National Sport Policy

Germany is a nation of sport with many enthusiastic fans and supporters.
In Germany, sport participation is organised in about 91,000 clubs with a total membership of some 24 million people. For them, sport is more than just a good way to spend their free time: sport is part of a healthy lifestyle and responsible interaction with others. It promotes a sense of community and teaches values such as passion, diversity, involvement, dependability, team spirit, fair play and tolerance.
Promoting sport for all is a responsibility met primarily by state and local governments. The Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community supports top-level sport as part of its area of responsibility.
Funding for top-level sport is determined by the Federal Government’s interest in the appropriate representation of the Federal Republic of Germany at home and abroad.
A central principle of government funding for sport is making sure that organised sport always retains its autonomy. Every measure of sport policy respects the independence of sport organisations, which are responsible for their own management and concerns.
Government funding for sport is subsidiary, that is, it is based on the assumption that sport organisations cannot fully pay for the measures to be promoted in the federal interest. The Federal Government only provides supplemental financial support.
The Federal Government makes a significant contribution to the further development of top-level sport by supporting sport in its own areas of responsibility, above all in the Bundeswehr, Federal Police and Customs.