Labor force participation rate in Norway
Norway: Labor force participation rate was 65.61 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
65.61
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
55th
of 186 countries
All-time high
68.42
in 2008
All-time low
61.55
in 1990
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor force participation rate in Norway, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate in Norway stood at 65.61.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Norway peaked at 68.42 in 2008 and was at its lowest, 61.55, in 1990.
Norway ranks 55th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Labor force participation rate in Norway, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 61.55 | — |
| 1991 | 61.9 | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 62.32 | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 62.8 | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 63.36 | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 63.95 | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 64.63 | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 65.35 | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 65.95 | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 66.39 | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 66.78 | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 67.1 | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 67.3 | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 67.39 | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 67.63 | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 67.91 | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 68.17 | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 68.42 | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 68.42 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 68.02 | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 67.33 | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 67.14 | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 67.08 | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 66.94 | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 66.56 | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 66.56 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 66.2 | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 65.66 | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 65.91 | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 65.93 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 65.68 | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 65.68 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 65.96 | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 65.94 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 65.83 | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 65.61 | -0.3% |
Norway compared with similar countries
- Norway's 65.61 is above the median for high income countries, which is 62.28, 1.1× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Norway's 65.61 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 60.23, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 63.82 | 61.55 | 66.39 | 10 |
| 2000s | 67.72 | 66.78 | 68.42 | 10 |
| 2010s | 66.53 | 65.66 | 67.33 | 10 |
| 2020s | 65.78 | 65.61 | 65.96 | 6 |
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 labor force participation rate in Norway?
- Labor force participation rate in Norway was 65.61 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 68.42 in 2008.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 61.55 in 1990.
- How does Norway rank for labor force participation rate?
- Norway ranks 55th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Norway data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate. 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).