Step into one of the world's most prosperous nations, where a remarkably small population of just over 5.5 million enjoys the highest levels of well-being against a backdrop of vast, untamed wilderness.
Key Takeaways
- As of January 1, 2023, Norway's total population stands at 5,550,970 people according to official census data
- Norway has a population density of 15.4 inhabitants per square kilometer as of 2023, making it one of Europe's least densely populated countries
- In 2022, 83.2% of Norway's population lived in urban areas, reflecting high urbanization rates
- GDP of Norway in 2022 was 5.577 trillion USD nominal, making it the 25th largest economy globally
- GDP per capita in Norway reached 118,411 USD in 2022, the world's second highest
- Unemployment rate in Norway was 3.6% in 2023
- Life expectancy at birth in Norway is 83.2 years overall in 2022
- Infant mortality rate is 1.6 per 1,000 live births in 2022
- Healthcare expenditure is 10.1% of GDP in 2021
- Forest cover in Norway is 37.9% of land area (119,000 km²) as of 2022
- Renewable energy sources accounted for 98.2% of electricity production in 2022
- CO2 emissions per capita were 6.0 tonnes in 2022
- HDI rank of Norway is 2nd globally with 0.961 score in 2022
- Corruption Perceptions Index score 84/100, rank 4th in 2022
- Parliamentary seats: 169 in Stortinget, next election 2025
Norway is an affluent but sparsely populated nation with an aging society and high immigration.
Demographics
- As of January 1, 2023, Norway's total population stands at 5,550,970 people according to official census data
- Norway has a population density of 15.4 inhabitants per square kilometer as of 2023, making it one of Europe's least densely populated countries
- In 2022, 83.2% of Norway's population lived in urban areas, reflecting high urbanization rates
- The median age in Norway is 39.2 years as of 2023, indicating an aging population structure
- Norway's fertility rate was 1.41 children per woman in 2022, below the replacement level of 2.1
- Net migration to Norway in 2022 was positive at 28,478 persons, driven by labor and asylum seekers
- Ethnic Norwegians comprise about 81.5% of the population, with 18.5% immigrants or children of immigrants as of 2023
- Norwegian (Bokmål and Nynorsk) is spoken by 95% of the population as their first language in 2023
- Sami people number approximately 40,000-50,000 in Norway, representing about 1% of the population in 2023
- In 2022, there were 2,914,000 households in Norway, averaging 1.9 persons per household
- Life expectancy at birth for males in Norway is 81.5 years and for females 85.3 years as of 2022
- Infant mortality rate in Norway was 1.6 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022, one of the world's lowest
- Norway's population growth rate was 0.75% in 2022, primarily due to immigration
- Oslo, the capital, has a population of 716,260 as of 2023
- Bergen, the second largest city, has 285,989 residents as of 2023
- 26.3% of Norway's population was aged 0-19 in 2023
- 54.1% of the population is aged 20-66, the working-age group, in 2023
- 19.6% of Norwegians are aged 67 and over in 2023
- Foreign-born population in Norway reached 819,000 or 14.7% in 2022
- Polish immigrants are the largest group at 108,000 in 2022
- Sweden is the second largest immigrant origin with 39,000 in 2022
- 50.1% of the population are women as of 2023
- Marriage rate in Norway was 3.8 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2022
- Divorce rate was 1.8 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2022
- 52% of children are born outside marriage in 2022, one of Europe's highest
- Average household disposable income was 584,000 NOK in 2021
- 18.9% of the population had immigrant background in 2023
- Kven people number around 10,000-15,000 in Norway
- Forest Sami population is estimated at 10,000 in Norway
- Norwegian Church membership was 64.9% of population in 2022
Demographics Interpretation
Norway, a sparsely populated, aging nation thriving on immigration and urban living, confronts a demographic paradox where its citizens live exceptionally long, seldom replaced by birth, yet the society is steadily growing and diversifying.
Economy
- GDP of Norway in 2022 was 5.577 trillion USD nominal, making it the 25th largest economy globally
- GDP per capita in Norway reached 118,411 USD in 2022, the world's second highest
- Unemployment rate in Norway was 3.6% in 2023
- Inflation rate (CPI) was 5.8% in 2022, highest in decades
- Government budget balance was +9.6% of GDP in 2022 due to oil revenues
- Public debt to GDP ratio was 43.1% in 2022
- Exports of goods and services were 157.3 billion USD in 2022
- Petroleum and natural gas account for 49% of Norway's exports in 2022
- Fish and seafood exports reached 19.3 billion USD in 2022
- Labor force participation rate is 69.2% for ages 15-74 in 2023
- Average monthly wage was 55,400 NOK in 2022
- Government Pension Fund Global (Oil Fund) was valued at 1.53 trillion USD as of end 2022
- Current account surplus was 17.9% of GDP in 2022
- Corporate tax rate in Norway is 22% as of 2023
- VAT standard rate is 25% in Norway as of 2023
- Stock market capitalization was 85% of GDP in 2022
- Oslo Børs (Oslo Stock Exchange) had a market cap of 3.3 trillion NOK in 2023
- Tourism contributed 4.2% to GDP in 2019 pre-COVID
- Renewable energy share in electricity production was 98% in 2022, mostly hydro
- Oil production averaged 1.75 million barrels per day in 2022
- Natural gas production was 121 billion cubic meters in 2022
- Manufacturing sector employs 11.5% of workforce in 2022
- Services sector accounts for 78.6% of GDP in 2022
- Agriculture contributes 1.7% to GDP and employs 2% of workforce in 2022
Economy Interpretation
Norway manages to be the world's most comfortable paradox, wielding a massive oil and gas fortune to fund a nearly all-renewable electricity grid and a colossal savings fund while somehow making the economic balancing act of high incomes, low unemployment, and an enviable budget surplus look effortless, if not slightly fishy.
Environment
- Forest cover in Norway is 37.9% of land area (119,000 km²) as of 2022
- Renewable energy sources accounted for 98.2% of electricity production in 2022
- CO2 emissions per capita were 6.0 tonnes in 2022
- Protected areas cover 17% of Norway's land and 40% of coastal waters in 2023
- Hydropower capacity is 33,800 MW as of 2022
- Wind power installed capacity reached 5,500 MW onshore and 400 MW offshore in 2023
- Air pollution PM2.5 concentration average is 5.5 µg/m³ in 2022
- Recycling rate for household waste is 59% in 2022
- Freshwater withdrawal is 0.07% of internal resources annually
- Glacier coverage is 1% of land area, with 1,000 glaciers totaling 2,700 km³ ice
- Biodiversity: 60,000 species recorded, 2,700 threatened in 2023
- Energy intensity (GDP per energy use) improved to 7.5 USD/kgoe in 2021
- Offshore wind potential estimated at 140 GW
- Nitrogen oxide emissions from industry fell 60% since 1990 to 2022
- Marine protected areas cover 6.3% of territorial waters in 2023
- Annual precipitation average is 1,800 mm nationwide, higher in west
- Temperature average annual is 5.5°C, with warming 1.5°C since 1900
- Svalbard seed vault stores 1.2 million seed samples from 6,000 species in 2023
- Plastic waste generation per capita is 15 kg/year, with high recycling
- EV market share new sales 82.4% in 2022, world's highest
- National parks number 47, covering 15% land in 2023
- Fish stocks: 60% sustainable in NE Atlantic per ICES 2023
- Carbon capture utilization storage (CCS) capacity at Sleipner 1 Mt/year
Environment Interpretation
Norway's environmental report card reads like an overachieving student who aced the renewable energy exam but still got a few glaring red marks for its carbon-intensive lifestyle, all while diligently running the planet's backup hard drive in Svalbard.
Government
- HDI rank of Norway is 2nd globally with 0.961 score in 2022
- Corruption Perceptions Index score 84/100, rank 4th in 2022
- Parliamentary seats: 169 in Stortinget, next election 2025
- King Harald V has reigned since 1991, constitutional monarchy
- Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre leads Labour-led coalition since 2021
- Military expenditure 1.68% of GDP in 2022
- Active military personnel 23,250 in 2023
- Press Freedom Index rank 1st globally in 2023, score 92.65
- Gender equality: 41.5% women in parliament in 2023
- Internet penetration 98% of population in 2023
- Road network totals 93,000 km, 77% paved in 2022
- Railway network 4,017 km, mostly electrified 2023
- Airports with paved runways: 67 in 2023
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 1.4 million, 130% penetration in 2022
- Government effectiveness score 1.92/2.5, World Bank 2022
- Rule of law score 1.84/2.5 in 2022
- Social expenditure 25.1% of GDP in 2022
- Prison population rate 54 per 100,000 in 2022
- Renewable electricity 100% target by 2025 for consumption
Government Interpretation
Norway functions as a high-performance democracy, where exceptional governance, a pristine press, and a relentless pursuit of equality and sustainability make even its fjords look underachieving.
Health and Education
- Life expectancy at birth in Norway is 83.2 years overall in 2022
- Infant mortality rate is 1.6 per 1,000 live births in 2022
- Healthcare expenditure is 10.1% of GDP in 2021
- There are 2.4 hospital beds per 1,000 people in Norway as of 2021
- Physicians density is 5.22 per 1,000 people in 2021
- Obesity rate (BMI>30) among adults is 23.1% in 2022
- Smoking prevalence is 9% among adults aged 16-74 in 2022
- Cancer incidence rate is 326 per 100,000 in 2022
- Suicide rate is 11.6 per 100,000 in 2021
- PISA 2022 math score for Norway is 468, above OECD average
- PISA 2022 reading score is 477
- Tertiary education attainment rate (25-34) is 51.1% in 2022
- Literacy rate is 99% for adults in Norway
- Student-teacher ratio in primary education is 9.1 in 2021
- Public education expenditure is 6.6% of GDP in 2021
- Mean years of schooling is 12.8 years for adults 25+ in 2022
- Vaccination rate for measles is 95.5% for children in 2022
- Mental health issues affect 20% of population annually
- Average hospital stay length is 4.8 days in 2021
- COVID-19 vaccination rate first dose is 94.1% as of 2023
- Diabetes prevalence is 5.1% in adults 2022
- Upper secondary completion rate is 92% for 19-year-olds in 2022
- R&D expenditure in education is high, with 1.2% of higher ed budget in 2021
Health and Education Interpretation
Norway has impressively engineered a society where you’re statistically likely to live a long, educated life in a robust healthcare system, only to be mildly nagged by your own potential for overindulgence and the lingering shadows of modern mental strain.
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