45 million working hours, 14,250 athletes, seventy works, three million spectators, 20,000 accredited journalists, 45,000 volunteers, 13 million tickets, 39 venues, 329 events and just over five kilometres for the Opening Ceremony. These are just some of the figures involved in organising the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. 

The 33rd Olympic Games will be held in Paris and its provinces, but the approximate figures show the real cost of organising the world's biggest sporting event in the world. In addition, the French Games will be a record-breaker in several areas for a number of reasons. 

Many of the facilities that will host the Games will be built on existing structures. In many cases, this will involve improvements, renovations, land development and, of course, the construction of new buildings. A key priority is to leave a legacy for the local community. All the figures are significant, but one in particular stands out:

According to the National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), it is estimated that more than 45 million working hours will be needed to complete the facilities for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. An INSEE study shows that 25 million of these hours, or just over half, will be for skilled workers.

As the heart of the Games is in the Paris region, and more specifically in Île-de-France, the vast majority of skilled jobs are located there (71%). Seine-Saint-Denis, one of the epicentres of activity, accounts for 11% of jobs, with workers directly involved in the construction work. It is estimated that 15,500 people will work full-time on the more than 25 million hours needed to build the facilities for the Games. 

The construction sector logically accounts for the largest number of man-hours in the entire event organisation, and most of these are in architecture and engineering - more than three-quarters of the total. This frontline work consists largely of studies. This is followed by second line work such as plumbing, electrical, insulation, carpentry and many others. 

Throughout the delivery process of the Olympic facilities, engineering or architectural studies will be mobilised. They will account for 2.8 million hours of indirect labour, almost as much as the front-line workers. Logistics, transport and storage will account for 16% of indirect labour.

Finally, the Athletes' Village, which is spread over three municipalities in the Seine-Saint-Denis area (Saint-Denis, Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine and L'Île-Saint-Denis), will be the largest Olympic facility to be built for the Games. It will be at its busiest in late 2022 and early 2023. More than 2,800 people will be present at any one time. 

The Olympic Games are undoubtedly one of the most important events in the world. They are also one of the most complex. The number of working hours that will be required is a clear indication of the importance of good organisation. Building and delivering the facilities is a fundamental task for the Olympic Games, but what surrounds it is of unparalleled magnitude. 

The Paris 2024 Games will break new ground in several areas. It was clear from the start that this would be the case, and that's why three million tickets have been sold in just three weeks since the start of ticket sales. Something unprecedented. It has never happened before. An estimated 13 million tickets will be sold for the 329 events in the 28 traditional and four non-traditional sports - climbing, skateboarding, surfing and, for the first time in Olympic history, breakdancing - an estimated 13 million tickets will be sold.

There are 39 venues for the Games. Anyone who wants to discover them can travel from one end of the country to the other. There are 15 venues in Paris and the Paris region, and 11 more specifically for the Paralympic Games. Lyon, Nantes, Bordeaux, Saint-Etienne, Nice, Marseille and Chateauroux will also be involved. Lille will host handball and basketball. Sailing is coming to Marseille. 

The latest addition is Tahiti, which will host the surfing events. A spectacular show is expected. But if anything is going to be truly historic, it will be around the opening ceremony. For the first time, it will be moved from a sports venue to the Seine. The route will be more than five kilometres long, something that has never been done before. This will require an unprecedented security effort to secure it, which is currently underway. More than a million visitors are expected during the days of the Olympic Games. This is also a record. 

With so much glamour has come some inconveniences, such as the price of tickets to the events, which has caused much controversy, and the exponential increase in hotel prices, which has also sparked a series of protests by consumer rights campaigners. The hoteliers themselves are also at odds with some of the authorities' measures to increase tourist taxes. Something as big as this logically gives rise to a big debate.