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.

Area
Total: 323,802 km²
Land: 304,282 km²
Water: 19,520 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than twice the size of Georgia; slightly larger than New Mexico

Land boundaries
Total: 2,566 km
Border countries (3): (3) Finland 709 km; Sweden 1,666 km; Russia 191 km

Coastline: 25,148 km
Note: includes the mainland at 2,650 km, as well as long fjords, numerous small islands, and minor indentations at 22,498 km; length of island coastlines is 58,133 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 10 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm

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

Elevation
Highest point: Galdhopiggen 2,469 m
Lowest point: Norwegian Sea 0 m
Mean elevation: 460 m

Land use
Agricultural land: 2.7% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 2.2% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 0% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 0.5% (2023 est.)
Forest: 33.3% (2023 est.)
Other: 64% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 337 km² (2016)

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

Population
Total: 5,509,733 (2024 est.)
Male: 2,780,972
Female: 2,728,761
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
Growth rate: 0.59% (2024 est.)

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.
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

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.)

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)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 55 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 25.3 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 29.6 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 3.4 (2024 est.)
Note: data include Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands

Median age
Total: 40.8 years (2024 est.)
Male: 40.1 years
Female: 41.5 years

Population growth rate: 0.59% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 10.4 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 8.4 deaths/1,000 population (2024 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

Urbanization
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

Major urban areas
Population: 1.086 million OSLO (capital) (2023)

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
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 1 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 1.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 2.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 1.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 82.9 years (2024 est.)
Male: 81.3 years
Female: 84.6 years

Total fertility rate: 1.57 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 4% (2024 est.); 3.6% (2023 est.); 3.3% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Capital
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 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

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)

Dependent areas: (3) Bouvet Island, Jan Mayen, Svalbard (3)

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

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Executive branch
Chief of state: King HARALD V (since 17 January 1991)
Head of government: Prime Minister Jonas Gahr STORE (since 14 October 2021)
Cabinet: Council of State appointed by the monarch, approved by Parliament
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

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Parliament (Stortinget)
Legislative structure: unicameral
Number of seats: 169 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: proportional representation
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 4 years
Most recent election date: 9/8/2025
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)
Percentage of women in chamber: 40.2%
Expected date of next election: September 2,029

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)

National anthem
Title: 'Kongesangen' (Song of the King)
Lyrics/music: Gustav JENSEN
History: royal anthem; uses the tune of 'God Save the King,' the United Kingdom's anthem
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”

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 8 (7 cultural, 1 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:

Real gdp growth rate: 2.1% (2024 est.); 0.1% (2023 est.); 3.2% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 2.1% (2024 est.); 0.1% (2023 est.); 3.2% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 37.7% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 22% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 21.7% (2023 est.)
Investment in inventories: 2.6% (2023 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 47.9% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -32.5% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2% (2024 est.)
Industry: 37% (2024 est.)
Services: 51.8% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Industries: petroleum and gas, shipping, fishing, aquaculture, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles

Industrial production growth rate: 2.4% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 3.042 million (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 4% (2024 est.); 3.6% (2023 est.); 3.3% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 4% (2024 est.); 3.6% (2023 est.); 3.3% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $261.945 billion (2023 est.)
Expenditures: $178.156 billion (2023 est.)
Note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 27.1% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Exports: $229.205 billion (2024 est.); $230.882 billion (2023 est.); $323.875 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: natural gas, crude petroleum, fish, refined petroleum, aluminum (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $162.467 billion (2024 est.); $156.11 billion (2023 est.); $160.649 billion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: cars, refined petroleum, ships, nickel, garments (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 41.1 million kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 127.335 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Exports: 30.978 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 13.232 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 7.025 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 1.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources wind: 9.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 89.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Production: 120,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Consumption: 1.096 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Exports: 60,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 1.042 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 2 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 2.02 million bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 229,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 8.122 billion barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 121.637 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 5.082 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Exports: 117.597 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Imports: 104.744 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 1.544 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 38.535 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 2.929 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 25.576 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 10.029 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 206.961 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 145,000 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 6.09 million (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 111 (2022 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 99% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 2.49 million (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 46 (2022 est.)

Military expenditures: 3.4% of GDP (2025 est.); 2.3% of GDP (2024 est.); 1.8% of GDP (2023 est.); 1.5% of GDP (2022 est.); 1.7% of GDP (2021 est.)

Airports: 146 (2025)

Heliports: 113 (2025)

Railways
Total: 3,848 km (2020) 2,482 km electrified

Merchant marine
Total: 1,720 (2022)
By type: bulk carrier 109, container ship 1, general cargo 274, oil tanker 95, other 1,241