The report has contributions from experts throughout the circumpolar Arctic and is number five in the series of ECONOR reports since 2006. It is presented to the meeting of the Arctic Council at the completion of the Norwegian chairship of the Arctic Council 2023-2025.
The purpose of ECONOR is to give an overview of the economy and socio-economic conditions across the Arctic and within the Arctic regions of each of the eight Arctic states. This work has contributed to compile and compare statistical data from the national statistical offices of the Arctic states and from other sources.
The world looks to the Arctic for petroleum, electricity, minerals, fish, and land. ECONOR gives knowledge on how global demand for natural resources and climate change impact on Arctic industrial development as well as on the livelihoods of the Indigenous Peoples whose homeland is in the Arctic. ECONOR presents gross domestic product (GDP) for Arctic regions and gives an overview of economic structure in Arctic regions, with economic values (value added) from the sectors. Disposable income of households is a basic socioeconomic indicator, while public services, including education and health, are also important for the standard of living. Data for Canada and Iceland include estimates for the value of public services to the population as part of disposable income per capita. The report includes a chapter on socio-economic conditions, income inequality and social indicators, comprising demographic indicators, such as population growth, life expectancy, and female share of population, as well as indicators for education and labor market. Statistics Norway presents statistics for Svalbard and Sámi statistics. The blue economy, with production and income from fisheries and aquaculture, is important for several of the Arctic regions. Strengthened knowledge on the blue economy and impacts of regulatory frameworks, is important for sustainable management of marine resources.
ECONOR includes a chapter on the nature-based livelihoods of Indigenous Peoples, elaborated in close cooperation with the Indigenous Peoples’ organizations in the Arctic Council. The report presents knowledge on Sámi reindeer herding and other Indigenous Peoples’ livelihoods, and presents statistics from Alaska showing the harvesting from nature.
ECONOR explores how climate policy can impact petroleum industry in the Arctic, and the report illustrates that several Arctic regions are developing industry related to wind power, hydrogen and battery production. ECONOR comprises a study of tourism in the Arctic and a chapter with case studies of transportation, infrastructure and assessments of costs related to melting permafrost. A new chapter discusses Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and challenges for implementing global goals and indicators to Arctic regional level.
ECONOR provides important knowledge for decision makers on conditions for sustainable development in the Arctic. The ECONOR editors gratefully acknowledge funding from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nordic Council of Ministers and Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, co-funding from cooperating partners, support from Arctic Council’s Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG), statistical advice and data from national statistical offices of Arctic states, contributions to chapters of the report written by experts of the ECONOR network, and support from Statistics Norway having hosted the editorial office of ECONOR.