Unemployment rate in Norway
Norway: Unemployment rate was 4.64 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
4.64
Change on year
up 15.9%
World rank
108th
of 186 countries
All-time high
6.31
in 1995
All-time low
2.49
in 2007
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in Norway, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Norway recorded 4.64 for unemployment rate in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 15.9% on the previous year and up 7.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in Norway peaked at 6.31 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 2.49, in 2007.
Norway ranks 108th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in Norway, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 5.41 | — |
| 1992 | 5.91 | +9.3% |
| 1993 | 5.96 | +0.9% |
| 1994 | 5.35 | -10.3% |
| 1995 | 6.31 | +17.9% |
| 1996 | 5.04 | -20.2% |
| 1997 | 4.69 | -6.9% |
| 1998 | 3.74 | -20.3% |
| 1999 | 3.25 | -13.1% |
| 2000 | 3.46 | +6.5% |
| 2001 | 3.74 | +8.1% |
| 2002 | 4.02 | +7.6% |
| 2003 | 4.22 | +4.9% |
| 2004 | 4.26 | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 4.38 | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 3.4 | -22.5% |
| 2007 | 2.49 | -26.6% |
| 2008 | 2.52 | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 3.1 | +23.0% |
| 2010 | 3.53 | +13.8% |
| 2011 | 3.2 | -9.4% |
| 2012 | 3.13 | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 3.42 | +9.5% |
| 2014 | 3.49 | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 4.3 | +23.2% |
| 2016 | 4.68 | +8.9% |
| 2017 | 4.16 | -11.0% |
| 2018 | 3.8 | -8.7% |
| 2019 | 3.68 | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 4.42 | +20.1% |
| 2021 | 4.36 | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 3.23 | -25.9% |
| 2023 | 3.57 | +10.6% |
| 2024 | 4 | +11.9% |
| 2025 | 4.64 | +15.9% |
Norway compared with similar countries
- Norway's 4.64 is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.04, 92% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Norway's 4.64 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.56, 83% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.07 | 3.25 | 6.31 | 9 |
| 2000s | 3.56 | 2.49 | 4.38 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.74 | 3.13 | 4.68 | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.04 | 3.23 | 4.64 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Norway
- 105 Paraguay 4.8 compare
- 106 Kazakhstan 4.77 compare
- 107 United Kingdom 4.75 compare
- 109 Ireland 4.63 compare
- 110 Uzbekistan 4.62 compare
- 111 China 4.62 compare
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 4.64 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 6.31 in 1995.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.49 in 2007.
- How does Norway rank for unemployment rate?
- Norway ranks 108th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Norway data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).