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/en/virksomheter-foretak-og-regnskap/statistikker/aksjer/aar-forelopige
5149
Cuts in dividends
statistikk
2010-06-28T10:00:00.000Z
Establishments, enterprises and accounts;Banking and financial markets
en
aksjer, Shares and dividend payments, limited companies, public limited companies, share capital, share dividends, share premium, shares, shareholders, stockholders, protection allowanceSecurities markets , Ownership and roles , Banking and financial markets, Establishments, enterprises and accounts
false

Shares and dividend payments, 2009, preliminary figures

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Cuts in dividends

Limited companies made strong cuts to dividend payments in 2009. Despite this, individual shareholders had almost the same amount in dividend income as the year before.

Dividend payments. 2004-2009*. NOK billion

Norwegian limited companies distributed a total of NOK 161 billion in dividends in 2009, which was a decrease of NOK 133 billion from 2008. The fall was greatest among limited companies in financial and insurance activities, which cut dividends by about NOK 43 billion.

Individual shareholders kept their dividend incomes

Individual shareholders resident in Norway were not particularly affected by the cuts in dividends. They received approximately NOK 22 billion, or only 6 per cent less than the previous year. With NOK 18 billon, males received the majority of this amount. NOK 4 billion went to female shareholders.

Dividends for foreign shareholders decreased

Over 41 per cent, or NOK 66 billion of the dividends distributed in 2009 went to foreign shareholders. This was a reduction of NOK 29 billion compared with the year before. Shareholders from France, the USA and the Netherlands, with NOK 14 billion, NOK 13 billion and NOK 12 billion respectively, were paid most of the dividends.

Received dividend payments, by sector. 2008-2009*. NOK billion

Dividends to the general government and Norwegian companies also decreased

The general government and Norwegian corporations also experienced a strong decline in dividend incomes in 2009. Norwegian corporations, which received only NOK 49 billion in dividends in 2009, which was a decline of 65 per cent from 2008, experienced the greatest fall. The general government saw a third of its dividends evaporate, receiving only NOK 23 billion in 2009. The decrease in dividends for the general government was mainly due to cuts in dividends by listed enterprises.

About the statistics basis

The statistics are based on data from the Directorate of Taxes’ Register of Shareholders, and include about 199 000 Norwegian limited and public limited companies in 2009, and their shareholders. According to the Central Register of Establishments and Enterprises, there were about 214 000 limited companies as of 31 December 2009.

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