Norway
Some figures reconciled across multiple sources via Civica's methodology (v0.2 BETA). Methodology →
Norway⌘K
Overview
- Background
- Two centuries of Viking raids into Europe tapered off after King Olav TRYGGVASON adopted Christianity in 994; conversion of the Norwegian kingdom occurred over the next several decades. In 1397, Norway was absorbed into a union with Denmark that lasted more than four centuries. In 1814, Norwegians resisted the cession of their country to Sweden and adopted a new constitution. Sweden then invaded Norway but agreed to let Norway keep its constitution in return for accepting the union under a Swedish king. Rising nationalism throughout the 19th century led to a 1905 referendum granting Norway independence. Norway remained neutral in World War I and proclaimed its neutrality at the outset of World War II, but Nazi Germany nonetheless occupied the country for five years (1940-45). In 1949, Norway abandoned neutrality and became a member of NATO. Discovery of oil and gas in adjacent waters in the late 1960s boosted Norway's economic fortunes. In referenda held in 1972 and 1994, Norway rejected joining the EU. Key domestic issues include immigration and integration of ethnic minorities, maintaining the country's extensive social safety net with an aging population, and preserving economic competitiveness.
Geography
Area
- Land
- 304,282 sq km
- Water
- 19,520 sq km
- Total
- 323,802 sq km
- Climate
- temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior with increased precipitation and colder summers; rainy year-round on west coast
- Terrain
- glaciated; mostly high plateaus and rugged mountains broken by fertile valleys; small, scattered plains; coastline deeply indented by fjords; arctic tundra in north
Land Use
- Other
- 64% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 33.3% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 2.7% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 2.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 0.5% (2023 est.)
- Location
- Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden
- Coastline
- 25,148 km
Elevation
- Lowest point
- Norwegian Sea 0 m
- Highest point
- Galdhopiggen 2,469 m
- Mean elevation
- 460 m
- Irrigated land
- 337 sq km (2016)
- Map references
- Europe
Land Boundaries
- Total
- 2,566 km
- Border countries
- Finland 709 km; Sweden 1,666 km; Russia 191 km
Maritime Claims
- Contiguous zone
- 10 nm
- Territorial sea
- 12 nm
- Continental shelf
- 200 nm
- Exclusive economic zone
- 200 nm
- Natural hazards
- rockslides, avalanches
volcanism: Beerenberg (2,227 m) on Jan Mayen Island in the Norwegian Sea is the country's only active volcano - Geography note
- about two-thirds mountains; some 50,000 islands off its much-indented coastline; strategic location adjacent to sea lanes and air routes in North Atlantic; one of the most rugged and longest coastlines in the world
- Natural resources
- petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, titanium, pyrites, nickel, fish, timber, hydropower
- Area comparative
- slightly larger than twice the size of Georgia; slightly larger than New Mexico
- Geographic coordinates
- 62 00 N, 10 00 E
- Population distribution
- most people live in the south; population clusters are found along the North Sea coast in the southwest and Skaggerak in the southeast; the interior areas of the north remain sparsely populated
People & Society
Languages
- Note
- note: Sami has three dialects (Lule, North Sami, and South Sami) and is an official language in nine municipalities in the northernmost counties of Finnmark, Nordland, and Troms
- Languages
- Bokmal Norwegian (official), Nynorsk Norwegian (official), small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities
- Major language sample(s)
Verdens Faktabok, den essensielle kilden for grunnleggende informasjon. (Norwegian)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
- Religions
- Church of Norway (Evangelical Lutheran - official) 67.5%, Muslim 3.1%, Roman Catholic 3.1%, other Christian 3.8%, other 2.6%, unspecified 19.9% (2021 est.)
Sex Ratio
- At birth
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 0 14 years
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 15 64 years
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- Total population
- 1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
- 65 years and over
- 0.9 male(s)/female
- Birth rate
- 10.35 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Death rate
- 8.6 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Median Age
- Male
- 40.1 years
- Total
- 41 years (2025 est.)
- Female
- 41.5 years
Population
- Male
- 2,780,972
- Total
- 5,509,733 (2024 est.)
- Female
- 2,728,761
Nationality
- Noun
- Norwegian(s)
- Adjective
- Norwegian
Tobacco Use
- Male
- 12.6% (2025 est.)
- Total
- 12% (2025 est.)
- Female
- 11.3% (2025 est.)
Urbanization
- Note
- note: data include Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands
- Urban population
- 84% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 1.32% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Age Structure
- 0 14 years
- 16.3% (male 461,979/female 438,243)
- 15 64 years
- 64.5% (male 1,820,692/female 1,734,818)
- 65 years and over
- 19.1% (2024 est.) (male 498,301/female 555,700)
- Ethnic groups
- Norwegian 81.5% (includes about 60,000 Sami), other European 8.9%, other 9.6% (2021 est.)
Child Marriage
- Women married BY age 15
- 0% (2022)
- Women married BY age 18
- 0% (2022)
Dependency Ratios
- Note
- note: data include Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands
- Total dependency ratio
- 55 (2024 est.)
- Youth dependency ratio
- 25.3 (2024 est.)
- Potential support ratio
- 3.4 (2024 est.)
- Elderly dependency ratio
- 29.6 (2024 est.)
- Physician density
- 4.98 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Health Expenditure
- Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
- 8.1% of GDP (2022)
- Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
- 17.8% of national budget (2022 est.)
- Net migration rate
- 3.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
- Hospital bed density
- 3.4 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)
- Total fertility rate
- 1.58 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Drinking Water Source
- Improved: rural
- rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Education Expenditure
- Education expenditure (% GDP)
- 5.5% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Education expenditure (% national budget)
- 14.5% national budget (2022 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate
- Male
- 2.1 deaths/1,000 live births
- Total
- 1.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
- Female
- 1.5 deaths/1,000 live births
- Population growth rate
- 0.57% (2025 est.)
- Gross reproduction rate
- 0.77 (2025 est.)
- Population distribution
- most people live in the south; population clusters are found along the North Sea coast in the southwest and Skaggerak in the southeast; the interior areas of the north remain sparsely populated
Life Expectancy at Birth
- Male
- 81.3 years
- Female
- 84.6 years
- Total population
- 82.9 years (2024 est.)
- Maternal mortality ratio
- 1 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved: rural
- rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: total
- total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Improved: urban
- urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: rural
- rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: total
- total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
- Unimproved: urban
- urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Alcohol Consumption Per Capita
- Beer
- 2.63 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Wine
- 2.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Total
- 6.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Spirits
- 1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Other alcohols
- 0.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
- Major urban areas population
- 1.086 million OSLO (capital) (2023)
- Obesity adult prevalence rate
- 23.1% (2016)
- Mother's mean age at first birth
- 29.8 years (2020 est.)
- Currently married women (ages 15 49)
- 57.4% (2021 est.)
School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)
- Male
- 18 years (2023 est.)
- Total
- 19 years (2023 est.)
- Female
- 20 years (2023 est.)
Government
Civica · structure
How power is organised
ExecutiveLegislative
- Flag
- description: red with a blue cross outlined in white that extends to the edges of the flag; the the cross is shifted to the left side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
meaning: the colors represent Norway's past political unions with Denmark (red and white) and Sweden (blue)
Capital
- Name
- Oslo
- Etymology
- the name may derive from the Old Norwegian word os, meaning "estuary" and referring to the city's location on a fjord; alternatively, the name may come from As, a Scandinavian god, and Lo, a nearby river
- Time difference
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Daylight saving time
- +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
- Geographic coordinates
- 59 55 N, 10 45 E
- Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
- Citizenship BY birth
- no
- Citizenship BY descent only
- at least one parent must be a citizen of Norway
- Dual citizenship recognized
- yes
- Residency requirement for naturalization
- 7 years
Constitution
- History
- drafted spring 1814, adopted 16 May 1814, signed by Constituent Assembly 17 May 1814
- Amendment process
- proposals submitted by members of Parliament or by the government within the first three years of Parliament's four-year term; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of a two-thirds quorum in the next elected Parliament
Country Name
- Etymology
- derives from the Old Norse words norre and vegr, meaning "northern way," and refers to the long coastline of western Norway
- Local long form
- Kongeriket Norge
- Local short form
- Norge
- Conventional long form
- Kingdom of Norway
- Conventional short form
- Norway
- Independence
- 7 June 1905 (union with Sweden declared dissolved); 26 October 1905 (Sweden agreed to the repeal of the union); notable earlier dates: ca. 872 (traditional unification of Norwegian kingdoms by HARALD Fairhair); 1397 (Kalmar Union of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden); 1524 (Denmark-Norway); 17 May 1814 (Norwegian constitution adopted); 4 November 1814 (Sweden-Norway union confirmed)
- Legal system
- mixed system of civil, common, and customary law; Supreme Court can advise on legislative acts
- Dependent areas
- Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard (3)
- Government type
- parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Judicial Branch
- Note
- note: in addition to professionally trained judges, elected lay judges sit on the bench with professional judges in the Courts of Appeal and district courts
- Highest court(s)
- Supreme Court or Hoyesterett (consists of the chief justice and 18 associate justices)
- Subordinate courts
- Courts of Appeal or Lagmennsrett; regional and district courts; Conciliation Boards; ordinary and special courts
- Judge selection and term of office
- justices appointed by the monarch (King in Council) on the recommendation of the Judicial Appointments Board; justices can serve until mandatory retirement at age 70
Executive Branch
- Cabinet
- Council of State appointed by the monarch, approved by Parliament
- Chief of state
- King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991)
- Head of government
- Prime Minister Jonas Gahr STORE (since 14 October 2021)
- Election/appointment process
- the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the monarch usually appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister, with the approval of Parliament
- National holiday
- Constitution Day, 17 May (1814)
- National color(s)
- red, white, blue
National Heritage
- Total world heritage sites
- 8 (7 cultural, 1 natural)
- Selected world heritage site locales
- Bryggen (c); Urnes Stave Church (c); Røros Mining Town and the Circumference (c); Rock Art of Alta (c); Vegaøyan – The Vega Archipelago (c); Struve Geodetic Arc (c); West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord (n); Rjukan-Notodden Industrial Heritage Site (c)
- Political parties
- Center Party or Sp
Christian Democratic Party or KrF
Conservative Party or H
Green Party or MDG
Labor Party or Ap
Liberal Party or V
Patient Focus or PF
Progress Party or FrP
Red Party or R
Socialist Left Party or SV
Legislative Branch
- Term in office
- 4 years
- Number of seats
- 169 (all directly elected)
- Electoral system
- proportional representation
- Legislature name
- Parliament (Stortinget)
- Scope of elections
- full renewal
- Legislative structure
- unicameral
- Most recent election date
- 9/8/2025
- Expected date of next election
- September 2029
- Percentage of women in chamber
- 40.2%
- Parties elected and seats per party
- Labour Party (53); Progress Party (47); Conservative Party (24); Socialist Left Party (9); Center Party (9); Red Party (9); Other (18)
National Anthem(s)
- Note
- note: since 2011, the patriotic song “Mitt lille land” has been called a new national anthem and is sometimes performed at patriotic events, but it is not used as often as “Ja, vi elsker dette landet”
- Title
- "Kongesangen" (Song of the King)
- History
- royal anthem; uses the tune of "God Save the King," the United Kingdom's anthem
- Lyrics/music
- Gustav JENSEN
- National symbol(s)
- lion
- Administrative divisions
- 12 counties (fylker, singular - fylke); Agder, Innlandet, More og Romsdal, Nordland, Oslo, Rogaland, Romsdal, Troms og Finnmark, Trondelag, Vestfold og Telemark, Vestland, Viken (2024)
Diplomatic Representation in the US
- Fax
- [1] (202) 469-3990
- Chancery
- 2720 34th Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
- Telephone
- [1] (202) 333-6000
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador Anniken Scharning HUITFELDT (since 18 September 2024)
- Consulate(s) general
- New York, San Francisco
- Email address and website
emb.washington@mfa.no
https://www.norway.no/en/usa/
Diplomatic Representation from the US
- Fax
- [47] 22-56-27-51
- Embassy
- Morgedalsvegen 36, 0378 Oslo
- Telephone
- [47] 21-30-85-40
- Mailing address
- 5460 Oslo Place, Washington DC 20521-5460
- Chief of mission
- Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Eric MEYER (since August 2024)
- Email address and website
OsloACS@state.gov
https://no.usembassy.gov/
- International organisations
- ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, EITI (implementing country), ESA, FAO, FATF, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
- International law organization participation
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Legislature
NORWAY · LEGISLATURE
Parliament
169 seats · hover a seat for the party
Total seats
169
Majority line
86
Largest party
Labour Party
Parties
9
All political parties
Next election
Last: 2025
Leaders
Current
Harald V of Norway
- Head of State
Jonas Gahr Støre
- Head of Government
Economy
Budget
- Note
- note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
- Revenues
- $261.945 billion (2023 est.)
- Expenditures
- $178.156 billion (2023 est.)
Exports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $229.7B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
- Exports 2022
- $323.875 billion (2022 est.)
- Exports 2023
- $230.882 billion (2023 est.)
- Exports 2024
- $229.205 billion (2024 est.)
Imports
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $163.8B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
- Imports 2022
- $160.649 billion (2022 est.)
- Imports 2023
- $156.11 billion (2023 est.)
- Imports 2024
- $162.467 billion (2024 est.)
- Industries
- petroleum and gas, shipping, fishing, aquaculture, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles
- Labor force
- 3.042 million (2024 est.)
Public Debt
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 42.3%
- Note
- note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data exclude treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data exclude debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
- Public debt 2017
- 36.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
Remittances
- Note
- note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
- Remittances 2022
- 0.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Remittances 2023
- 0.1% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Remittances 2024
- 0.1% of GDP (2024 est.)
Exchange Rates
- Currency
- Norwegian kroner (NOK) per US dollar -
- Exchange rates 2020
- 9.416 (2020 est.)
- Exchange rates 2021
- 8.59 (2021 est.)
- Exchange rates 2022
- 9.614 (2022 est.)
- Exchange rates 2023
- 10.563 (2023 est.)
- Exchange rates 2024
- 10.746 (2024 est.)
- Economic overview
- high-income, non-EU economy with trade links via European Economic Area (EEA); key role in European energy security as leader in oil, gas, and electricity exports; major fishing, forestry, and oil(?) extraction industries; oil sovereign fund supports generous welfare system; low unemployment; inflation moderating but remains above target level
Unemployment Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 4.6%
- Note
- note: % of labor force seeking employment
- Unemployment rate 2022
- 3.3% (2022 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2023
- 3.6% (2023 est.)
- Unemployment rate 2024
- 4% (2024 est.)
- Exports partners
- Germany 18%, UK 17%, Sweden 9%, Denmark 7%, Netherlands 6% (2023)
- Imports partners
- Sweden 11%, Germany 11%, China 11%, USA 7%, Netherlands 5% (2023)
Real GDP Per Capita
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $102,038
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP per capita 2022
- $91,100 (2022 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2023
- $90,100 (2023 est.)
- Real GDP per capita 2024
- $91,100 (2024 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 1.1%
- Note
- note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
- Real GDP growth rate 2022
- 3.2% (2022 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2023
- 0.1% (2023 est.)
- Real GDP growth rate 2024
- 2.1% (2024 est.)
- Agricultural products
- milk, barley, potatoes, oats, wheat, pork, chicken, beef, eggs, carrots/turnips (2023)
- Exports commodities
- natural gas, crude petroleum, fish, refined petroleum, aluminum (2023)
- Imports commodities
- cars, refined petroleum, ships, nickel, garments (2023)
Current Account Balance
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $75.3B
- Note
- note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
- Current account balance 2022
- $170.714 billion (2022 est.)
- Current account balance 2023
- $84.104 billion (2023 est.)
- Current account balance 2024
- $82.511 billion (2024 est.)
- Taxes and other revenues
- 27.1% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
- GDP (official exchange rate)
- $483.727 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY End Use
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
- Household consumption
- 37.7% (2023 est.)
- Government consumption
- 22% (2023 est.)
- Investment in inventories
- 2.6% (2023 est.)
- Investment in fixed capital
- 21.7% (2023 est.)
- Exports of goods and services
- 47.9% (2023 est.)
- Imports of goods and services
- -32.5% (2023 est.)
- Population below poverty line
- 12.2% (2021 est.)
Average Household Expenditures
- On food
- 11.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
- On alcohol and tobacco
- 3.9% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 2.8%
- Note
- note: annual % change based on consumer prices
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
- 5.8% (2022 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
- 5.5% (2023 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
- 3.1% (2024 est.)
- Industrial production growth rate
- 2.4% (2024 est.)
Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- $507.68 billion (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: data in 2021 dollars
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
- $496.877 billion (2022 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
- $497.236 billion (2023 est.)
- Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
- $507.68 billion (2024 est.)
Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)
- Male
- 12.3% (2024 est.)
- Note
- note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
- Total
- 11.6% (2024 est.)
- Female
- 10.8% (2024 est.)
Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold
- Note
- note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
- $72.077 billion (2022 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
- $80.459 billion (2023 est.)
- Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
- $81.242 billion (2024 est.)
GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin
- Note
- note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
- Industry
- 37% (2024 est.)
- Services
- 51.8% (2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 2% (2024 est.)
Household Income or Consumption BY Percentage Share
- Note
- note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
- Lowest 10%
- 3.5% (2022 est.)
- Highest 10%
- 22% (2022 est.)
Gini Index Coefficient Distribution of Family Income
- Note
- note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
- Gini index coefficient distribution of family income 2022
- 26.9 (2022 est.)
Energy
Coal
- Exports
- 60,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 1.042 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Production
- 120,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 1.096 million metric tons (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 2 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum
- Total petroleum production
- 2.02 million bbl/day (2023 est.)
- Crude oil estimated reserves
- 8.122 billion barrels (2021 est.)
- Refined petroleum consumption
- 229,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)
Electricity
- Exports
- 30.978 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 13.232 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 127.335 billion kWh (2023 est.)
- Installed generating capacity
- 41.1 million kW (2023 est.)
- Transmission/distribution losses
- 7.025 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Natural Gas
- Exports
- 117.597 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Imports
- 104.744 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Production
- 121.637 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Consumption
- 5.082 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
- Proven reserves
- 1.544 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Electricity Access
- Electrification total population
- 100% (2022 est.)
Energy Consumption Per Capita
- Total energy consumption per capita 2023
- 206.961 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Electricity Generation Sources
- Wind
- 9.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Solar
- 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Fossil fuels
- 1.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Hydroelectricity
- 89.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Biomass and waste
- 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Communications
Internet Users
- Percent of population
- 99% (2023 est.)
- Broadcast media
- state-owned public radio and TV broadcaster operates 3 nationwide TV stations, 3 nationwide radio stations, and 16 regional radio stations; roughly a dozen privately owned TV stations broadcast nationally, and another 25 locally; nearly 75% of households have access to multi-channel cable or satellite TV; 2 privately owned radio stations broadcast nationwide, with another 240 local stations; Norway was the first country to phase out FM radio in favor of Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) (2019)
- Internet country code
- .no
Telephones Fixed Lines
- Total subscriptions
- 145,000 (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 3 (2022 est.)
Telephones Mobile Cellular
- Total subscriptions
- 6.09 million (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 111 (2022 est.)
Broadband Fixed Subscriptions
- Total
- 2.49 million (2022 est.)
- Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
- 46 (2022 est.)
Transport
Ports
- Large
- 1
- Small
- 34
- Medium
- 10
- Key ports
- Bergen, Drammen, Hammerfest, Harstad, Horten, Karsto, Mongstad, Oslo, Stavanger, Tromso, Trondheim
- Very small
- 90
- Total ports
- 141 (2024)
- Size unknown
- 6
- Ports with oil terminals
- 54
- Airports
- 146 (2025)
Railways
- Total
- 3,848 km (2020) 2,482 km electrified
- Heliports
- 113 (2025)
Merchant Marine
- Total
- 1,720 (2022)
- BY type
- bulk carrier 109, container ship 1, general cargo 274, oil tanker 95, other 1,241
- Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
- LN
Environment
- Climate
- temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior with increased precipitation and colder summers; rainy year-round on west coast
Geoparks
- Global geoparks and regional networks
- Gea Norvegica; Fjord Coast; Magma; Sunnhordland; Trollfjell (2025)
- Total global geoparks and regional networks
- 5 (2025)
Land Use
- Other
- 64% (2023 est.)
- Forest
- 33.3% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land
- 2.7% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: arable land
- arable land: 2.2% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent crops
- permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.)
- Agricultural land: permanent pasture
- permanent pasture: 0.5% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
- Note
- note: data include Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands
- Urban population
- 84% of total population (2023)
- Rate of urbanization
- 1.32% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Methane Emissions
- Other
- 6.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Waste
- 33 kt (2019-2021 est.)
- Energy
- 31 kt (2022-2024 est.)
- Agriculture
- 99.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste and Recycling
- Municipal solid waste generated annually
- 4.15 million tons (2024 est.)
- Percent of municipal solid waste recycled
- 35.3% (2022 est.)
- Environmental issues
- water pollution; acid rain damaging forests and affecting lakes and fish stocks; air pollution from vehicle emissions
Total Water Withdrawal
- Municipal
- 773.41 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Industrial
- 1.071 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
- Agricultural
- 844.9 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- Total emissions
- 38.535 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From consumed natural gas
- 10.029 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From coal and metallurgical coke
- 2.929 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- From petroleum and other liquids
- 25.576 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
- Particulate matter emissions
- 7 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
- Total renewable water resources
- 393 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International Environmental Agreements
- Party to
- Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
- Signed, but not ratified
- none of the selected agreements
Military & Security
- Military note
- the Norwegian Armed Forces (Forsvaret) are responsible for protecting Norway and its allies, including monitoring Norway’s airspace, digital, land, and maritime areas, maintaining the country’s borders and sovereignty, contributing to NATO and UN missions, and providing support to civil society, such as assisting the police, search and rescue, and maritime counterterrorism efforts; the military’s territorial and sovereignty defense missions are complicated by Norway’s vast sea areas, numerous islands, long and winding fjords, and difficult and mountainous terrain; a key area of emphasis is its far northern border with Russia
Norway is one of the original members of NATO, and the Alliance is a key component of Norway’s defense policy; the Forsvaret participates in NATO exercises, missions, and operations, including air policing of NATO territory, NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence mission in the Baltic States and Eastern Europe, and standing naval missions, as well as operations in non-NATO areas, such as the Middle East
the Forsvaret also cooperates closely with the militaries of other Nordic countries through the Nordic Defense Cooperation (NORDEFCO; established 2009), which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden; Norway contributes to the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, a pool of high-readiness military forces from 10 Baltic and Scandinavian countries designed to respond to a wide range of contingencies in the High North, North Atlantic, and Baltic Sea regions; Norway has close military ties with the US, including rotational US military deployments and an agreement allowing for mutual defense activities and US military forces to access some Norwegian facilities
the Forsvaret's origins go back to the leidangen, defense forces which were established along the coastline in the 10th century to protect the Norwegian coast (2025) - Military deployments
- around 100 Lithuania (NATO); Norway also deploys air and naval assets in support of other NATO operations (2025)
Military Expenditures
- Civica canonical (reconciled)
- 3.4% of GDP (2025 est.)
- Military expenditures 2021
- 1.7% of GDP (2021 est.)
- Military expenditures 2022
- 1.5% of GDP (2022 est.)
- Military expenditures 2023
- 1.8% of GDP (2023 est.)
- Military expenditures 2024
- 2.3% of GDP (2024 est.)
- Military expenditures 2025
- 3.4% of GDP (2025 est.)
- Military and security forces
- Norwegian Armed Forces (Forsvaret or "the Defense"): Norwegian Army (Haeren), Royal Norwegian Navy (Kongelige Norske Sjoeforsvaret; includes Coastal Rangers and Coast Guard (Kystvakt)), Royal Norwegian Air Force (Kongelige Norske Luftforsvaret), Home Guard (Heimevernet, HV) (2025)
- Military service age and obligation
- 17 (men) or 18 (women) for voluntary military service; all Norwegian citizens 19-44 are subject to selective compulsory military service; 19-month service obligation for those selected (12 months plus 4-5 refresher training periods) (2025)
- Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the military has an inventory of modern, domestically produced and imported Western European and US armaments; Norway's defense industry participates in joint development and production of weapons systems with other European countries (2025)
- Military and security service personnel strengths
- approximately 27,000 active military personnel; approximately 40,000 Home Guard (2025)
Space
- Space launch site(s)
- Andøya Space Center (Andøya Island; note - first operational spaceport in continental Europe) (2025)
- Space agency/agencies
- the Norwegian Space Agency (NOSA, aka Norsk Romsenter; established 1987) (2025)
- Space program overview
- jointly designs and builds satellites with foreign partners, including communications, remote sensing (RS), scientific, and navigational/positional satellites; develops and launches sounding rockets; researches and produces a range of other space-related technologies, including satellite/space launch vehicle (SLV) and space station components, telescopes, and robotics; conducts solar and telecommunications research; member of the ESA; participates in international programs such as the International Space Station; hosts training on the island of Svalbard for Mars landing missions; cooperates with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of Canada, ESA/EU member states, Japan, Russia, and the US; has an active and advanced private-sector space industry that works with domestic and foreign space programs (2025)
- Key space program milestones
- 1962 - launched first research rocket
1992 - began operating first communications satellite (THOR-1)
2010 - built first satellite (AISSat-1) to monitor from polar orbit Automatic Identification Signals from ships (launched by India)
2017 - launched two microsatellites (NorSat-1 and -2) to track commercial sea vessels
2025 - signed US-led Artemis Accords for space and lunar exploration
Transnational Issues
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
- Refugees
- 129,894 (2024 est.)
- Stateless persons
- 1,621 (2024 est.)
Scores & Rankings
ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of
Civica Index88.0 / 100as of 2024-Q43 / 190−2.02024-Q4
V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.84as of 2024-Q45 / 170−0.042024-Q4
Freedom House StatusFree (100/100)as of 2024-Q4—−1.02024-Q4
Press Freedom (RSF)Free press (91/100)as of 2024—2024
Human Development Index0.966as of 2022—2022
Corruption Perceptions Index84 / 100as of 20234 / 1802023
Cite this page
Cite this page
Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — Norway — vintage 2026-Q1: Norway factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/norway
Sources: Eurostat, FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), OECD.Stat, UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata