how often are the olympic games

The Olympic Games are held every four years, with either a Summer or Winter edition happening every two years in alternating fashion.

Quick Scoop: How often are the Olympic Games?

• The Olympic Games (each edition: Summer or Winter) are held every four years.

• The Summer Olympics take place every four years.

• The Winter Olympics also take place every four years.

• Since 1994, the calendar is staggered so that some type of Olympics happens every two years : Summer in one four‑year cycle, Winter in the mid‑point.

Think of it like this: if there is a Summer Games in 2024, you get a Winter Games in 2026, then Summer again in 2028, and so on—each specific Games is four years apart, but fans see an Olympics every two years.

Mini FAQ

• Why every four years?
  To honor the tradition of the ancient Olympic Games in Greece, which were held every four years; that four‑year span is called an Olympiad.

• Has it always been like this?
  From 1924 to 1992, Summer and Winter Games were held in the same year, every four years. After an IOC decision in 1986, they were separated and staggered, starting in 1994.

Key facts in a glance

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Type of Olympics	Frequency	Current pattern
Summer Olympic Games	Every four years	Held in the 1st year of each Olympiad.
Winter Olympic Games	Every four years	Held in the 3rd year of each Olympiad.
Any Olympic Games (Summer or Winter)	Effectively every two years	Alternating: Summer, then Winter two years later, and so on.

**TL;DR:** Each Summer and each Winter Olympics is every four years, but thanks to the staggered schedule, the world gets an Olympic Games—of one kind or the other—every two years.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.