Wales trails behind most European countries in arts and sports funding, report finds

Rehearsals for Death in Venice at the Welsh National Opera, which has said its future is in peril. Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

It is known as the land of song and as one of the world’s most passionate sporting nations.

But a report has concluded that despite its proud heritage, Wales is languishing behind almost all other European countries in terms of spending on recreational, sporting and cultural services.