Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Norway
Norway: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 15.3 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
15.3 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
200th
of 216 countries
All-time high
15.3 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
9.88 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in Norway, 1961–2024
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
In 2024, population density in Norway stood at 15.3 people per sq. km of land area. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 8.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Norway peaked at 15.3 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 9.88 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Norway 200th out of 216 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Norway, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 9.88 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 9.96 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1963 | 10.04 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1964 | 10.11 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1965 | 10.19 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1966 | 10.28 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1967 | 10.36 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1968 | 10.45 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1969 | 10.53 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1970 | 10.61 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 10.69 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 10.77 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 10.84 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 10.91 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1975 | 10.97 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 11.02 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 11.07 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 11.11 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1979 | 11.15 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 11.19 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 11.22 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 11.27 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 11.3 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 11.34 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 11.37 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 11.41 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 11.46 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 11.53 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 11.57 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 11.61 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 11.67 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 11.74 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 11.81 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 11.87 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 11.94 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 12 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 12.06 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 12.13 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 12.22 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 12.3 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 12.36 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 12.43 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 12.5 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 12.57 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 12.66 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 12.76 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 12.89 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 13.05 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 13.22 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 13.39 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 13.56 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 13.74 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 13.91 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 14.07 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 14.21 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 14.34 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 14.45 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 14.55 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 14.65 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 14.77 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 14.85 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 14.98 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 15.15 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 15.3 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
Norway compared with similar countries
- Norway's 15.3 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for high income countries, which is 147 people per sq. km of land area, 10% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Norway's 15.3 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 85.13 people per sq. km of land area, 18% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10.2 people per sq. km of land area | 9.88 people per sq. km of land area | 10.53 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 10.91 people per sq. km of land area | 10.61 people per sq. km of land area | 11.15 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.37 people per sq. km of land area | 11.19 people per sq. km of land area | 11.57 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 11.9 people per sq. km of land area | 11.61 people per sq. km of land area | 12.22 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.67 people per sq. km of land area | 12.3 people per sq. km of land area | 13.22 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.09 people per sq. km of land area | 13.39 people per sq. km of land area | 14.65 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.01 people per sq. km of land area | 14.77 people per sq. km of land area | 15.3 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Norway
- 197 Chad 16.12 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 198 Turkmenistan 15.95 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 199 New Caledonia 15.75 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 201 Bolivia 11.41 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 202 Gabon 9.85 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 203 Russia 8.77 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Norway
- Population in the largest city 23.8% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 5.52 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.1988 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 1.12 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 1.34 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 2.98 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 1.12 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 0.95 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 250.46 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Norway?
- Population density in Norway was 15.3 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 15.3 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.88 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Norway rank for population density?
- Norway ranks 200th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Norway data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.