Norway Population
Norway had an estimated population of 5,610,870 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 118th most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.07% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of +0.69% a year.
Norway at a glance
How Norway's population is changing
Norway's population is growing: +0.69% a year, which works out to about +38,724 people per year, or +106 a day. Births (9.7 per 1,000) and deaths (7.9 per 1,000) alone would give +0.18% a year; net migration adds about 29,798 people a year (+0.53%). Roughly one in every 1,464 people on Earth lives in Norway.
Population of Norway since 1960
In 1960, Norway had 3,581,239 people. By 2025 that was 5,610,870 — 1.6× larger. The fastest growth came between 2006 and 2016, when the population rose by 12%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 3,581,239 | — |
| 1970 | 3,875,763 | +8.2% |
| 1980 | 4,085,620 | +5.4% |
| 1990 | 4,241,473 | +3.8% |
| 2000 | 4,490,967 | +5.9% |
| 2010 | 4,889,252 | +8.9% |
| 2020 | 5,379,475 | +10.0% |
| 2025 | 5,610,870 | +4.3% |
Norway from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put Norway at about 900,000 people in 1800; the UN estimates 5,623,074 in 2025 (6× 1800) and projects 5,413,617 for 2100 in its medium scenario. The population is projected to peak around 2050 at 5,899,827 and decline afterwards.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 900,000 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 1,394,054 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 2,232,623 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 3,265,199 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 4,490,864 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 5,623,074 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 5,899,827 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 5,717,578 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 5,413,617 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in Norway
10 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 5,610,870. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oslo | 874,991 | UN urban centre | 15.59% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 2 | Stavanger | 206,726 | UN urban centre | 3.68% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 3 | Trondheim | 141,819 | UN urban centre | 2.53% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 4 | Bergen | 135,293 | UN urban centre | 2.41% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 5 | Lillestrøm | 89,684 | GeoNames settlement | 1.60% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 6 | Sandnes | 85,386 | GeoNames settlement | 1.52% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 7 | Sandefjord | 64,345 | GeoNames settlement | 1.15% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 8 | Asker | 61,906 | GeoNames settlement | 1.10% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 9 | Sarpsborg | 59,038 | GeoNames settlement | 1.05% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 10 | Tønsberg | 55,387 | GeoNames settlement | 0.99% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
How Norway compares
Norway has almost the same population as Finland (5,646,436).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs Norway | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #116 |  Liberia | 5,731,206 | +2% | compare → |
| #117 |  Finland | 5,646,436 | +1% | compare → |
| #119 |  Central African Republic | 5,513,282 | −2% | compare → |
| #120 |  Oman | 5,494,691 | −2% | compare → |
Compare Norway with any country →
Same region (Europe & Central Asia): Russia, Türkiye, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy.
Explore around Norway
Land neighbours (3)
Russia 143,513,328 · 25.6× the population · compare
Sweden 10,596,620 · 1.9× the population · compare- Finland 5,646,436 · about the same population · compare
Norway's 3 neighbours together hold 159,756,384 people — 28.5× Norway's population. The most populous is Russia (143,513,328).
In its region
Norway is the 31st most populous of the 58 economies in Europe & Central Asia, holding 0.6% of the region's 932,525,035 people.
Rankings featuring Norway
- Least densely populated countries #17
- Highest life expectancy #19
- Richest countries by GDP per capita #10
Cities
Oslo, Stavanger, Trondheim, Bergen, Lillestrøm, Sandnes, Sandefjord, Asker — all Norway's cities on the map.
World population history · The world when you were born · Norway when you were born · Time machine · Embed this live counter on your site
About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.