Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Norway
Norway: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre was 12.59 people per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
12.59 people per square kilometre
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
183rd
of 215 countries
All-time high
12.59 people per square kilometre
in 2023
All-time low
4.85 people per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Norway, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Norway is 12.59 people per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.3% on the previous year and up 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Norway peaked at 12.59 people per square kilometre in 2023 and was at its lowest, 4.85 people per square kilometre, in 1961.
That places Norway 183rd out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Norway, year by year
| Year | people per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4.85 people per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 4.99 people per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1963 | 5.18 people per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 1964 | 5.42 people per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 1965 | 5.69 people per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 1966 | 5.98 people per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 1967 | 6.27 people per square kilometre | +4.8% |
| 1968 | 6.54 people per square kilometre | +4.4% |
| 1969 | 6.78 people per square kilometre | +3.7% |
| 1970 | 6.96 people per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1971 | 7.1 people per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1972 | 7.23 people per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 1973 | 7.35 people per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1974 | 7.46 people per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1975 | 7.55 people per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1976 | 7.64 people per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1977 | 7.72 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 7.79 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 7.85 people per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 7.9 people per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 7.95 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 8 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 8.04 people per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 8.07 people per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1985 | 8.1 people per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 8.14 people per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 8.19 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 8.25 people per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 8.3 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 8.35 people per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 8.42 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 8.53 people per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 8.64 people per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 8.74 people per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 8.82 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 8.9 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 9.01 people per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 9.14 people per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 9.26 people per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 9.36 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 9.44 people per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 9.54 people per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 9.66 people per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 9.75 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 9.85 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 9.96 people per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 10.11 people per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 10.28 people per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 10.45 people per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 10.61 people per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 10.76 people per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 10.92 people per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 11.13 people per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 11.34 people per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 11.54 people per square kilometre | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 11.71 people per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 11.85 people per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 11.97 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 12.08 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 12.21 people per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 12.3 people per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 12.43 people per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 12.59 people per square kilometre | +1.3% |
Norway compared with similar countries
- Norway's 12.59 people per square kilometre is below the median for high income countries, which is 78.87 people per square kilometre, 16% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Norway's 12.59 people per square kilometre is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 54.24 people per square kilometre, 23% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.75 people per square kilometre | 4.85 people per square kilometre | 6.78 people per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 7.46 people per square kilometre | 6.96 people per square kilometre | 7.85 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.09 people per square kilometre | 7.9 people per square kilometre | 8.3 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.78 people per square kilometre | 8.35 people per square kilometre | 9.26 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.84 people per square kilometre | 9.36 people per square kilometre | 10.45 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.39 people per square kilometre | 10.61 people per square kilometre | 12.08 people per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.38 people per square kilometre | 12.21 people per square kilometre | 12.59 people per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near Norway
- 180 Oman 12.98 people per square kilometre compare
- 181 Laos 12.89 people per square kilometre compare
- 182 Kyrgyzstan 12.8 people per square kilometre compare
- 184 Zambia 12.55 people per square kilometre compare
- 185 Paraguay 11.98 people per square kilometre compare
- 186 Congo 11.53 people per square kilometre compare
More population data for Norway
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.2322 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -4.32 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.2322 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1866 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 6,368 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.6612 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.1496 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.2% (2100)
- Population density 14.86 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 224,990 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Norway?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre in Norway was 12.59 people per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 12.59 people per square kilometre in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.85 people per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does Norway rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre?
- Norway ranks 183rd out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Norway data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.