Greece/ 6. Financing of culture  

6.1 Short overview

While only 0.58% of the ordinary public budget of the Greek state is allocated to culture through the Ministry of Culture (294.9 million euros for 2006, not including sports funding), a further 200.5 million euros was given in 2006 to culture-related actions through the public investment programme, and additional funds were made available through the lottery scheme operated by the state-owned Greek Organisation of Football Prognostics SA. Significant activities are co-funded by the Greek state an the European Union through the multi-annual 3rd Community Support Framework, amounting to 647.7 million euros for the Operational Programme "Culture" in the period 2000-2008. This does not include spending on cultural activities channelled through the budget of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, regional and local government, the public Radio and Television Corporation, and other agencies not under the authority of the Ministry of Culture.

Average yearly household spending on "culture and leisure" in 2004-2005 was 1 081.32 euros amounting to 5% of overall household spending. Direct culture spending amounts, however, to a smaller percentage, i.e., 149.88 euros yearly or 0.7% for attendance of events (movies, theatre, opera, music performance, museums, but also including circuses, as well as photography lab expenses), 142.68 euros or 0.66% for purchase of books, and 51 euros or 0.235% for purchase of media (audio and video); there is significant variation dependent on financial status, with poor people spending only 180.48 euros yearly, or 0.8%, on "culture and leisure".

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