Europe & Central Asia · OECD · NATO · EFTA
Data checked 28 Oct 2026 · next scheduled check 1 Jan 2027 · UN World Population Prospects (via World Bank) released 1 Jul 2026 · Eurostat released 21 Oct 2026 · World Bank WDI released 8 Oct 2026
Total spending · 2024
47.8%
-3.2 pts since 1995
Welfare · 2024
18.5%
-0.6 pts since 1995
Healthcare · 2024
7.20%
+0.9 pts since 1995
Defence · 2024
2.10%
-0.4 pts since 1995
Education · 2024
4.70%
-1.5 pts since 1995
Debt interest · 2024
1.50%
-1.3 pts since 1995
Gross debt · 2025
54.0%
of GDP · +21 pts since 1995
Population · 2025
5.6m
28.7% since 1995
Public-sector employment
Not available: no official public-sector employment series is loaded for Norway yet.
Welfare rose from 19.1% to 21.9% of GDP between 1995 and 2020, then fell to 18.5% by 2024.
Healthcare rose from 6.3% to 8.2% of GDP between 1995 and 2020, then fell to 7.2% by 2024.
Defence fell from 2.5% to 1.3% of GDP between 1995 and 2012, then rose to 2.1% by 2024.
Education fell from 6.2% to 4.7% of GDP between 1995 and 2024.
Debt interest fell from 2.8% to 0.4% of GDP between 1995 and 2021, then rose to 1.5% by 2024.
Total spending rose from 51.0% to 55.6% of GDP between 1995 and 2020, then fell to 47.8% by 2024.
Gross debt fell from 32.9% to 23.8% of GDP between 1995 and 1998, then rose to 54.0% by 2025.
Population grew from 4.4 million in 1995 to 5.6 million in 2025; the UN projects 5.8 million by 2050.