Capital

Norwegen

name: Oslo

geographic coordinates: 59 55 N, 10 45 E

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

etymology: the medieval name was spelt "Aslo"; the as component refered either to the Ekeberg ridge southeast of the town ("as" in modern Norwegian), or to the Aesir (Norse gods); lo refered to "meadow," so the most likely interpretations would have been either "the meadow beneath the ridge" or "the meadow of the gods"; both explanations are considered equally plausible

Citizenship

Norwegen

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Norway

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 7 years

Legal system

Norwegen

mixed legal system of civil, common, and customary law; Supreme Court can advise on legislative acts

Suffrage

Norwegen

18 years of age; universal

Area

Norwegen

total: 323,802 sq km

land: 304,282 sq km

water: 19,520 sq km

Land use

Norwegen

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.)

Location

Norwegen

Northern Europe, bordering the North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Sweden

Age structure

Norwegen

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)

Birth rate

Norwegen

10.4 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Norwegen

8.2 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Norwegen

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.

Life expectancy at birth

Norwegen

total population: 83 years (2023 est.)

male: 81.4 years

female: 84.7 years

Major urban areas - population

Norwegen

1.086 million OSLO (capital) (2023)

Median age

Norwegen

total: 40.6 years (2023 est.)

male: 39.9 years

female: 41.4 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Norwegen

29.8 years (2020 est.)

note: data is calculated based on actual age at first births

Net migration rate

Norwegen

3.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Norwegen

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

Population growth rate

Norwegen

0.6% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Norwegen

1.57 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Norwegen

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

Education expenditures

Norwegen

5.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Norwegen

total: 18 years

male: 18 years

female: 19 years (2020)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Norwegen

4.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Norwegen

2.19% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Norwegen

2.971 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Norwegen

12.7% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate

Norwegen

4.99% (2021 est.)

4.42% (2020 est.)

3.69% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Norwegen

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Norwegen

3.48% (2021 est.)

1.29% (2020 est.)

2.17% (2019 est.)

Exports

Norwegen

$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

Exports - partners

Norwegen

United Kingdom 21%, Germany 19%, Sweden 8%, Netherlands 7%, China 6% (2021)

Imports

Norwegen

$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

Imports - partners

Norwegen

Sweden 18%, Germany 12%, China 10%, Denmark 6%, United States 5% (2021)

Airports

Norwegen

95 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Norwegen

total: 2,387,661 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 44 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Norwegen

total: 5.346 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 99% (2021 est.)

Railways

Norwegen

total: 3,848 km (2020) 2,482 km electrified

Roadways

Norwegen

total: 94,902 km (2018) (includes 455 km of expressways)

Telephones - fixed lines

Norwegen

total subscriptions: 350,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 7 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Norwegen

total subscriptions: 5.8 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 110 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Norwegen

1,577 km (2010)

Disputes - international

Norwegen

Norway-Antarctica: Norway asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Queen Maud Land and its continental shelf)

Norway-Russia: Russia amended its 2001 CLCS submission in 2015 and 2021, each time delineating the outer limits of its continental shelf further into the Arctic Ocean; Norway and Russia signed a comprehensive maritime boundary agreement in 2010, ending a dispute over an area of the Barents Sea by dividing the territory equally

Norway-Sweden: none identified