Two centuries of Viking raids into Europe tapered off following the adoption of Christianity by King Olav TRYGGVASON 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 was nonetheless occupied for five years by Nazi Germany (1940-45) and suffered heavy losses to its shipping fleet. 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.
land: 304,282 sq km
water: 19,520 sq km
border countries (3): Finland 709 km; Sweden 1,666 km; Russia 191 km
contiguous zone: 10 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm
lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m
mean elevation: 460 m
arable land: 2.2% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 0.5% (2018 est.)
forest: 27.8% (2018 est.)
other: 69.5% (2018 est.)
5,597,924 (2023 est.)
noun: Norwegian(s)
adjective: Norwegian
Norwegian 81.5% (includes about 60,000 Sami), other European 8.9%, other 9.6% (2021 est.)
Bokmal Norwegian (official), Nynorsk Norwegian (official), small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities; note - Sami has three dialects: Lule, North Sami, and South Sami; Sami is an official language in nine municipalities in Norway’s three northernmost counties: Finnmark, Nordland, and Troms
major-language sample(s):
Verdens Faktabok, den essensielle kilden for grunnleggende informasjon. (Norwegian)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
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.)
Norway is a trendsetter country in gender equality, especially in workforce participation. Of particular value to families are the child and parental leave benefits. This supplement is a monthly allowance paid to families from a month after birth until the child reaches 18 to defray some of the costs of raising children. This is helpful to families with young children where the mother works limited hours. The parental leave benefit is available to qualified mothers in a child’s first year, enabling parents to share at-home childcare for up to 49 weeks at full salary (or 59 weeks with 80% of their salary). Afterward, parents can put their child in high-quality subsidized daycare or receive funding toward private child care or as compensation for one parent staying home to care for their child.Norway was originally a country of emigration with almost 850,000 Norwegians going abroad between 1825 and 1945. At the turn of the 20th century, most Norwegians emigrated temporarily to work in the US. Immigrants to Norway in the 1960s were mostly from neighboring Nordic countries, with whom they shared a common labor market. By the end of the 1960s, with a strong economy and population shortage, Norway admitted guest workers from Pakistan, Morocco, then Yugoslavia, and Turkey. The labor migrants were expected to be temporary, but many settled in Norway. Eventually, Norway imposed immigration restrictions and the majority of migrants came in as refugees or for family reunification. Beginning in the 1990s, Norway’s migration policy aimed at achieving integration – including language instruction and integration into the job market – as well as combatting racism and xenophobia.
0-14 years: 17.83% (male 510,835/female 487,126)
15-64 years: 64% (male 1,842,794/female 1,739,688)
65 years and over: 18.18% (2023 est.) (male 474,878/female 542,603)
total dependency ratio: 54
youth dependency ratio: 26.1
elderly dependency ratio: 27.9
potential support ratio: 3.6 (2021 est.)
note: data include Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands
total: 40.6 years (2023 est.)
male: 39.9 years
female: 41.4 years
0.6% (2023 est.)
10.4 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
8.2 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
3.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
most Norwegians live in the south where the climate is milder and there is better connectivity to mainland Europe; population clusters are found all along the North Sea coast in the southwest, and Skaggerak in the southeast; the interior areas of the north remain sparsely populated
urban population: 84% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.32% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
note: data include Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands
1.086 million OSLO (capital) (2023)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
29.8 years (2020 est.)
note: data is calculated based on actual age at first births
2 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 1.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 2.1 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 1.5 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 83 years (2023 est.)
male: 81.4 years
female: 84.7 years
1.57 children born/woman (2023 est.)
0.76 (2023 est.)
NA
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
11.4% of GDP (2020)
5.04 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
3.5 beds/1,000 population (2018)
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
23.1% (2016)
total: 6.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 2.63 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 2.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 1 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.19 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total: 16.2% (2020 est.)
male: 17% (2020 est.)
female: 15.4% (2020 est.)
NA
50.2% (2023 est.)
5.9% of GDP (2020 est.)
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
total: 18 years
male: 18 years
female: 19 years (2020)
water pollution; acid rain damaging forests and adversely affecting lakes, threatening fish stocks; air pollution from vehicle emissions
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
temperate along coast, modified by North Atlantic Current; colder interior with increased precipitation and colder summers; rainy year-round on west coast
agricultural land: 2.7% (2018 est.)
arable land: 2.2% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 0.5% (2018 est.)
forest: 27.8% (2018 est.)
other: 69.5% (2018 est.)
urban population: 84% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.32% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
note: data include Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands
0.05% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 6.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 41.02 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 4.81 megatons (2020 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 2.187 million tons (2015 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 572,119 tons (2015 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 26.2% (2015 est.)
municipal: 780 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 1.07 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 840 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
393 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
high-income non-EU European economy; aging labor force; large state-owned energy company constrains budget and spending; largest oil sovereign wealth fund; major fishing, forestry, and extraction industries; large welfare system
$368.151 billion (2022 est.)
$355.122 billion (2021 est.)
$341.855 billion (2020 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
3.3% (2022 est.)
3.88% (2021 est.)
-0.72% (2020 est.)
$67,500 (2022 est.)
$65,700 (2021 est.)
$63,500 (2020 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$405.695 billion (2019 est.)
3.48% (2021 est.)
1.29% (2020 est.)
2.17% (2019 est.)
Fitch rating: AAA (1995)
Moody’s rating: Aaa (1997)
Standard & Poors rating: AAA (1975)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
agriculture: 2.3% (2017 est.)
industry: 33.7% (2017 est.)
services: 64% (2017 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 44.8% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 24% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 24.1% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 4.8% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 35.5% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -33.2% (2017 est.)
milk, barley, wheat, potatoes, oats, pork, poultry, beef, eggs, rye
petroleum and gas, shipping, fishing, aquaculture, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles
2.19% (2021 est.)
2.971 million (2021 est.)
4.99% (2021 est.)
4.42% (2020 est.)
3.69% (2019 est.)
total: 13% (2021 est.)
male: 13.5%
female: 12.5%
12.7% (2018 est.)
27.7 (2019 est.)
on food: 11.7% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 4.1% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
lowest 10%: 3.8%
highest 10%: 21.2% (2014)
revenues: $185.338 billion (2020 est.)
expenditures: $210.522 billion (2020 est.)
4.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
36.5% of GDP (2017 est.)
36.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
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
21.09% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
calendar year
$71.551 billion (2021 est.)
$4.223 billion (2020 est.)
$11.919 billion (2019 est.)
$199.074 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$116.718 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$146.28 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
United Kingdom 21%, Germany 19%, Sweden 8%, Netherlands 7%, China 6% (2021)
natural gas, crude petroleum, salmon, refined petroleum, aluminum (2021)
$140.444 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$119.632 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$140.211 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Sweden 18%, Germany 12%, China 10%, Denmark 6%, United States 5% (2021)
cars, refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, computers, ships, nickel (2021)
$84.271 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$75.259 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$66.946 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
$651.04 billion (2019 est.)
$648.878 billion (2018 est.)
note: Norway is a net external creditor
Norwegian kroner (NOK) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
8.59 (2021 est.)
9.416 (2020 est.)
8.8 (2019 est.)
8.133 (2018 est.)
8.272 (2017 est.)
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
installed generating capacity: 38.36 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 124.288 billion kWh (2020 est.)
exports: 24.968 billion kWh (2020 est.)
imports: 4.496 billion kWh (2020 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 8.909 billion kWh (2020 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 1.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 6.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 92.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
production: 69,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 1.13 million metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 46,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 1.172 million metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 2 million metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 2.026 million bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 215,900 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 1,242,500 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 66,300 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 8,122,200,000 barrels (2021 est.)
371,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)
432,800 bbl/day (2017 est.)
135,300 bbl/day (2017 est.)
production: 112,052,523,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
consumption: 3,980,351,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
exports: 107,337,690,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)
imports: 32.196 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 1,544,455,000,000 cubic meters (2021 est.)
36.731 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 3.182 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 25.256 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 8.294 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
333.833 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 8 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 125
LN
95 (2021)
67
civil airports: 25
military airports: 1
joint use (civil-military) airports: 6
other airports: 35
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
28
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
1 (2021)
8,520 km gas, 1,304 km oil/condensate (2017)
total: 3,848 km (2020) 2,482 km electrified
total: 94,902 km (2018) (includes 455 km of expressways)
paved: (2013)
unpaved: (2013)
1,577 km (2010)
total: 1,710 (2022)
by type: bulk carrier 105, container ship 1, general cargo 273, oil tanker 95, other 1,236
major seaport(s): Bergen, Haugesund, Maaloy, Mongstad, Narvik, Sture
LNG terminal(s) (export): Kamoy, Kollsnes, Melkoya Island, Tjeldbergodden
LNG terminal(s) (import): Fredrikstad, Mosjoen
Norway operates one PC 3 or 4 class icebreaker and one PC 5 or 6 class icebreaker in the Arctic Ocean
note - PC indicates a Polar Class vessel: PC 3 - year-round operation in second-year ice which may include multi-year ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 2.5 m); PC 4 - year-round operation in thick first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 120 cm); PC 5 - year-round operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 70-120 cm); PC 6 - summer/autumn operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 30-70 cm)
manyapis