Persons outside the labour force in Norway
Norway: Persons outside the labour force was 1,923 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Persons outside the labour force in Norway, 2004–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, persons outside the labour force in Norway stood at 1,923. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.3% on the previous year and up 21.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, persons outside the labour force in Norway peaked at 1,923 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1,314, in 2006.
That places Norway 40th out of 57 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Persons outside the labour force in Norway, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 1,398 | — |
| 2005 | 1,358 | -2.9% |
| 2006 | 1,314 | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 1,437 | +9.3% |
| 2008 | 1,505 | +4.7% |
| 2009 | 1,403 | -6.8% |
| 2010 | 1,449 | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 1,463 | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 1,477 | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 1,470 | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 1,532 | +4.2% |
| 2015 | 1,580 | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 1,664 | +5.3% |
| 2017 | 1,733 | +4.1% |
| 2018 | 1,686 | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 1,664 | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 1,760 | +5.8% |
| 2021 | 1,785 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 1,758 | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 1,785 | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 1,843 | +3.3% |
| 2025 | 1,923 | +4.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1,402 | 1,314 | 1,505 | 6 |
| 2010s | 1,572 | 1,449 | 1,733 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,809 | 1,758 | 1,923 | 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 persons outside the labour force in Norway?
- Persons outside the labour force in Norway was 1,923 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest persons outside the labour force recorded in Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 1,923 in 2025.
- What is the lowest persons outside the labour force recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,314 in 2006.
- How does Norway rank for persons outside the labour force?
- Norway ranks 40th out of 57 countries with data for 2025.
- Is persons outside the labour force rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Norway data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Persons outside the labour force (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. Persons outside the labour force comprise all persons of working age who, during the specified reference period, were not in the labour force (that is, were not employed or unemployed). The term disability, as defined in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), is used as an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. For measurement purposes, a person with disability is defined as a person who is limited in the kind or amount of activities that he or she can do because of ongoing difficulties due to a long-term physical condition, mental condition or health problem. For more information, refer to the Disability Labour Market Indicators (DLMI) database description.