Statistikk innhold
Statistics on
Municipal spatial plans
The statistics contain tables describing planned land use in Norway, and are based on data from the municipalities' spatial plans downloaded from Geonorge. The tables show land use objectives from current spatial plans for both land and coastal marine areas within the scope of the Planning and Building Act.
Selected figures from these statistics
- Municipality plans for land areas, by main classes. Whole country. (km2)Download table as ...Municipality plans for land areas, by main classes. Whole country. (km2)
2026 Per cent Wole country, without Svalbard and Jan Mayen 323 807 100.0 Building and installations 5 619 1.7 Transport and technical installations 1 078 0.3 Green structure 1 692 0.5 Defence and military forces 1 138 0.4 Agricultural, nature and outdoor recreation objectives and reindeer (LNFR) 279 282 86.2 Use and protection of the sea and waterways with the associated beach zone 13 906 4.3 Areas with subject to restrictions 5 928 1.8 Missing data 15 164 4.7 Explanation of symbolsDownload table as ...
About the statistics
The information under «About the statistics» was last updated 24 March 2026.
Land use
Land use describes built-up areas by socio-economic purpose, and covers for example areas used for dwellings, business, recreation or roads.
Land use objectives
Land use objectives are main elements in the area section of the municipal plan, which specifies with legally binding effect what the area can be used for. Land use objectives are sub-divided into main objectives, grouped objectives and sub-objectives.
Land reserves
Land reserves are areas in the municipal master plan designated for development but not yet built up. Areas that are already developed or incompatible with construction have been deducted.
The municipal master plan's area section
The municipal master plan's area section is an overarching plan that determines how the land within the municipality is to be used. The plan specifies which areas may be developed and which areas shall not be. It also contains provisions on the principles and assumptions that must form the basis for the more detailed planning carried out after the land‑use element has been adopted.
Zoning plan
A zoning plan is a land‑use map with associated provisions that specify the use, protection, and design of areas and the physical environment. The municipal council must ensure that a zoning plan is prepared for those areas of the municipality where this follows from the law or from the land-use element of the municipal master plan, as well as in other cases where it is necessary to ensure proper planning clarification and the implementation of construction projects, multiple land uses, and conservation in relation to affected private and public interests
Land cover
Land cover is the observed (bio)physical cover on the earth's surface.
Built - up area / site
All types of buildings, structures and permanently sealed surfaces and associated areas.
Non - built - up area
Areas/regions without a permanently built-up surface, including cultivated land.
Name: Municipal spatial plans
Topic: Nature and the environmen
Division for Housing, Property, Spatial and Agricultural Statistics
Municipalities, counties, country
Annual
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The maps are stored as spatial data sets and can be used for other analyzes as required.
Statistics on planned land use based on municipal spatial plans are in demand. In several contexts, central authorities have expressed the need for good comprehensive land use statistics, and the authorities are diligent users of available land use statistics.
he statistics are adapted to the information needs of the genTeral public and public administration. The statistics can form a basis for research and analysis of the effect of decisions in planning and construction matters.
No external users have access to statistics before the statistics have been published at 08:00 on ssb.no after notification at least three months in advance in the statistical calendar. This is one of the most important principles at Statistics Norway to ensure equal treatment of users.
The statistics help make it possible to assess the consequences of implementing current spatial plans and priorities at the national, regional, and local/municipal levels. This is useful for authorities and decision‑makers at various levels, as well as for the media, researchers, public agencies, and other important societal stakeholders and users of land use statistics.
The statistics are developed, prepared and disseminated pursuant to Act on Official Statistics and Statistics Norway (Statistics Act)
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The tables include the municipalities that have made land use purposes from current land use plans available on Geonorge.
The statistics describe the adopted land‑use purposes for land areas and coastal marine areas within the scope of the Planning and Building Act, for municipalities that have submitted current municipal master plans and municipal sub‑plans in digital form to the National Planning Map Solution (NAP).
Digital municipal plans from Norway Digital’s planning map solution (NAP):
The planning dataset used as the data basis is generated from Norway Digital’s nationwide copy of municipal master plans.
The plans in NAP are kept up to date with data from the original planning databases in the municipalities, either through periodic copying or through synchronization. There may therefore be some delay between a plan being adopted and it actually becoming available in the national database. This also means that in some cases older plans may still be part of the database, even if they have been replaced by newer plans in the municipality.
The plans in NAP may have been adopted under different laws, primarily the Planning and Building Act from 1985 or the corresponding act from 2008 (“pbl 1985” and “pbl 2008”). The different laws have different code sets and requirements for content. To obtain a clear and consistent basis for analysis, and to avoid overlapping polygons, the land‑use purposes are harmonized prior to the analysis.
SSB’s land‑use and land‑resource map:
In the analyses forming the basis for the calculation of land‑use reserves, land‑use figures from SSB’s land‑use map are used. A land‑use figure consists of either a property or the built‑up portion of a property. Only areas classified as built‑up are extracted from the map and used in the analyses.
SSB’s building dataset:
The preparation of SSB’s building dataset follows the principle that the best available data source is used wherever possible. The data are drawn from the Cadastre (Matrikkelen), from FKB‑Building, and to some extent from FKB‑Measures. We consider the Cadastre to be the most complete and up‑to‑date building register. The Cadastre therefore defines the population. All buildings in the Cadastre that were granted a building permit before 1 January of the reference year, and are not marked as discontinued, are included in SSB‑building. All information about building types and similar attributes is also taken from the Cadastre.
The statistics are based on maps, registers, and the use of geographic information systems (GIS).
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The statistics provide as detailed figures as possible for each year, but will also capture that the data sources become more complete as the period progresses. The tables can therefore not be used to calculate changes between the years.
Spatial plans: The plans at Geonorge are kept up to date with data from the original planning databases in the municipalities, either through periodic copying or through synchronization. Therefore, it may take some time from a plan is adopted until it is actually available in the national database. This also means that there will be cases where older plans are still part of the database, even if they have been replaced by newer ones in the municipality.
Cadastre and other map bases: Errors in registrations in the Cadastre and inaccuracies in the map base will affect the results. For some map bases, it can take a long time from a change is made until it is mapped. It is this lag in registrations that means the tables in the statistics bank cannot be used directly to find changes between editions. The quality of the statistics is largely determined by the quality of the content in the Cadastre and in the maps.
AR5 and AR-STAT: For undevelopped areas, it is the NIBIO land resource maps (AR-5 and AR-STAT) that form the basis for the figures. The figures for wetlands are based on the bog land type from these land resource maps. Bog areas above the treeline are not fully mapped. Our figures for wetlands are therefore too low in municipalities and counties where much of the area is above the treeline.
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The statistics provide as detailed figures as possible for each year, but will also reflect the quality of the maps used as the data basis. If the map bases are incomplete, or not kept up to date, this will be reflected in the statistics.
It is important to be aware that the tables cannot be used to calculate area changes between years. The reason for this is that data bases become more complete and updated over the period, and the statistics collect this later on.