Care services

Updated: 17 June 2024

Next update: Not yet determined

Share of inhabitants 80 years and over using home-based services
Share of inhabitants 80 years and over using home-based services
2023
26.9
%
 
Nursing and care services
Nursing and care services
Percentage changePercentage change
20232022 - 20232019 - 2023
Home-based services (selected services)Users 12.31.
Assistance in daily living77 6362.2-1.1
Home health services, includes both somatic and psychiatric care.175 3531.87.4
User-controlled personal assistance4 2264.217.3
Care benefits (benefits to individuals whom provides care on a voluntary basis to parents, spouses or others)10 7863.75.6
Percentage of inhabitants age 80 years and over that are home service users1 26.9-2.9-10.3
Nursing homesBeds 12.31.
Beds in total39 7541.60.7
Percentage of private beds7.7-5.3-18.6
Institution services2 Residents 12.31.
Long-term stay31 4050.7-2.2
Short-term stay10 014-0.52.4
Care and nursing services staff3 Man-years
Man-years - total157 0763.48.8
of these...
Man-years in user directed services with health education117 2982.88.6
Percentage in user directed services with health education77.1-0.6-0.5
Nursing and care expenditure4 NOK billions
Nursing and care expenditure, total171.911.032.8
1Home-based services: Home-nursing and home-help. Activity and facility services not included
2Includes nursing homes, retirement homes, relief institutions and dwellings for children. Dwellings for the elderly not included.
3Full-time equivalent (FTE): Figures for 2015-2019 were updated in March of 2020 with a new method that provides better information on settled percentage of FTE from 2015 onwards. The new method has consequences for contractual hours FTE.
4KOSTRA functions included: 234 Activity programmes, 253 Health and care institutions, 254 Home-based services, 256 Acute help, 261 Institutions buildings.
Due to incorrect reporting, Statistics Norway has removed figures related to user-controlled personal assistance (BPA) from the data basis for a municipality in the year 2021. The error had an impact on county and national levels. Figures for the year 2021 were corrected on 28 June 2022.
Explanation of symbols

Selected tables and charts from this statistics

  • Health and care institutions, beds and rooms by type and ownership
    Health and care institutions, beds and rooms by type and ownership1
    20192020202120222023
    Number of institutions940926922923914
    Total number of beds39 96339 61539 30539 33739 976
    Nursing home39 46639 24139 05439 11439 754
    Old people's home497374251223222
    Private beds (per cent of total)9.99.18.78.58.0
    Private non-profit5.25.16.87.06.4
    Private commercial4.74.11.91.51.6
    Single rooms (per cent)98.398.698.898.798.4
    User adapted single room with own WC and bathroom (per cent)89.390.491.692.194.0
    1Per 31.12.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Residents in institutions for the elderly and disabled, by age
    Residents in institutions for the elderly and disabled, by age1
    20192020202120222023
    Total41 88941 07141 18841 25941 419
    Under 67 years4 8885 4025 5645 6805 680
    67-79 years8 9838 7189 1339 5509 668
    80-89 years16 02015 30315 00614 93215 056
    90 years and over11 99811 64811 48511 09710 748
    1Per 31.12.
    Figures for the year 2021 were corrected on 28 June 2022.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Residents in dwellings for the aged and disabled.
    Residents in dwellings for the aged and disabled.1
    20192020202120222023
    Total..43 32642 59742 19141 634
    Under 67 years..20 78719 75119 68019 383
    67-79 years..7 8468 0418 1418 313
    80-89 years..8 7698 6658 4398 215
    90 years and over..5 9246 1405 9315 723
    1Per 31.12.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Users of home-based services, by age.
    Users of home-based services, by age.1
    20192020202120222023
    Total196 549197 738203 169204 261207 820
    Under 67 years88 28989 93393 31694 11295 587
    67-79 years39 23039 74441 47842 08243 398
    80-89 years47 37746 19846 28946 42447 394
    90 years and over21 65321 86322 08621 64321 441
    1Per 31.12.
    Figures for the year 2021 were corrected on 28 June 2022.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Users of home-based services and residents in institutions for the elderly and disabled. Need for assistance and kind of service
    Users of home-based services and residents in institutions for the elderly and disabled. Need for assistance and kind of service1
    Number of usersPer cent
    201920202021202220232023
    20192020202120222023Total, need for assistanceSmall need for assistanceAverage to much need for assistanceExtensive need for assistanceUnspecified need for assistance
    Total, services284 160290 130295 856299 712306 034100.036.032.422.98.7
    Users of home help only33 31832 09431 92631 93432 467100.050.629.813.46.2
    Users of home nursing only100 112102 883107 951109 373111 097100.046.833.17.212.8
    Users of both home help and home nursing63 11962 76163 29262 95464 256100.018.248.132.61.2
    Other home-based services45 72251 32151 49954 19256 795100.050.526.08.315.2
    Residents in institutions, short term stay9 7849 0909 58110 06110 014100.09.735.947.86.6
    Residents in institutions, long term stay32 10531 98131 60731 19831 405100.00.810.887.11.2
    1Per 31.12.
    Figures for the year 2021 were corrected on 28 June 2022.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Average numbers of assigned hours per week for users of home help and home nursing. Age and need for assistance
    Average numbers of assigned hours per week for users of home help and home nursing. Age and need for assistance
    Average number of hours per week
    Total, need for assistanceSmall need for assistanceAverage to much need for assistanceExtensive need for assistanceUnspecified need for assistance
    Years, total9.81.76.737.53.4
    0-17 years18.94.215.338.69.7
    18-49 years17.11.711.571.84.9
    50-66 years12.51.67.350.33.2
    67-79 years6.11.64.720.71.6
    80-89 years4.31.64.312.51.6
    90 years or older5.62.05.213.72.4
    Figures for the year 2021 were corrected on 28 June 2022.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Recievers of respite care, personal support contact, recievers with next of kins receiving pay for caring work and user-controlled assistance. Age.
    Recievers of respite care, personal support contact, recievers with next of kins receiving pay for caring work and user-controlled assistance. Age.1
    20192020202120222023
    Respite care
    Total7 8147 7137 7988 1468 419
    0-66 years7 5627 4297 5487 8728 108
    67 years and over252284250274311
    Personal support contact
    Total33 23732 50632 63632 54232 147
    0-66 years26 12025 48925 47225 51825 081
    67 years and over7 1177 0177 1647 0247 066
    Recievers with next of kins receiving pay for caring work
    Total10 21310 09210 35710 39910 786
    0-66 years8 6878 5838 8068 8879 215
    67 years and over1 5261 5091 5511 5121 571
    User-controlled assistance
    Total3 6043 6963 8794 0564 226
    0-66 years3 1893 2683 4513 6373 784
    67 years or older415428428::
    1Per 31.12.
    Due to incorrect reporting, Statistics Norway has removed figures related to user-controlled personal assistance (BPA) from the data basis for a municipality in the year 2021. The error had an impact on county and national levels. Figures for the year 2021 were corrected on 28 June 2022.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Gross expenditure in municipal care services. NOK 1 000
    Gross expenditure in municipal care services. NOK 1 000
    NOK 1 000 (current prices)
    20192020202120222023
    Gross expenditure - total129 445 157130 540 556143 728 020154 848 970171 877 272
    234 Activation of elderly og disabled7 014 0386 588 4987 208 5457 846 2768 495 661
    253 Nursing and care services in institutions48 969 90249 367 36953 320 66756 636 04862 518 669
    254 Nursing and care services, home-based66 843 57367 707 99675 612 00182 066 77992 105 487
    255 Co-financing of somatic services....
    256 Emergency health and care services918 221949 8891 020 5841 007 1961 087 095
    261 Institution facilities5 699 4235 926 8046 566 2237 292 6717 670 360
    Explanation of symbols

About the statistics

The statistics provide a summary of care services, and include information about users of various care services, capacity and resource input, such as number of beds and staff. Accounting figures are also given.

The information under «About the statistics» was last updated 25 May 2023.

Man-year

These data are intended to embrace all kinds of activities within the home based services and the institutions, and are not only restricted to health care functions. The data also contain administration and management personnel and as far as the institutions are concerned, kitchen and cleaning functions etc. The personnel are registered on the basis of their formal education by December 31st. The figures are reported in man-years, which means that the total numbers of part-time employees are converted into number of full time employees. Thus the total number of man-years is based on the assumption of stability among the personnel during the year. Employees without the specified education are recorded in collective groups.

Man-years - positions

For personnel, the recording unit is hours per week, and applies to hours set for those with permanent full-time or part-time positions. The number of hours per week is recalculated into man-years (full-time positions) by dividing the number of contract working hours per week. In practice this means that we have divided by 36 hours for physiotherapists and 37.5 hours for Doctors, and 35.5 for the other occupational groups.

Organisation

Organisation means the forms of association the individual physicians and physiotherapists have with the municipality. Municipalities offer practitioners four possible forms of association. The two most common forms are fixed salary and contract.

Physicians and physiotherapists with fixed salaries

Physicians and physiotherapists with fixed salaries are municipal employees, in municipal medical officer or physiotherapist positions advertised by the municipality. These positions may be full or part-time. The municipalities cover all expenses of the positions, but the National Insurance scheme provides fixed grants to the municipalities per position. The duties of these fixed-salary physicians and physiotherapists are set by municipal instructions.

Physicians and physiotherapists with municipal contracts

Physicians and physiotherapists with municipal contracts are basically private practising physicians and physiotherapists who sign an agreement with the municipality or borough. The provisions of this agreement are based on an agreement between the Norwegian Association of Local Authorities, Ministry of Health and Care Services and the physicians' and physiotherapists' organizations. The agreement implies that all physicians are obliged to participate in the medical duty service and municipal responsibilities such as care of the elderly and preventive medicine. How much the individual doctor is to perform these duties and the opening hours of the curative practice are defined in the specific agreements between the individual practitioner and the municipality/borough. The basis of the income of physicians and physiotherapists with municipal agreements is National Insurance reimbursements, patient co-payments and a fixed amount (operating grant) from the municipality as compensation for the agreement. Physicians and physiotherapists with combinations of fixed salary part-time positions and part-time contract practice are regarded as practitioners with a municipal contract.

Physicians and physiotherapists without municipal contracts

There are also practitioners with private practices who do not have a contract with the municipality. For the individual patient, it is of no financial significance if you go to a mandatory practitioner, doctor with fixed salary or doctor with a municipal contract. Physicians without a municipal contract may, with certain limitations, take as high a co-payment as the patient is willing to pay.

Following changes in sections 5-4, 5-7 and 5-8 of the National Insurance Act of 1 July 1998, national insurance reimbursements are no longer to be paid to private practising health professionals who do not have an operating agreement with the municipality or county. Exceptions have been made for general practitioners pending the introduction of the regular GP scheme.

Vacant authorised posts/ positions

Authorised posts or fixed-salary positions that are vacant at December 31st due to leave, illness or other reasons, are regarded as filled if the absence is less than four months, otherwise it is regarded as vacant.

Overtime

From the statistical year 1994, data on man-years worked by physicians also include hours worked under extended working time agreements pursuant to the central union federation special agreement between the Norwegian Association of Local Authorities and the Norwegian Medical Association. This agreement permits, for up to one year at a time, the signing of an agreement on extended working hours beyond 37.5 hours per week. Overtime work beyond this is not included.

Users of home based services

The figures cover all users of home help and home nursing or both services that were registered as active users at the end of the year. In general every person receiving services is regarded as one user, with one exception; households consisting of two or more persons receiving help are regarded as one user.

Institutions

These are defined as a group of buildings where parts of the floorage are shared between residents, the household is common and care personnel are present 24 hours a day. This definition embraces all kinds of institutions falling under the law mentioned above and are as follows: nursing homes, old peoples homes, combined nursing and old peoples homes and in addition various municipal dwellings with full-time services.

Dwellings for the aged and disabled

This category includes other kinds of municipal dwellings reserved for persons in need of help because of old age or handicap. They are also offered to mentally retarded persons who have left the traditional institutions according to a major reform concerning this group of disabled in 1991. These dwellings are not included in the institution-category, as they do not have a full-time service offer, and the residents own or pay rent for the dwelling. Some of them have care and nursing services during parts of the day. The other dwellings do not have this offer, and the residents are instead users of the home based services in the same way as other ordinary users. Many of these flats are adjusted for functionally disabled residents and some of them do also have to some extent common floorage and household.

The municipalities are grouped into 16 groups by population and economic conditions. The classification is based on Audun Langørgen and Rolf Aaberge (2011): Classification of municipalities by population and economic conditions of 2008. Report 2011/8, Statistics Norway. In the calculation of average figures for the county, municipalities are divided into 19 counties by the current standard for municipality classification (two first digit).

Regional statistics

The counties are divided into five groups. The classification is identical to subdivisions of counties in health regions apart from that there is established a separate group for Oslo.

Name: Care services

Topic: Health

Not yet determined

Division for Health, care and social statistics

Municipality, and for Oslo: parts of town

Annual.

Figures are annualy delivered to OECD.

The web addresses are http://www.ssb.no/helsetjko and https://www.ssb.no/pleie.

The statistics are published twice a year, preliminary figures are published in June and yearly figures in March the succeeding year.

Official statistics of Norway, Nursing and Care statistics and Municipal Health Services, was published yearly/each second year. From 2003, these publications are replaced by a common Municipal Health and Care services. Some figures are also published yearly in "Health Statistics in the Nordic Countries by NOMESCO and in "Social protection in the Nordic Countries" by NOSOSCO.

These statistics are supposed to meet the increasing need for information among the central authorities for planning purposes, supervision and evaluations of the municipalities' health and care services. In addition, the municipalities themselves are in need of comparable figures on county and national level to evaluate their own services. The statistics embrace an overview of the total input of the recourses in the general practitioners services, physiotherapist services, midwife services, school health services, and maternal and child health centre services. It also embrace all kinds of activities within the home based services and the institutions, and are not only restricted to nursing and care functions. The data also contain administration and management personnel and as far as the institutions are concerned, kitchen and cleaning functions etc.

he Municipal Health Services Act was enacted in 1982 and took effect in 1984. The purpose of the law was to strengthen the primary health services. From 1 January 1998 the law was expanded to include prison health services and county nursing homes. Under the act, the municipalities were given responsibility for board of health activities and user groups such as the mentally retarded and psychiatric patients. Municipal health service statistics provides the health authorities' with data for planning and supervisory purposes. They shall provide knowledge about the staff situation and about delivery of health care in the local health service.

From the 1st of January 2012 the Municipal Health Services Act is replaced by “Lov om kommunale helse- og omsorgstjenester m.m”

The statistics for the different parts of the municipal health and care service are based on annual data from the municipalities. For the first year, 1984, the data were basically limited to information about staff resources. From 1985 the statistics were expanded to include the maternal and child health centres and school health service. Staff without background as a health professional was included in the statistics for the school health service and maternal and child health centres in 1988 (maternal and child health centres) and 1994 (the school health service).

Since 1995, data on vaccinations in the school health service and maternal and child health centres were removed entirely from the questionnaires. Since then, they have been collected by the Norwegian Board of Health through a individual-based system (SYSVAK).

The official statistics of the public care and nursing services were for the first time collected in one data gathering and publishing routine in 1989. The background for this was the transfer of the responsibility for the nursing homes from the counties to the municipalities. Thus the total responsibility for all these services was transferred to the municipalities, and the administrative distinction between social (municipality services) and health services (county services) was abolished.

The statistical basis has undergone major changes since the statistical routine was established. This makes it difficult to follow the developments over time.

The Ministry of Health and Care Services, the Directorate of Health, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, the municipalities, research institutes and media.

No external users have access to the statistics and analyses before they are published and accessible simultaneously for all users on ssb.no at 8 am. Prior to this, a minimum of three months' advance notice is given in the Statistics Release Calendar. This is one of Statistics Norway’s key principles for ensuring that all users are treated equally.

The statistics can be viewed in the context of several other KOSTRA areas and specialist health services.

For aggregated data (KOSTRA forms): The data are collected by Statistics Norway on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Care Services pursuant System Act (Act of 18 May 2001 No. 24) § 10

Statistics Norway also uses the information to the production of official statistics under the Statistics Act (Act of June 21, 2019 No. 32) § 10.

For individual data (pseudonym register for Individual-based Nursing and Care Statistics, IPLOS): System Act § 9, of IPLOS Regulations (17 February 2006 No. 204) § 2-1.The register-based statistics personnel is authorized by the Statistics Act § 3-2.

Not relevant.

The statistics are based on the registration of health care services in all municipalities, including all municipal health care institutions, both private and public.

The statistics are based on the registration of health care services in all municipalities, including all municipal health care institutions, both private and public.

Health and care statistics are based on the following data sources:

  • Annual submission of three electronic questionnaires to all municipalities and institutions for the elderly and persons with disabilities through KOSTRA (Municipality-State-Reporting)
  • Annual submission of data about users and seekers of health care services at the individual level to IPLOS-KPR Register
  • Statistics Norway's register-based employment statistics.
  • General practitioner register from the directorate for health is data source for statistics on general practitioners and list length. The statistics cover all municipalities and districts in Oslo.
  • The statistics also includes all users and seekers of health and care services and all institutions within the municipal health care services, see Law on health and care services § 3-2 and regulations on the health care institution.

Collection of data

The statistics of the municipal health services is partly based upon annual dispatch of three questionnaires to all municipalities in Norway. These municipalities deliver electronic questionnaires that are included in the national statistics for the municipal health and care services. From 2002, all municipalities report by the KOSTRA system (Municipality - National authorities - Report).

Data are also collected through different data filing systems. For instance are the man-year data mainly based upon data filing systems for health personnel (From 2015: A-ordningen).

Register-based employment statistics: From 2015 onwards

From 2015 onwards a new joint reporting solution called a-ordningen gathers the reporting from the employers to the Ee-register, produced by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, as well as some reports to the Tax Administration and Statistics Norway. A-ordningen is a coordinated digital collection of data on employment, income and tax deductions to the Tax Administration, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Organization and Statistics Norway. This new joint collection provides Statistics Norway with information on wages and employed persons directly from a-meldingen, which is the electronic message containing all the information collected, rather than the multiple sources used until 2014. You can find more information about the new reporting at https://www.skatteetaten.no/en/business-and-organisation/employer/the-a-melding/.

A-ordningen has replaced the Register of Employers and Employees and the Register of End of the Year Certificates (Register of Wage Sums). In addition to a-ordningen other registers provide additional information, the most important is the Register for Personal Tax Payers administered by the Directorate of Taxes, the Register of Conscripts from the Armed Forces Personnel and National Service Centre and The Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities.

The registers mentioned above are still being used to assure the quality of the data, to consolidate the consistency between different data sources as well as choosing the right main job and to classify people as employed. A few additional registers are also being used for these purposes, where the ARENA-register produced by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Organization is one example. It provides data on unemployed and people engaged in labour market projects.

2018-figures compared with earlier figures

Statistics Norway has adopted a new method that provides better information on settled percentage of full-time equivalent (FTE) in 2018. The new method affects the calculation of man-years, and changes in the number of man-years, for example from 2017 to 2018 is thus not real. The new method is under development. Statistics Norway intends to publish final figures for man-years for the years 2015-2019 by new method through KOSTRA in March 2020. Read more about the new method here: https://www.ssb.no/arbeid-og-lonn/artikler-og-publikasjoner/ny-metode-gir-bedre-informasjon-om-arbeidstid

Quality control and revision

The new data are compared with data from the preceding year and various relative figures. In any case of conspicuous deviation from preceding years, the data basis is further checked and the figures are corrected as far as possible. Besides these controls, there are ordinary logical and validity controls intending to secure the logical relation between the items in the complemented questionnaires. In spite of an extensive revision of data some reservations must be taken concerning the figures presented on municipal level.

Upon the release of final figures, municipalities failing to give data will be included with figures from the preceding year.

A-ordningen: Controls are carried out at several stages. For information: https://www.ssb.no/en/arbeid-og-lonn/statistikker/regsys/aar/2016-05-27?fane=om#content

Estimations

In the case of non-response from either municipalities or institutions the questionnaires are completed with information from the previous year or by other methods of estimation

Not relevant

For data from IPLOS-KPR special rules apply for confidentiality. To protect the individual against detection, numbers less than five are being anonymised. In tables with row and column sums there are also a second anonymity used to prevent that one can calculate up to the numbers that are dotted.

The statistical basis has undergone major changes since the statistical routine was established, but the Statistics Norway is able to present time-series for the most important health care variables back to 1987, and for nursing and care back to 1991.The statistical basis has undergone major changes since the statistical routine was established, but the Statistics Norway is able to present time-series for the most important health care variables back to 1987, and for nursing and care back to 1991.

From 2007 IPLOS is the source for statistics on users of care services in the municipalities. This means that the number of users of care services in 2007 are not directly comparable with previous year.

A new datasource; A-ordningen:

From 2015 onwards the register based employment statistics will be based on a new data source for employees. Until the end of 2014, the main data source was the Employees register, produced by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Organization. In 2015 this reporting was coordinated with the reporting of earnings and personnel data to the Tax Administration and Statistics Norway. This common reporting system is called a-ordningen. A-ordningen provides a better data basis compared to the Ee-register, as it is more accurate on the individual level in addition to covering a greater number of employments. Furthermore, it provides more frequent statistics for wage earners and will supply highly detailed figures on the development in the labour market. These include numbers on the municipal level by age and industry. This new data source means a change in the time series.

For more information, read About the Statistics: http://www.ssb.no/en/arbeid-og-lonn/statistikker/regsys/aar/2016-05-27?fane=om#content

2018-figures compared with earlier figures

Statistics Norway has adopted a new method that provides better information on settled percentage of full-time equivalent (FTE) in 2018. The new method affects the calculation of man-years, and changes in the number of man-years, for example from 2017 to 2018 is thus not real. The new method is under development. Statistics Norway intends to publish final figures for man-years for the years 2015-2019 by new method through KOSTRA in March 2020. Read more about the new method here: https://www.ssb.no/arbeid-og-lonn/artikler-og-publikasjoner/ny-metode-gir-bedre-informasjon-om-arbeidstid

In the case of non-response from either municipalities or institutions the questionnaires are completed with information from the previous year or by other methods of estimation.

Another source of error is connected with the fact that the delivery of health care is extremely diverse, so the form does not always fit all municipalities. A lack of correspondence between the registrations, and the actual situation of which the form was meant to survey may consequently occur.

Sources of error can apply to many parts of the statistics, as described below:

Man-years of physicians with operating agreements

According to the instructions the figures shall show the number of hours per week on which the agreement with the municipality is based. Sometimes the hours actually worked by the doctor are entered, even though they exceed the hours on which the agreement is based.

Man-years of fixed-salary physicians

The instructions state that overtime is not to be included. Some municipalities have nevertheless included "overtime". This has been removed insofar as the municipalities have been informed that such work is included.

Physicians and physiotherapists without municipal agreement

Work performed by physicians and physiotherapists without agreements shall be reported to the medical consultant/chief municipal medical officer. Experience shows that municipalities and boroughs do not have a full overview of these operations. The labour input of practitioners without an agreement may therefore be somewhat underestimated.

Breakdown into areas of activity

It may happen that the distribution of man-years in the various areas of activity is not given for physicians, physiotherapists and auxiliaries. When this is suspected, the municipality is contacted for update.

Man-years

In the basic material from the municipalities the amount of work is given in hours per week. Recalculation to man-years is undertaken at publication. There seems, however, to be differences among the municipalities as to the hours of a full-time position in the various occupational groups.

A new data source; A-ordningen:

From 2015 onwards the register based employment statistics will be based on a new data source for employees. Until the end of 2014, the main data source was the Employees register, produced by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Organization. In 2015 this reporting was coordinated with the reporting of earnings and personnel data to the Tax Administration and Statistics Norway. This common reporting system is called a-ordningen. A-ordningen provides a better data basis compared to the Ee-register, as it is more accurate on the individual level in addition to covering a greater number of employments. Furthermore, it provides more frequent statistics for wage earners and will supply highly detailed figures on the development in the labour market. These include numbers on the municipal level by age and industry. This new data source means a change in the time series.

For more information, read About the Statistics: http://www.ssb.no/en/arbeid-og-lonn/statistikker/regsys/aar/2016-05-27?fane=om#content

Preliminary figures are published in March, and final figures are published in June.

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