Norway population
Norway: 5.61 million people in 2025 (5,610,870), 118th of 217 countries and areas — and 5.84 million projected for 2050.
Compare Norway with another country
Where it stands
In 2025 Norway has 5,610,870 people, which is 0.068% of the 8.19 billion counted across the 217 countries and areas on this site. That puts it 118th by population, behind Finland and ahead of Central African Republic.
Since 1960
In 1960 the figure was 3,581,239. Since then the population has grown 1.57×, an average of 0.69% a year upward. It has not yet doubled since then.
The projection puts the peak in 2049 at 5,837,335, after which it declines. By 2050 the projected total is 5,836,990, 4% above the 2025 figure.
The ranking in 2050
In 2050 the projected rank is 121st, down 3 places from 118th. Rankings move when other countries grow faster or slower, not only when Norway changes.
People and land
Norway covers 364,270 km² of land, so 2025 density is 15 people per km² — 200th most crowded of 216 places with an area figure. At that density a square 10 km on a side holds about 1,540 people.
The fertility rate was 1.45 births per woman in 2024, below the roughly 2.1 needed to keep a population steady without migration; life expectancy at birth was 83.2 years (2024); 15.9% of people were under 15 and 19.1% were 65 or older (2025); 84% of the population lived in cities. These shape the curve above: a young population keeps growing after fertility falls, an old one starts shrinking sooner.
Its nearest neighbours in the ranking are Finland just above, with 5.65 million (1.01× as many), and Central African Republic just below, with 5.51 million (1.02× as many as the Central African Republic has).
How the numbers are taken. Total population from the World Bank's population estimates and projections (built from United Nations and national statistics). Values to 2025 are estimates; 2026–2050 are projections that continue current fertility, mortality and migration trends. Sources and limits.