Income and wealth statistics for households

Updated: 19 December 2023

Next update: Not yet determined

Change in median income after tax for all households
Change in median income after tax for all households
2021 - 2022
-1.4
%
Income after tax for households by type of household, Median
Income after tax for households by type of household, Median1
After tax median incomePercentage change2
20222021 - 20222017 - 2022
All households590 400-1.4-0.6
Singles under 45 years362 3000.06.2
Singles 45-64 years387 200-0.61.0
Singles 65 years and older311 700-0.50.5
Couples without children, oldest person under 45 years749 9000.46.5
Couples without children, oldest person 45-64 years917 800-1.13.1
Couples without children, oldest person 65 years and older666 800-0.8-0.2
Couples with children 0-6 years927 500-0.34.5
Couples with children 7-17 years1 064 000-0.72.8
Couples with children, oldest child 18 years and older1 198 200-0.23.6
Single mother/father with children 0-17 years487 300-0.82.1
Single mother/father with children 18 years and older660 8000.33.4
1Students not included
2In constant prices
Explanation of symbols

Selected tables and charts from this statistics

  • Registered incomes for households by type of household. Average in NOK.
    Registered incomes for households by type of household. Average in NOK.1 2 3
    2022
    All householdsLiving alone, person under 30 yearsLiving alone, person 30-44 yearsLiving alone, person 45-66 yearsLiving alone, person 67 years and olderCouple without resident children, oldest person under 30 yearsCouple without resident children, oldest person 30-44 yearsCouple without resident children, oldest person 45-66 yearsCouple without resident children, oldest person 67 years and olderCouples with children 0-5 yearsCouples with children 6-17 yearsCouples with children 18 years and olderSingle mother/father with children 0-5 yearSingle mother/father with children 6-17 yearSingle mother/father with children 18 year and olderTwo or more-familiy households
    Income from work (NOK)657 300375 100460 300406 60031 000823 9001 035 2001 086 100169 0001 063 7001 404 4001 417 900293 200522 700662 100867 200
    Wages and salaries (NOK)618 500364 400439 700383 10025 200802 900996 4001 019 400145 0001 007 7001 316 0001 323 000281 400500 100625 700808 100
    Net income from self-employment (NOK)38 80010 70020 60023 6005 80020 90038 80066 80023 90056 00088 50095 00011 80022 60036 40059 100
    Property income (NOK)53 1007 40011 60033 40030 70013 90030 100115 10083 50049 60095 000110 70016 50031 20040 00050 300
    Interest received (NOK)6 0002 0001 9003 8006 4005 0005 3008 50013 5004 8005 50010 4001 6002 7005 5006 500
    Share dividends received (NOK)28 8003 1007 20017 70011 5003 70013 80067 40037 50027 90061 60065 0008 60018 50019 80024 000
    Realised capital gains (NOK)18 9002 7006 00012 60012 7006 20014 50038 60033 20018 60026 80035 0005 30010 30015 50018 500
    Realised capital losses (NOK)7 3002 0007 0004 9003 2004 30010 30010 4009 20010 30010 50012 9001 6003 8006 0008 400
    Other capital incomes (NOK)6 7001 6003 5004 2003 2003 3006 80011 0008 5008 70011 50013 3002 6003 6005 1009 800
    Transfers received (NOK)251 90047 20077 400158 800368 50058 40083 000262 700694 600222 800146 200289 500241 600165 300250 200352 000
    Taxable transfers (NOK)234 80037 20069 500152 400365 80039 30074 300259 500690 800171 500109 200278 600149 400103 000236 400319 300
    Social security benefits (NOK)4 158 30025 20046 900109 700282 80019 70040 000158 700514 80025 80059 600188 10079 90065 800174 700223 800
    Old-age pensions (NOK)101 2000010 600279 0000038 900488 5003002 90072 9001001 10064 700121 700
    Disability benefits (NOK)41 80014 30032 50083 3003 2008 30023 40097 90023 50011 20034 40086 60017 50035 40082 00071 600
    Work assessment allowance (NOK)13 90010 90014 20013 80020011 40016 60021 5002 50013 30021 70028 30020 40020 10024 40026 400
    Service pensions etc. (NOK)35 10020070014 10078 00020080037 300146 6001 5007 30034 4001 3005 50026 20036 300
    Contractual pension (NOK)6 200006 0003 5000020 50022 90004009 20001003 4005 500
    Contractual pension (AFP) in public sector (NOK)5 3 700004 3001 1000013 70012 90002005 40001002 0003 200
    Contractual pension (AFP) in private sector (NOK)2 500001 7002 400006 90010 00002003 80001001 4002 300
    Unemployment benefits (NOK)4 7003 1006 4004 3001003 7007 6005 9001 0008 4006 0007 3006 8004 2006 1009 100
    Sickness benefits (NOK)6 19 7006 90013 50017 60050013 90023 20036 2004 40036 10033 30038 00023 60023 60024 30030 300
    Other taxable transfers (NOK)7 10 6001 8001 9006008001 7002 5007001 00099 5002 3001 40037 7003 7001 70014 000
    Tax-free transfers (NOK)17 20010 0007 9006 4002 70019 1008 7003 2003 80051 30037 10010 90092 20062 30013 80032 700
    Familiy allowances (NOK)7 0001001 1005000100600200032 20023 1001 10033 40025 2001 50010 500
    Dwelling support (kr)1 2001 5001 5001 5009006006003001001 30080030011 2005 3001 2001 400
    Scholarships (NOK)2 4003 6004000015 5004 70010004 2004 6004 9004 4004 3003 6008 000
    Social assistance (NOK)2 7003 7003 9003 1004001 8001 7009002003 5002 5001 30019 0009 5003 8005 400
    Basic and attendance benefits (NOK)1 3004005007007005004007009001 6003 5001 6001 9003 6001 5002 300
    Cash for care (NOK)40001000000004 100003 20000800
    Other tax-free transfers (NOK)8 2 2006003005007006006001 1002 6004 4002 6001 70019 20014 4002 2004 300
    Total income (NOK)962 300429 700549 300598 800430 200896 2001 148 3001 463 900947 0001 336 1001 645 7001 818 100551 300719 200952 3001 269 500
    Total assessed taxed and negative transfers (NOK)255 600102 500146 800167 30083 500212 300310 500442 100207 200356 800483 200516 600105 000170 200236 700308 900
    Assessed taxes (NOK)250 200100 300142 400162 80083 300207 000303 000433 600206 100347 600472 400506 100101 400164 700230 800301 800
    Negative transfers (NOK)9 5 4002 2004 3004 5002005 2007 5008 6001 1009 20010 80010 5003 7005 5006 0007 000
    After-tax income (NOK)706 700327 100402 500431 500346 700683 900837 8001 021 800739 900979 3001 162 4001 301 500446 200549 000715 600960 700
    Number of households2 544 718179 484232 917338 384307 24452 40774 535213 794275 629218 778266 806119 80721 83785 10965 24992 738
    1Private households consiting of single persons living alone under the age of 18 are not included.
    2Couples included married couples, cohabiting couples and registered partners.
    3Students not included.
    4For recipients of new transitional benefits for single mothers/fathers from April 2014, the benefits will be taxed as wage. From the income year 2015, the benefits are included in Social security benefits.
    5Includes recipients of the former private contractual pension scheme (AFP).
    6Sickness benfits from the National Insurance Scheme. Holiday payments from sickness benefits are included.
    7Other taxable transfers include benefits such as parental benefit, annuity, introduction benefits for newly arrived refugees and qualification benefits (from 2008).
    8Other tax-free transfers benefits such as childcare benefit to single parents, lump sum maternity grants, compensation for work injury, education benefit to single parents and received child support managed by public arrangement. Various benefits received by people attending job creating programs are included from 2009. From 2014, extra compensation for recipients of contractual pension (AFP) is included.
    9Negative transfers include paid child support managed by public arrangement, paid annuity and mandatory contribution to private pension plan.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Measures of income dispersion. Household equivalent income (EU-scale) between persons
    Measures of income dispersion. Household equivalent income (EU-scale) between persons1
    Total populationTotal population excluding persons in student households
    Gini coefficientStandard error of the Gini coefficientP90/P102 S80/S203 Gini coefficientStandard error of the Gini coefficientP90/P102 S80/S203
    19990.2420.0042.73.40.2360.0042.63.3
    20000.2620.0042.73.70.2570.0042.63.6
    20010.2290.0022.63.20.2230.0022.53.1
    20020.2640.0042.73.80.2580.0042.63.6
    20030.2740.0032.83.90.2670.0032.73.7
    20040.283..2.74.10.276..2.63.8
    20050.327..2.84.80.319..2.74.5
    20060.243..2.83.50.235..2.63.3
    20070.252..2.83.70.244..2.73.5
    20080.248..2.83.60.240..2.73.4
    20090.241..2.83.50.231..2.63.3
    20100.245..2.83.60.236..2.63.3
    20110.247..2.83.60.237..2.73.4
    20120.249..2.93.70.239..2.73.4
    20130.250..2.93.70.241..2.73.4
    20140.256..2.93.80.247..2.83.5
    20150.271..3.04.00.263..2.83.8
    20160.261..3.03.90.252..2.83.6
    20170.261..3.03.90.252..2.83.6
    20180.260..3.03.90.251..2.83.6
    20190.259..3.03.90.250..2.83.6
    20200.262..3.03.90.252..2.83.6
    20210.289..3.04.30.279..2.84.0
    20220.261..2.93.90.253..2.83.6
    1Negative amounts have been set to zero.
    2Percentile ratio of the 9th and the 1st decile cut-offs.
    3The ratio of the share of income held by the top 20 per cent of the distribution and the bottom 20 per cent of the distribution.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Property account for households
    Property account for households1 2
    20222021 - 2022
    Average for households with different property holdings (NOK)Share of households with different property holdings (per cent)Total (NOK million)Percentage change (NOK million)
    Estimated real capital4 408 70084.89 518 2257.4
    Estimated market value primary dwelling4 493 30069.17 906 1946.6
    Estimated market value secondary dwelling3 451 4009.9865 9176.8
    Gross financial capital1 745 30098.44 368 2680.1
    Bank deposits612 90098.31 533 5674.1
    Shares and other securities3 507 80023.02 054 3761.7
    Share savings account3 444 10027.7312 817-8.6
    Units of mutual funds235 00028.9173 014-6.9
    Foreign taxable wealth excl. real properties381 8006.562 963-6.7
    Estimated gross wealth5 543 10098.413 886 4935.0
    Debt1 972 90085.14 270 4514.2
    Study debt287 20026.6194 0818.3
    Estimated net wealth3 827 30098.79 616 0415.3
    Positive net wealth4 664 90083.29 876 1125.0
    Negative net wealth-657 80015.5-260 071-3.5
    Property taxes59 20017.025 56043.1
    1Students not included.
    2All wealth items are based on market value or assumed sales value before any tax valuation discount.
    3From 2017 it is possible to own listed shares and mutual fund holdings through a share savings account.
    Figures for estimated real capital, gross and net wealth were corrected on December 22, 2022.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Percentage share of total estimated net wealth, average net wealth and lowest value in decile for households, by deciles
    Percentage share of total estimated net wealth, average net wealth and lowest value in decile for households, by deciles1
    2022
    Share of total net wealth (per cent)Average estimated net wealth (NOK)Lowest value in decile (NOK)
    Total100.03 778 800..
    Decile 1-2.6-983 700..
    Decile 2-0.1-35 100-169 400
    Decile 30.5178 50026 300
    Decile 42.1789 900424 300
    Decile 54.11 559 7001 169 100
    Decile 66.32 381 9001 958 100
    Decile 78.83 326 8002 825 500
    Decile 812.04 539 0003 869 700
    Decile 917.16 478 2005 309 600
    Decile 1051.719 552 9008 038 500
    Top 5 per cent39.229 611 10011 507 100
    Top 1 per cent22.384 096 70026 746 300
    Top 0,1 per cent10.9411 548 800134 659 100
    1Students not included
    Figures for estimated real capital, gross and net wealth were corrected on December 22, 2022.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Registered incomes for residents. Number of persons with amount. Amount in NOK million.
    Registered incomes for residents. Number of persons with amount. Amount in NOK million.
    20212022
    Number of persons with amountNOK millionNumber of persons with amountNOK million
    INCOME FROM WORK3 209 5691 561 362.63 269 4211 683 684.8
    Wages and salaries3 099 3371 470 158.43 162 0031 584 887.3
    Net income from self-employment318 29891 204.2326 69898 797.5
    PROPERTY INCOME3 878 478228 461.24 028 207136 255.5
    Interest received3 698 4008 725.53 902 71015 587.3
    Share dividends received617 077151 660.7659 08573 787.9
    Realised capital gains468 00766 632.9474 45348 390.6
    Realised capital losses247 58815 255.2320 51718 691.2
    Other capital incomes1 681 13416 697.41 801 59917 181.0
    TRANSFERS RECEIVED3 450 347631 297.63 375 652651 470.6
    TAXABLE TRANSFERS2 714 198584 479.12 579 342603 020.9
    Social security benefits1 1 474 791384 265.91 498 547407 495.1
    Old-age pensions948 609246 335.4963 808260 634.8
    Disability benefits371 265101 455.3375 395107 309.8
    Work Assessment Allowance177 12132 687.6182 31035 496.0
    Service pensions etc930 91685 324.9946 47590 086.8
    Contractual pension (AFP)141 69614 499.1153 62015 791.4
    Contractual pension (AFP) in public sector2 38 3788 836.841 2169 410.2
    Contractual pension (AFP) in private sector103 3355 662.3112 4306 381.2
    Unemployment benefits426 54725 851.5247 69212 063.0
    Sickness benefits3 957 38447 098.3900 70950 257.1
    Other taxable transfers4 220 41126 233.3228 12627 098.0
    TAX-FREE TRANSFERS1 542 45546 818.51 588 63148 449.6
    Familiy allowances693 23617 134.2692 40717 926.1
    Dwelling support117 5962 735.8137 9093 215.2
    Scholarships412 1679 282.0440 7879 879.8
    Social assistance117 2436 602.7127 9917 275.1
    Basic and attendance benefits170 9323 178.2173 3233 266.3
    Cash for care36 2251 341.232 4511 100.7
    Other tax-free transfers5 270 7946 544.4269 3745 786.5
    TOTAL INCOME4 513 6272 421 121.54 575 4872 471 410.9
    Assessed taxes and negative transfers3 991 720637 133.24 068 267652 934.1
    Assessed taxes3 952 800624 030.24 020 665639 174.1
    Negative transfers6 1 299 78413 103.01 341 01513 759.9
    AFTER-TAX INCOME4 514 4931 783 988.34 576 1561 818 476.8
    NUMBER OF RESIDENTS5 425 270..5 488 984..
    1For recipients of new transitional benefits for single mothers/fathers from April 2014, the benefits will be taxed as wage. From the income year 2015, the benefits are included in Social security benefits.
    2Includes recipients of the former private contractual pension scheme (AFP).
    3Sickness benfits from the National Insurance Scheme. Holiday payments from sickness benefits are included.
    4Other taxable transfers include benefits such as parental benefit, annuity, introduction benefits for newly arrived refugees and qualification benefits (from 2008).
    5Other tax-free transfers benefits such as childcare benefit to single parents, lump sum maternity grants, compensation for work injury, education benefit to single parents and received child support managed by public arrangement. Various benefits received by people attending job creating programs are included from 2009. From 2014, extra compensation for recipients of contractual pension (AFP) is included.
    6Negative transfers include paid child support managed by public arrangement, paid annuity and mandatory contribution to private pension plan
    Explanation of symbols

About the statistics

Income and wealth statistics for households provide figures for the level, composition, development and distribution of income and wealth. The statistics comprises all monetary income, both taxable and tax-exempt, as well as wealth and debt. The statistics presents the general developments of income and wealth as well as its distribution between household types and other groups.

The concepts presented here are explained according to how they are used in the statistics. These explanations may differ from the common definitions of the concepts.

Household

A household is regarded as all persons who live permanently in the same dwelling and having common housekeeping. The statistics include only persons in private households. Persons registered as living in institutions are not included.

Student household

A student household is defined as a household where the main income earner is not mainly economically active or in receipt of pensions and benefits, but receives a loan from the State Educational Loan Fund.

Main income earner

The main income earner is the person in the household who has the highest total income before taxes of the income earners in the household. If there is no income earner in the household, the oldest person is defined as the main income earner.

Total income

Total income is the sum of employee, income from self-employment, property income and transfers received. Assessed tax and other negative transfers are not deducted.

After-tax income

After-tax income is calculated as total income minus assessed tax and negative transfers.

Income from work

Income from work is the sum of employee income and net income from self-employment during the calendar year. As of 2006 sickness and parental benefits is not included.

Income from self-employment

Income received in self-employment jobs. It primarily concerns the profit or loss from unincorporated enterprises.

Property income

Property income is the sum of interest received, share dividends received, realized capital gains (or losses) and other property income received during the calendar year.

Taxable transfers

Taxable transfers are the sum of pensions and benefits from the social security scheme, public and private employer provided schemes, unemployment benefits, sickness benefits and other taxable benefits.

Tax-free transfers

Tax-free transfers consist of child benefits, dwelling support, scholarships, social assistance, basic and attendance benefit and more.

Child support received through private agreements is not registered, and therefore not included in the statistics.

Assessed taxes and negative transfers

This comprises income tax and wealth tax to the central government and municipalities. Examples of negative transfers are pension contributions in employment and paid child support managed by public arrangement.

Estimated real capital

Estimated value of properties, buildings and constructions, possessions, etc.

Market value is used for primary and secondary dwellings, commercial properties, forests and farms.

Tax value is used for other real estate and private and commercial moveable property.

Primary dwelling

The dwelling where the address of the owner is registered in the National Population Register at the end of the year. Value is set according to assessed market value. A person can only own one primary dwelling. Farmhouses on farms are not regarded as primary dwellings.

Secondary dwelling

A dwelling that a person owns, which is not the primary dwelling. Value is set according to assessed market value. Cabins and holiday properties are not secondary dwellings.

Estimated gross financial capital

Comprises bank deposits, shares, units of mutual funds, share savings accounts, bonds and other securities.

Prior to 2008, appreciation of shares, mutual funds, primary capital certificates etc. were subject to discounts. In the wealth statistics, tax value was applied. Between 2008 and 2016, discounts were not used, and tax value corresponded to market value. From 2017, discounts in the appreciation values were once again used in the taxation of financial wealth. In the wealth statistics, however, tax values have been adjusted upwards so that the appreciation used in the wealth statistics corresponds to market or sales value.

Estimated gross wealth

Sum of estimated real capital and gross financial capital.

Debt

Comprises dept to creditors and share of dept for owners in Building Societies. From 2017, market value of debt is used, including appreciation discounts used in the taxation of debt. Prior to 2017, market value and taxable value of debt were the same.

From 2017 and on the sum of debt was subject to a reduction before subtracting the debt from the wealth estimation when assessing taxation of wealth.

In the Income and wealth statistics for households, the sum of debt before any possible reduction is used in the definition of wealth.

Unsecured debt contains debt with both interest-bearing and non-interest-bearing balances. Data on unsecured debt are only available from the income year 2019 and on. The size of the unsecured debt is calculated according to data from Gjeldsregisteret AS as of December 31st in the income year.

Estimated net wealth

Estimated gross wealth minus debt.

Median income

Median income is the exact income amount that splits a distribution in two equally sized groups, when income is sorted ascending (or descending). The number of persons with income above the median will be the same as the number of persons with income below the median.

Income per consumption unit (equivalent income)

The needs of a household grow with each additional member but not in a proportional way. Needs for housing space, electricity, etc. will not be three times as high for a household with three members than for a single person, due to economy of scale. With the help of equivalence scales each household type in the population is assigned a value in proportion to its needs. The factors commonly considered to assign these values are the number of persons in the household and whether they are adults or children.

Several equivalents scales exist which are used for different purposes. In the Income and wealth statistics for households, the EU scale is applied (see below).

Consumption units calculated according to the EU scale

This is the ‘OECD-modified equivalence scale’ which assigns a value of 1 to the household head, of 0.5 to each additional adult member and of 0.3 to each child under the age of 17.

Consumption units calculated according to the OECD scale

This equivalence scale assigns a value of 1 to the household head, of 0.7 to each additional adult member and of 0.5 to each child under the age of 17.

Low income threshold

The low-income thresholds are defined as a share of median equivalent income after tax. Commonly used shares are 50 or 60 per cent of median income after tax per consumption unit. There is no official low-income threshold in Norway. Statistics Norway calculates different low-income thresholds based on the income level among the total population, and thus is relative to the general income growth and comparable for persons belonging to different household types.

Low-income group

Persons belonging to a household with annual equivalent income below the low-income threshold.

Economically active

A person that has income from employment or self-employment that is greater than twice the Basic Amount of the National Insurance Scheme (so-called "G", or "grunnbeløpet"). For the income year 2010 and earlier, persons with income from employment or self-employment greater than the Minimum Pension for single people were regarded as economically active.

This concept differs from the definition “Employed persons” used in other statistics, which defines whether a person is in employment on a certain time.

Single parents

Persons in the household type "mother/father with children aged 0-17 years".

Old-age pensioners

Persons in households where the main income earner, according to the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, receives old age pension from the social security system.

Disability pensioners

Persons in households where the main income earner, according to the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, receives disability pension from the social security system.

Pensioners within the Voluntary Early Retirement Scheme

Persons in households where the main income earner, according to the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, is in early retirement.

Receivers of survivor's benefits

Persons in households where the main income earner, according to the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, receives survivor's benefit (after deceased spouse) from the social security system.

Old-age pensioners with minimum state pension

As of 2021 the definition of receivers of the minimum state pension that the Income and Wealth statistics for Households use is in accordance with the definition used by Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration.

In the Income and Wealth statistics for Households the number of receivers of retirement pension and the minimum state pension will be fewer than the number the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration reports since we only count residents at the close of the year.

Until 2020 receivers of the minimum state pension were defined by persons who received the minimum state pension, or who received a pension supplement.

Receivers of the minimum state pension

Persons who receive the minimum pension level, which is a guaranteed minimum retirement pension payment from the National Insurance Scheme. The definition distinguishes between:

  • Old-age pensioners who receive the minimum state pension.
  • Disability pensioners who receive the minimum state pension.
  • Receivers of minimum level survivor’s benefits

Until 2020 receivers of the minimum state pension were defined as persons who received the minimum state pension, or who received a pension supplement.

Receivers of work assessment allowance

Persons in households where the main income earner is registered with a longstanding illness. Included are persons in receipt of rehabilitation allowances, persons incapable of full labour force participation, but attend labour market schemes, and others. Up until 2005, persons who were incapable of full labour force participation but who attended programmes initiated by the National Insurance Scheme (e.g. school and work placements), and persons who were receiving vocational rehabilitation allowances, were not included in the statistics.

Long-term unemployed

Persons in households where the main income earner has been registered as unemployed for 6 consecutive months or more during the year.

People on social assistance

Persons in households where the main income earner has received social assistance at least once during the year.

Singles

Persons who are the only person in a household.

Immigrants

Persons in households where the main income earner is born abroad by two foreign-born parents (first-generation immigrant).

Norwegian-born to immigrant parents

Persons in households where the main income earner is born in Norway by two foreign-born parents.

Refugees

Persons in households where the main income earner is immigrated to Norway for refuge reasons.

Persons with refugee background

Persons in households where the main income earner is immigrated to Norway for refuge reasons or immigrated family members of these.

Age

Age (number of years) at the end of the year.

Socioeconomic status

Socioeconomic status is described by type of economic activity (see above). The economically active population, which mainly receive their income from working, is divided into self-employed and employees. If income from self-employment is greater than income from employment, the person is classified as self-employed, and vice versa.

We have the following socio-economic groups:

Working

  • Self-employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing
  • Self-employed in other industries.
  • Employee

Non-working

  • Pensioners and National Insurance recipients
  • Other non-working

Income sources not included in the income statistics

After-tax income comprises the sum of income from work, property income and transfers, where assessed taxes and negative transfers are deducted. This way of defining income is in accordance with the practical definition recommended in the Canberra report (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe 2011).

The income statistics cover most of the various monetary income sources. Due to lack of information, the following elements are not included in the statistics although they affect the income level.

  • The value of public services, such as public health care and education
  • The net value of unpaid domestic services. This include unpaid housework, child care and goods produced for own consumption
  • The net value of owner-occupied housing services.
  • The net value of services from household consumer durables
  • Income withheld from taxation or gained from criminal activities
  • Child support received through private agreements
  • Rental income when renting out less than 50 per cent of owner-occupied housing
  • Municipal subsidy schemes for housing and cash benefits for child care
  • Local property taxes are not deducted when estimating after-tax income due to lack of information
  • Interest payments are not deducted from after-tax income, although data on this is available. This is done as a rough compensation for not including the value of owner-occupied housing services in the income.

Types of household are in accordance with standard classifications.

Name: Income and wealth statistics for households
Topic: Income and consumption

Not yet determined

Division for Income and social welfare statistics

National level, counties, municipalities, urban districts in the four largest cities and statistical tracts.

Annually. The statistics are released in the last quarter in the year after the statistical year.

Income data is used in Eurostat's structural indicators on low income and income distribution (EU SILC). Micro data for selected years is also included in the databases Luxembourg Income Study (LIS) and Luxembourg Wealth Study (LWS). Income data is also included in OECD's Income Distribution Database.

Collected and revised data are stored securely by Statistics Norway in compliance with applicable legislation on data processing.

Statistics Norway can grant access to the source data (de-identified or anonymised microdata) on which the statistics are based, for researchers and public authorities for the purposes of preparing statistical results and analyses. Access can be granted upon application and subject to conditions. Refer to the details about this at Access to data from Statistics Norway.

The purpose of the statistics is to quantify the economic resources the households have available for saving and consumption. This is a basis for information about essential sides of the state and development of living conditions and welfare in the society, such as:

  • Types of income and the size of these
  • Wealth and debt – sizes and types
  • How income and wealth is distributed between households.

This gives an opportunity to measure economic inequality, estimate the extent of low income, rate of debt, economic activity and other conditions, and study how this varies between types of households, population groups, regions etc.

The Income Distribution Survey was conducted annually from 1986 to 2004 based on a representative sample survey. Information on the household composition was collected from various Living Condition Surveys and Household Budget Surveys. Up until 1992, the income data was obtained in the form of paper forms from the local tax offices. In addition, tax-free transfers were obtained electronically from other government agencies. Beginning with the survey for the 1993 income year, it was possible to obtain all income data from the personal tax return in electronic form. From 2005 we have also established household composition by using registers. This means that we are now able to produce a totally register-based household income statistics

The main users are the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Ministry of Children and Families, the Norwegian Directorate of Health, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, local and regional authorities and research institutes in the areas of household economics, tax research and living conditions in general.

The tax model “LOTTE”, which is operated by Statistics Norway and is used for simulation of taxes and in tax research is updated annually with data from the Income and wealth statistics for households.

The data sources are very detailed and are therefore capable of providing other arrangements and allocations of statistics than those that are published by Statistics Norway.

No external users have access to statistics before they are released at 8 a.m. on ssb.no after at least three months’ advance notice in the release calendar. This is one of the most important principles in Statistics Norway for ensuring the equal treatment of users.

Tax statistics for personal tax payers is an important data source for the statistics on income and wealth for households. The tax statistics include data from all the records in the tax return and is obtained for all persons residing in the country. The statistics have been available as total census based on registers from the year 1993 and on.

The statistics are developed, produced and disseminated pursuant to Act no. 32 of 21 June 2019 relating to official statistics and Statistics Norway (the Statistics Act).

Not relevant.

All persons residing in Norway and resident in a private household as of 31st December of the income year.

From 2013, residents studying abroad are also excluded from the households.

The totally register-based income statistics as of 2004 is a total census. Households are derived at after performing certain adjustments to the formal households (formal address according to the National Population Register). These adjustments include omitting people living in institutions and moving students, that no longer reside with their parents, to single person households. Surveys suggest that less than 10 per cent of the students in Norway actually live at home. In addition, other administrative sources are used to identify more cohabitating couples that belong to the same household.

Income data is received by linking different administrative registers and statistical data sources for the whole population as of 31st of December of the income year. Income and biographical data is collected from the following sources:

  • Data from tax returns (wages and salaries, self-employment income, pensions etc.)
  • The Tax Register (taxes)
  • The a-ordning (unemployment benefit, various tax-free transfers)
  • Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (family allowances, basic and additional amounts, cash benefit etc.)
  • KOSTRA (social assistance)
  • State Educational Loan Fund -Lånekassen (loans to students, scholarships)
  • Gjeldsregisteret AS (unsecured debt)
  • Education statistics and household statistics from Statistics Norway (highest level of completed education etc.)
  • Sample survey in the period 1986-2004. From 2004 totally census-based.

Data are collected from various administrative registers.

Consistency controls are undertaken by comparing information from different sources.

The population of the Income Distribution Survey (1986-2004) was weighted by the use of a calibration program. This method of estimation permits the population to show the same aggregates familiar from the register statistics (for the population) for selected variables. This applies to the different personal incomes and net wealth.

Not relevant.

Interviewers and everyone who works at Statistics Norway have a duty of confidentiality. Statistics Norway has its own data protection officer.

Statistics Norway does not publish figures where there is a risk of identifying individual data about persons or households.

The surpression method is used in this statistics to ensure this, by supressing any combination that would display 11 or fewer observations.

More information can be found on Statistics Norway’s website under Methods in official statistics, in the ‘Confidentiality’ section.

The Income and wealth statistics has gone through several significant changes through the years. This is due to changes in the income concept, as a result of changes in the tax system and access to new income components from registers.

The estimation of household wealth has also changed over the years, according to changing tax rules and available data and methods for estimating market value for various wealth components. From 2010 and on, for example, Statistics Norway has been able to estimate market value for primary and secondary dwellings in Norway.

Some data collection and processing errors are unavoidable. These include coding errors, revision errors, data processing errors, etc. Comprehensive efforts have been made to minimize these errors, and we regard these types of errors to be relatively insignificant.

Sources of error and uncertainty before 2005

From and including the income year 2005, these statistics are based on a total census and will not be affected by variance and bias. For previous years with survey-based statistics, the following is of relevance:

All sample surveys are subject to a certain amount of uncertainty. In general; the fewer observations the more uncertain the results. Results based on less than 20 observations are therefore not published.

Groups based on relatively few observations will be very strongly influenced by extreme observations, i.e. observations that deviate greatly from the average. In this statistics, extreme observations in most cases are included, but an attempt has been made to reduce the effect of such observations by adjustments (reduction) of the household weights.

Bias can occur when the distribution between certain groups in the sample is not the same as the corresponding distribution in the total population. Sample bias of this type can occur through non-response. Most of the data for the Income Distribution Survey was obtained from administrative registers. Non-response is not a problem for this part of the material. The household composition was based on interviews, where there will always be non-response. Non-response is adjusted by replacing household data with data on family composition from registers.

A revision is a planned change to figures that have already been published, for example when releasing final figures as a follow-up to published preliminary figures. See also Statistics Norway’s principles for revisions. Not relevant here.

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