Statistics shall provide the general public, businesses and the authorities with information about the structure and development of society. Such information strengthens democracy and forms the basis for a sustainable economic, social and environmental development.

2007 was another outstanding year for the Norwegian economy. The economic growth continued at high speed, inflation was low, employment rose markedly and unemployment fell to the lowest level in several decades. Strong growth in the global economy has led to a boost to Norwegian exports of traditional goods and higher prices of important export products.

The strategy sets the direction for Statistics Norway's development in the years ahead. It is built around a few brief primary strategies: An institution that counts, Statistics portray society, Research of high quality, Satisfied users and motivated respondents, and Cooperation to improve statistics. In addition, more detailed strategies for ethics and human resource have been developed.

Eurostat carried out a peer review of Statistics Norway in June 2007. The purpose of the review was to determine whether our statistics production and dissemination are in line with European guidelines. The full report is available here.

The objective of the Statistics Council is to coordinate the production of official statistics in Norway. The council consists of 20 producers of statistics or owners of administrative registers.

The European Commission adopted the European Statistics Code of Practice on 25 May 2005. The Code is intended for Eurostat, the European Central Bank and national statistical institutes as well as other statistical bodies in charge of producing official statistics. EFTA/EEA countries will also follow the Code as Norway participates to the full in the European statistical cooperation. The Code of Practice will also be incorporated in the EEA Agreement.

This document presents the main principles and rules for dissemination in Statistics Norway. The dissemination policy is based on the provisions of the Statistics Act regarding Statistics Norway's role and responsibilities, the transparency principle and UN and EU guidelines for official statistics.

Statistics Norway has a staff of 967, 389 in Kongsvinger and 578 in Oslo, in addition to 187 interviewers.

Statistics is crucial in the fight against poverty. It is the essential starting point offering information about distribution and changes in living conditions and poverty patterns in developing countries. The objective of Statistics Norway's development cooperation is to provide assistance within the field of official statistics to sister organizations in developing and transition countries. We contribute to the development of their statistical systems and capacity building trough statistical institutional cooperation.

A total of 57 per cent of the population report a good overall impression of Statistics Norway, according to Synovate’s most recent survey on the public's impression of 81 government agencies in Norway. With regard to information and transparency within the agencies, Statistics Norway holds fifth place.

Statistics Norway was established in 1876. It is administratively placed under the Ministry of Finance and has a board apppointed by the government. The Statistics Act of 1989 provides the legal framework for Statistics Norway's activities.

The Activity plan for 2008 provides a concise overview of the activity plan for Statistics Norway for 2008. A separate budget publication illustrates the internal budget allocation for 2008. The Activity plan for 2008 builds on guidelines in Report no. 1 to the Storting (2007-2008), and is based on Strategy 2007. EU legislative acts on statistics are also a crucial framework for the plan.