sports industry.
From 2023 to 2025, Beijing's local sports lottery fund expenditures surpassed 32 billion yuan, climbing from 9 billion yuan in 2023, to 10 billion yuan in 2024, and reaching 13 billion yuan in 2025. The scale of funding has increased annually, with spending becoming more targeted. In 2023, fund categories were detailed and comprehensive, covering venue construction, event organization, talent development, and athlete welfare. In 2024, categories were optimized, focusing on core activities and streamlining auxiliary items, with a significant emphasis on mass sports and major event preparation. By 2025, fund allocation was further consolidated, establishing dedicated investments for comprehensive sports events and key public welfare projects, enhancing centralized coordination and shifting from broad coverage to strategic breakthroughs.
This shift in fund scale and direction not only underscores the lottery's founding principle of "from the people, for the people" but also reflects a profound change in the capital's sports development priorities. Regarding fund utilization, the national fitness sector has consistently been the cornerstone of local sports lottery expenditures. Over the past three years, investment has increased, evolving from a focus on construction to an emphasis on operation and service. The construction of public fitness facilities has been a key area. In 2023, over 310 million yuan was allocated for building public sports venues and facilities, installing or updating 3,500 pieces of outdoor exercise equipment. In 2024, funding for facilities rose to 399 million yuan, introducing innovative management features like "one-click repair" and QR code labeling. In 2025, while continuing to support facility investment, funds are being directed towards fitness science research, popularization, and the development of grassroots sports organizations, aiming to build a higher-level, comprehensive public fitness service system to meet the evolving health needs of citizens.
Alongside "hardware" investments, the funds are also increasingly dedicated to strengthening the "software" foundation of the national fitness initiative. This includes improving event organization mechanisms and cultivating grassroots health service teams, effectively bridging the "last mile" of public fitness services. Over the three years, the scale of mass sports events has expanded. In 2023, 33,000 events were held; in 2024, this grew to over 38,000, with widespread participation in ice and snow sports, community sports, and ball games, involving tens of millions of people. In 2025, events like the "Community Cup" are being developed to promote sports participation, expand the sports population, and provide a platform for citizens to engage in physical activities. Supported by local sports lottery funds, scientific fitness guidance and the integration of sports and medicine are deepening, with an increase in training coverage and scientific awareness campaigns, gradually building a comprehensive and inclusive public fitness service system.
Youth sports and talent development are critical focal points for local sports lottery expenditures, demonstrating a trend towards systematization and ecological development. In 2023, approximately 1.4 billion yuan was used to support the training of future sports talents, with a focus on advancing the construction of key cities for national football development. In 2024, related investments were adjusted to 1.2 billion yuan, with new special funds allocated for youth physical health promotion and medical-scientific support, targeting improvements in young people's physical fitness. In 2025, an innovative "popularization + experience + intervention" model is being implemented in schools to precisely support the healthy development of youth sports.
Competitive sports preparation and participation represent a major portion of local sports lottery expenditures. Funds are consistently directed towards preparation for major events, with training investments increasing annually. This support has helped Beijing athletes achieve outstanding results in events like the Asian Games, Olympics, and National Winter Games. In 2023, over 1.8 billion yuan supported teams preparing for and participating in comprehensive games, helping Beijing athletes surpass their gold medal target at the Hangzhou Asian Games. In 2024, preparation and training funds increased to 2.1 billion yuan, precisely supporting Beijing athletes who won five gold medals at the Paris Olympics, surpassing the previous Games' contribution, and achieving their best results at the 14th National Winter Games. In 2025, funding for hosting and participating in comprehensive games has reached 318 million yuan, continuously safeguarding the high-quality development of competitive sports in the "Double Olympic City."
The promotion of ice and snow sports and the utilization of Winter Olympic legacy assets are also noteworthy highlights of local sports lottery funding. From supporting mass ice and snow events involving over ten million participants in 2023, to assisting the Beijing men's and women's ice hockey teams in winning national championships in 2024, the funds have played an irreplaceable role in consolidating the achievements of ice and snow sports and transforming "cold resources" into "hot effects."
Looking at the changes over the past three years, while the total volume of local sports lottery funds has grown, their use has become increasingly aligned with public needs and sports development strategies. From "hard investment" in facilities to "soft services" in scientific guidance and medical support, and from a singular focus on competition preparation to comprehensive interventions for youth health, the dual track of public welfare and competitive sports is advancing simultaneously. This sustained effort is continuously improving the capital's public sports service system, injecting lasting momentum into the construction of a healthy Beijing and a sports powerhouse.