Shares and dividend payments, 2011, preliminary figures

Norwegian limited companies paid out a total of NOK 195 billion in dividends in 2011, of which NOK 60 billion was from companies in the mining and quarrying industry.¹

Foreign shareholders were paid out a total of NOK 71 billion in dividends, which was nearly 37 per cent of total dividend payouts. Shareholders from the USA and France had dividends of NOK 15 billion each, and about NOK 12 billion went to shareholders from the United Kingdom.¹

Modest increase for individual shareholders

Dividends paid to people resident in Norway rose by 4 per cent from 2010 to NOK 29 billion in 2011. In addition, people resident in Norway received NOK 6 billion in repayments of previously paid-in capital.

Dividends to the general government also increased, totalling NOK 32 billion, which was 32 per cent more than in 2010. Norwegian corporations were paid NOK 61 billion, which was an increase of 15 per cent.

Norwegian corporations owned most

Norwegian corporations, which owned a total of 69 per cent of the share capital in limited and public limited companies, were still the largest shareholders. They were followed by foreign shareholders, with 14 per cent, households and non-profit institutions, with 10 per cent, and the general government, with 6 per cent of the share capital.

Tables:

• Table 1 Limited companies, nominal share capital and dividend payments, by main industry
• Table 2 Nominal share capital and received dividends, by receiving sector. NOK million
• Table 3 Individuals who owned shares, nominal share capital, received dividends and received previously paid-in capital, by sex and age
• Table 4 Nominal share capital and received dividend payments for foreign shareholders, by selected countries. NOK million