Every four years, the summer Olympics captivates audiences around the world with incredible athletic feats, exciting international competition and a strong sense of pageantry and tradition. But the sheer size and scale of the event can be awe-inspiring, as these remarkable Olympics statistics reveal.

The Olympics constitute the largest sports spectacle in the world, and the 2012 Summer Games in London is no exception—it’s expected to break records in terms of its size and scope. Just how big is the event? From massive architecture and infrastructure projects, to the huge influx of tourists from around the globe, these fascinating figures shed light on the amazing work that goes into making the Olympics a success.

BUILDING THE GAMES

Image Credit: London 2012

8.8 Million
Total number of tickets sold for the London Olympic Games, compared to 7 million for the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Source: LOCOG FactPack

200,000
Total workforce for the London Games, including 6,000 staff, 70,000 volunteers and 100,000 contractors
Source: Ibid

4 Billion
Estimated global audience for the 2012 opening ceremonies
Source: FactMonster

700,000
Total capacity for all Olympics venues this year
Source: Ibid

80,000
Total capacity for the main Olympic Stadium
Source: Ibid

46,000
Number of workers it took to construct the Olympic Stadium and grounds
Source: BBC News

2,000
Number of newts that had to be removed from the Olympic Park building site, along with 4 skeletons
Source: Ibid

1,500
Number of United Kingdom-based companies that have won contracts with the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) worth over $10 billion dollars, with an additional $1.5 billion soon to be awarded to 600 firms
Source: LOCOG

44
Number of global companies that have signed on as domestic sponsors for the Olympics
Source: Ibid

30,000 Sq. Ft.
Size of the McDonald’s restaurant at the London Games, with seating for 1,500 people, the largest location the company has ever opened
Source: Visual.ly

14 Million
Number of meals that will be served in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with residents of the Olympic Village expected to eat 330 tons of fruits and vegetables alone
Source: Ibid

1 Million Sq. Ft.
Amount of warehouse space reserved for logistics, with an expected 15,000 deliveries to be made by a truck fleet with 300 vehicles
Source: LOCOG

A COMPETITIVE FIELD

Image Credit: London 2012

26
Number of sports in the Summer Olympics
Source: Daily Mail

204
Number of nations participating in the Games this year
Source: Ibid

10,500
Number of athletes competing in the 2012 London Games, supported by 7,500 team officials and judged by 3,000 technical officials
Source: BBC News

302
Number of medal-awarding events, with a total of 2,100 medals up for grabs
Source: Daily Mail

1.34%
Percentage of actual gold in a gold medal, the rest is copper
Source: Ibid

2,617
As of publication, the total number of gold, silver and bronze medals won by the United States, the all-time world leader in Olympic medals, followed by the Soviet Union (1,204), Germany (918), France (805) and Great Britain (793)
Source: Sports-Reference.com’s Olympics Statistics and History

1 Million
Pieces of sports equipment being sourced by the London Organising Committee
Source: LOCOG

510
Number of adjustable hurdles being used for the Games
Source: Ibid

600
Number of basketballs purchased for the Games
Source: Ibid

26,400
Number of tennis balls bought for the events
Source: Ibid

766
Miles of fabric needed to create the Olympics uniforms
Source: Ibid

375
Number of doctors that will on hand for the competition
Source: NBC Olympics

10 Million
Liters of water in the pools used for swimming events
Source: LOCOG

53
Number of lane ropes that will be used for swimming events, along with 541 life jackets
Source: Gadling.com

60
Number of routines memorized by elite Olympic divers
Source: Daily Mail

THE WORLD HEADS TO LONDON

Image Credit: London 2012

29.4 Million
Estimated number of overseas tourists coming to the U.K. for the Olympic Games and surrounding events
Source: Visual.ly

23,700
Estimated number of people in the security detail for the Games
Source: Ibid

3
Number of times London has hosted the Olympics (1900, 1948 and 2012)
Source: FactMonster

120,000
Number of people who will travel on up to 200 trains every hour from Stratford Regional Station during the peak hours of the Games
Source: The Institution of Engineering and Technology’s (IET) Transport for the Olympics

$15.6 Million
Amount spent on over 100 walking and cycling routes to enhance facilities for 385,000 spectators who will “ride or stride” to the Games
Source: Ibid

20 Million
Number of spectator journeys expected to be made in London during the Olympics, including 3 million on the busiest day
Source: LOCOG

25,000
Estimated number of journalists expected to arrive in London to report on the 2012 Olympics
Source: Visual.ly

5
Number of jumbo jets that could be lined up wing-to-wing inside the International Broadcast Center
Source: Daily Mail Online

800
Number of workstations in the press workroom at the International Broadcast Center
Source: IET

8,000
Number of torchbearers who carried the Olympic flame across the U.K.
Source: Time Out London