Activity in centre zones

Updated: 1 December 2022

Next update: 4 December 2023

Square kilometres of centre zones in Norway
Square kilometres of centre zones in Norway
2022
50.66
km²
Centre zones by urban settlement population
Centre zones by urban settlement population
2022
Number of centre zonesArea, square kilometresInhabitants per square kilometreEmployees per square kilometreBuisinesses per square kilometre
The whole country66950.77 133.917 310.12 818.5
Urban settlements with up to 1 999 residents862.5904.97 655.11 195.5
.. 2 000 - 19 999 inhabitants23113.082 610.29 969.21 779.7
.. at least 20 000 inhabitants35235.19 252.720 716.73 318.5
Explanation of symbols

Selected tables and charts from this statistics

  • Centre zone area density statistics for selected municipalities
    Centre zone area density statistics for selected municipalities
    2022
    Number of centre zonesArea, square kilometresInhabitants per square kilometreEmployees per square kilometreBuisinesses per square kilometre
    Drammen141.026 12316 6792 705
    Bærum190.954 06234 1013 545
    Oslo municipality6713.8615 61324 8604 386
    Kristiansand121.175 96918 8332 968
    Stavanger191.634 00818 5332 455
    Bergen453.147 15221 2572 950
    Trondheim252.016 76422 7732 689
    Explanation of symbols
  • Centre zone statistics (inhabitants and density) for selected municipalities
    Centre zone statistics (inhabitants and density) for selected municipalities
    2022
    Number of centre zonesNumber of inhabitantsInhabitants per square kilometreEmployees per inhabitantBuisinesses per inhabitant
    Drammen146 2456 1232.70.4
    Bærum193 8594 0628.40.9
    Oslo municipality67216 39715 6131.60.3
    Kristiansand126 9845 9693.20.5
    Stavanger196 5334 0084.60.6
    Bergen4522 4577 1523.00.4
    Trondheim2513 5956 7643.40.4
    Explanation of symbols

About the statistics

The statistics describe the density of inhabitants, employees and businesses in center zones, as well as Retail trade and service areas.

Centre zone

1. A centre zone consists of one or more centre kernels and a 100-metre zone around them.

2. A centre kernel is an area with at least 4 different main types of economic activity with centre functions. In addition to detail trade, governmental administration or health and social services or social and personal services must be present. The distance among enterprises must not be more than 50 meters.

At least 50 employees, (in businesses with centre functions) in the centre zone.

Number of centre zones, area of centre zones. Attached statistics; number of enterprises, number of residents, number of employees.

Retail trade and service area is:

Areas with concentration of businesses of a selected set of industries. The selection is based on transport generating properties. The Retail trade and service area is delimitated just as the centre zones, but the maximum distance between businesses is 100 m. There is no criteria for diversity of industries either. It has, however, to be at least 3 businesses and at least 50 employees.

Activity in centre zones

Nature and the environment

4 December 2023

Division for housing, property, spatial and agricultural statistics.

Central business districts, urban settlements, municipalities, counties

Annually

Not relevant

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 follow the changes in the extension and land use of central business districts and to attach this to demographic and economical statistics concerning the central business districts. The work is based on the need for a uniform delimitation of central business districts as the "national policy guidelines for shopping centres outside central business districts" were passed, 8th of January 1999. An automatic method can secure the authorities standardised data for comparison, as well as providing planning authorities with data for statistical analysis.

The central business districts are modelled for the purpose of statistics, and must not be confused with the term central business district used in other settings.

The statistics is mainly used by civil administration (ministries, directorates, county- and municipality administrations) as well as for research purposes. Population in central business districts is used in a number of analyses as an important variable in social, environmental and demographic studies.

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.

Not relevant

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

The statistics comprises all Central business districts of Norway as defined by Statistics Norway with minimum 50 employees. In addition all retail trade and service areas.

Data sources are the National register of Ground, Addresses and Buildings and the Central Register of Establishment and enterprises as well as building outlines from the Common map data base and the land use map compiled by Statistics Norway.

Based on registers and the use of GIS.

Data revised by owners of the registers, e.g. Statistics Norway and Norwegian Mapping Authorities.

Based on modelling. Where density and diversity of enterprises fulfils the definition, a centre zone is delimited.

Not relevant

Employees of Statistics Norway have a duty of confidentiality.

Statistics Norway does not publish figures if there is a risk of the respondent’s contribution being identified. This means that, as a general rule, figures are not published if fewer than three units form the basis of a cell in a table or if the contribution of one or two respondents constitutes a very large part of the cell total.

Statistics Norway can make exceptions to the general rule if deemed necessary to meet the requirements of the EEA agreement, if the respondent is a public authority, if the respondent has consented to this, or when the information disclosed is openly accessible to the public.

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

To ensure confidentiality, the ‘suppression’ method is used in the statistics.

The delimitation is done by automatic routines using a geographical information system. The central business districts has been delimitated yearly since 2000. The method has been adjusted in 2015. Figures for 2014 has also been recalculated. New data for businesses from 2016 onwards makes a break in the series. The use of 4 years og businesses also make a break in the figures from 2019 onwards.

Errors of registrations in the National register of Ground, Addresses and Buildings or the Central Register of Establishment and enterprises.

Not all the relevant enterprises are identified by coordinates and thus some centre zones may be omitted in the statistics.

Not relevant

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