Unemployment rate in Norway
Norway: Unemployment rate was 3.37 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rate in Norway, 2014–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Norway recorded 3.37 for unemployment rate in 2025.
The figure is down 13.3% on the previous year and down 17.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Norway peaked at 4.56 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 2.9, in 2022.
That places Norway 40th out of 41 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Norway, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 3.16 | — |
| 2015 | 4.07 | +28.6% |
| 2016 | 4.41 | +8.5% |
| 2017 | 4.56 | +3.3% |
| 2018 | 4.36 | -4.3% |
| 2019 | 3.59 | -17.6% |
| 2020 | 3.94 | +9.6% |
| 2021 | 4.51 | +14.7% |
| 2022 | 2.9 | -35.6% |
| 2023 | 3.38 | +16.4% |
| 2024 | 3.88 | +14.9% |
| 2025 | 3.37 | -13.3% |
Norway compared with similar countries
- Norway's 3.37 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.93, 49% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Norway's 3.37 is below the median for high income countries, which is 6.33, 53% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 4.03 | 3.16 | 4.56 | 6 |
| 2020s | 3.66 | 2.9 | 4.51 | 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 unemployment rate in Norway?
- Unemployment rate in Norway was 3.37 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 4.56 in 2017.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.9 in 2022.
- How does Norway rank for unemployment rate?
- Norway ranks 40th out of 41 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Norway data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Unemployment rate (current ILO definition - ICLS19). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
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 includes only countries for which the 19th ICLS definitions are applied. The unemployment rate conveys the number of persons who are unemployed as a percent of the labour force (i.e., the employed plus the unemployed). The unemployed comprise all persons of working age who were: a) without work during the reference period, i.e. were not in paid employment or self-employment; b) currently available for work, i.e. were available for paid employment or self-employment during the reference period; and c) seeking work, i.e. had taken specific steps in a specified recent period to seek paid employment or self-employment. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.