If you lived in Norway instead of Finland, you would:

Health

be 16.6% less likely to be obese

In Finland, 24.2% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Norway, that number is 20.2% of people as of 2024.

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see 48.0% more spent on your healthcare

Finland spends $6,433 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Norway spends $9,523 as of 2023.

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have 37.8% more doctors per person

Finland has 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2021. Norway has 49.8 as of 2023.

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Economy

be 51.0% less likely to be unemployed

In Finland, 9.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Norway, that number is 4.6% as of 2025.

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make 68.5% more money

Finland has a GDP per capita of $56,149 as of 2025, while in Norway, the GDP per capita is $94,594 as of 2025.

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Life

be 87.5% less likely to die during childbirth

In Finland, approximately 8.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Norway, 1.0 women do as of 2023.

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have 24.4% more children

In Finland, there are approximately 7.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Norway, there are 9.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 14.9% less on education

Finland spends 6.4% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Norway spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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Geography

see 20.1 times more coastline

Finland has a total of 1,250 km of coastline. In Norway, that number is 25,148 km.

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Safety

be 26.5% less likely to be murdered

Finland has a homicide rate of 1.0 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Norway, that number is 0.7 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 64.3% less likely to die in a road accident

In Finland, road accidents kill 4.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Norway, they kill 1.5 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 23.8% more home broadband

Finland has 36.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Norway has 45.2 as of 2024.

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live with 71.3% less strain on fresh water

Finland withdraws 7% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Norway withdraws 2% as of 2022.

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use 59.7% more electricity

Finland uses 14,819 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Norway uses 23,673 kWh as of 2024.

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Environment

be 14.3% more likely to die from air pollution

In Finland, air pollution causes 7.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Norway, it causes 8.0 as of 2019.

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emit 29.6% more CO2

Finland emits 5.5 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Norway emits 7.2 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Norway: At a glance

Norway is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 304,282 sq km. Two centuries of Viking raids into Europe tapered off following the adoption of Christianity by King Olav TRYGGVASON in 994. Conversion of the Norwegian kingdom occurred over the next several decades. In 1397, Norway was absorbed into a union with Denmark that lasted more than four centuries. In 1814, Norwegians resisted the cession of their country to Sweden and adopted a new constitution. Sweden then invaded Norway but agreed to let Norway keep its constitution in return for accepting the union under a Swedish king. Rising nationalism throughout the 19th century led to a 1905 referendum granting Norway independence. Although Norway remained neutral in World War I, it suffered heavy losses to its shipping. Norway proclaimed its neutrality at the outset of World War II, but was nonetheless occupied for five years by Nazi Germany (1940-45). In 1949, neutrality was abandoned and Norway became a member of NATO. Discovery of oil and gas in adjacent waters in the late 1960s boosted Norway's economic fortunes. In referenda held in 1972 and 1994, Norway rejected joining the EU. Key domestic issues include immigration and integration of ethnic minorities, maintaining the country's extensive social safety net with an aging population, and preserving economic competitiveness.
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