Calculated values have been made for five indicators for circular economy within the following main categories; production and consumption, waste management, secondary raw materials, competitiveness and innovation, as well as global sustainability and resilience, as defined by Eurostat’s Monitoring Framework for the circular economy. The five indicators are as follows:

Resource productivity reflects the correlation between gross domestic product and the consume of raw material. The indicator is presented as an index with year 2000 as a point of reference, where Norway is generally less resource productive during the observed period compared to year 2000.

Material footprint measures the demand of raw materials per capita. Norway has maintained a relatively stable level during the observed period but has a higher material footprint than both Sweden and Denmark.

Persons employed in circular economy sectors measures total employment within three sectors defined as fully circular by Eurostat as a share of total employment. Norway has a relatively high share of persons employed in these sectors compared to other Nordic countries and the EU average for this indicator.

The consumption footprint is a set of life-cycle analysis (LCA) indicators that measures the environmental impact of a country’s consumption patterns through representative products in five key areas.

Circular material use rate measures the share of the total domestic material consumption to a country which is recycled and brought back to the economy. The circular material use rate for Norway has remained stable at a low level over time. The circular material use rate for Norway is generally lower than the Nordic countries and the EU average.