Share of population living in the capital city in Norway

Norway: Share of population living in the capital city was 15.6% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
15.6%
World rank
94th
of 170 countries
All-time high
15.6%
in 2020
All-time low
9.7%
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of population living in the capital city in Norway, 1950–2020

0510151950198520201950: 9.7 %1955: 10.4 %1960: 10.8 %1965: 11 %1970: 11.1 %1975: 11 %1980: 11.1 %1985: 11.4 %1990: 11.5 %1995: 12.2 %2000: 13.2 %2005: 13.8 %2010: 14.7 %2015: 15.1 %2020: 15.6 %

Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2020, share of population living in the capital city in Norway stood at 15.6%. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.

The figure is up 6.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population living in the capital city in Norway peaked at 15.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 9.7%, in 1950.

That places Norway 94th out of 170 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.

Share of population living in the capital city in Norway, year by year

Annual values for Share of population living in the capital city in Norway, 1950 to 2020.
Year % Change
1950 9.7%
1955 10.4% +6.9%
1960 10.8% +4.1%
1965 11.0% +1.4%
1970 11.1% +1.3%
1975 11.0% -1.2%
1980 11.1% +1.4%
1985 11.4% +2.4%
1990 11.5% +1.2%
1995 12.2% +6.1%
2000 13.2% +7.5%
2005 13.8% +4.6%
2010 14.7% +6.6%
2015 15.1% +3.2%
2020 15.6% +3.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 10.1% 9.7% 10.4% 2
1960s 10.9% 10.8% 11.0% 2
1970s 11.0% 11.0% 11.1% 2
1980s 11.3% 11.1% 11.4% 2
1990s 11.9% 11.5% 12.2% 2
2000s 13.5% 13.2% 13.8% 2
2010s 14.9% 14.7% 15.1% 2
2020s 15.6% 15.6% 15.6% 1

Countries ranked near Norway

  1. 91 Guatemala 15.8% compare
  2. 92 Zambia 15.7% compare
  3. 93 Turkmenistan 15.6% compare
  4. 95 Bulgaria 15.6% compare
  5. 96 Honduras 15.2% compare
  6. 97 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 14.8% compare

See the full ranking of 170 places →

More population data for Norway

All data for Norway →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population living in the capital city in Norway?
Share of population living in the capital city in Norway was 15.6% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Norway?
The highest recorded value was 15.6% in 2020.
What is the lowest share of population living in the capital city recorded in Norway?
The lowest recorded value was 9.7% in 1950.
How does Norway rank for share of population living in the capital city?
Norway ranks 94th out of 170 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of population living in the capital city rising or falling in Norway?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Norway data come from?
The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in the capital city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of population living in the capital city in Norway. Statizoid, drawing on European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-living-in-the-capital-city/norway/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in the capital city
Unit
%
Source
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
170 places, 2,330 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed

Percentage of the total population living in the country's capital city. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.