Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Norway
Norway: Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits was 2.8% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Norway, 1980–2021
Source: OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Norway recorded 2.8% for female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 17.8% on the previous year and down 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Norway peaked at 3.6% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 1.8%, in 1980.
Norway ranks 11th of 41 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Norway, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1.8% | — |
| 1985 | 1.9% | +3.8% |
| 1988 | 2.4% | +29.6% |
| 1989 | 2.6% | +7.7% |
| 1990 | 2.7% | +4.2% |
| 1991 | 3.0% | +12.7% |
| 1992 | 3.4% | +10.5% |
| 1993 | 3.4% | +2.6% |
| 1994 | 3.6% | +3.3% |
| 1995 | 3.5% | -2.1% |
| 1996 | 3.4% | -2.4% |
| 1997 | 3.3% | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 3.4% | +5.4% |
| 1999 | 3.4% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 3.0% | -12.5% |
| 2001 | 3.1% | +4.4% |
| 2002 | 3.0% | -3.4% |
| 2003 | 3.1% | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 3.0% | -3.4% |
| 2005 | 2.8% | -6.1% |
| 2006 | 2.7% | -3.6% |
| 2007 | 2.7% | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 2.7% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 3.2% | +16.9% |
| 2010 | 3.1% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 3.1% | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 3.0% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 3.1% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 3.1% | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 3.2% | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 3.3% | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 3.2% | -3.9% |
| 2018 | 3.1% | -5.1% |
| 2019 | 3.2% | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 3.4% | +7.2% |
| 2021 | 2.8% | -17.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.2% | 1.8% | 2.6% | 4 |
| 1990s | 3.3% | 2.7% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.9% | 2.7% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.1% | 3.0% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.1% | 2.8% | 3.4% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Norway
More work & labour data for Norway
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.2322 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.2413 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.2229 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.14 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.7506 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 6,138 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 663.52 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,690 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,724 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,414 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Norway?
- Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in Norway was 2.8% in 2021, according to OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female employment vs. public spending on family benefits recorded in Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 3.6% in 1994.
- What is the lowest female employment vs. public spending on family benefits recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.8% in 1980.
- How does Norway rank for female employment vs. public spending on family benefits?
- Norway ranks 11th out of 41 countries with data for 2021.
- Is female employment vs. public spending on family benefits rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Norway data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Public social expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage. Includes both in-cash and in-kind benefits in family programs.