The 2020 Tokyo Olympics started last week, and while the sports are in full swing I thought it was the perfect time to dig up some data about the games this year. Ipsos conducted a survey with over 19,000 adults across the world between May 21-June 4 of this year and asked respondents about their interest, feelings, and support of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. Let’s look at what they found out!

Ipsos asked people if the Olympics should go on even if the COVID pandemic wasn’t over yet and the results were a little surprising. The worldwide average was 43% agreeing that the games should go on even if the COVID pandemic isn’t over, but that leaves a global majority of 57% of people thinking it should be canceled or postponed again if the COVID pandemic was still ongoing. In Japan, the host country for the Olympics this year, only 22% of people said the games should continue even if the pandemic isn’t over. Americans were above the worldwide average with 52% of people saying they thought the games should continue.

Overall interest in the Olympics this year varied greatly. 48% of Americans said they were interested in the games, while only 32% of respondents from Japan said they were interested. On the other end of the scale is India with 70% of people saying they were interested in the Olympics this year. The worldwide average was 46%. Take a look at the chart below to see more.

The top favorite sports for American viewers are gymnastics (39%), aquatics (32%), and track and field (21%). However, the sport with the most worldwide interest is soccer with 30% of people overall saying they were interested in following it. Only 10% of Americans said they were interested in following soccer this year.

Not only are the Olympics fun to watch, but they're also inspiring to see world-class athletes compete on a global scale. A worldwide average of 80% of people say that the Olympics inspire tomorrow’s generation to participate in sports. This is particularly true in China and Turkey. In both countries, 92% of the respondents feel that the Olympics inspire the next generation in sports. 

The Olympics are always exciting to watch and now you know a little more about how people around the world feel about the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics! Click here if you want to check out the Ipsos article to get an in-depth look at all the data.