Norway Demographics

Population of Norway (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Norway

Norway Population
5,652,989
see live
Yearly Change
+0.53%
Global Share
0.07%
Global Rank
121

Median Age

The median age in Norway is 40.1 years (2026).

Fertility in Norway

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
1.42
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Norway

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
83.8
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
85.2
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
82.3
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Norway


Infant Mortality
1.7
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
2.0
(per 1,000 live births)


Norway Urban Population

Currently, 83.8% of the population of Norway is urban (4,738,144 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Norway is 15 people per km² (40 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 366,704 km² (141,585 sq. miles), including Svalbard and Jan Mayen.

Largest Cities and Communes in Norway

The 30 largest of 70 cities and communes, ranked by population estimates for January 1, 2026 (by Statistics Norway).

RankCity or CommunePopulation
1Oslo728,714
2Bergen294,860
3Trondheim218,460
4Stavanger151,669
5Bærum133,228
6Kristiansand119,287
7Drammenincl. Nedre Eiker106,013
8Askerincl. Røyken101,509
9Lillestrøm96,771
10Fredrikstad86,243
11Sandnes85,785
12Tromsø79,943
13Sandefjord67,062
14Nordre Folloincl. Ski, Oppegård65,381
15Sarpsborg60,614
16Tønsberg60,246
17Ålesund59,663
18Skien56,906
19Bodø53,638
20Moss53,207
21Lørenskog51,511
22Larvik49,022
23Indre Østfoldincl. Askim47,943
24Arendal46,603
25Ullensakerincl. Jessheim45,982
26Karmøyincl. Åkrehamn43,990
27Øygardenincl. Fjell, Sund40,641
28Haugesund38,663
29Porsgrunn37,435
30Ringsaker36,199
See all 70 cities and communes in Norway

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.