Ownership and roles in business enterprise sector (discontinued), 2010

Seventy-three per cent of the 156 000 owners of sole proprietorships as per 1 January were men. The share of female owners has increased from 24 to over 27 per cent from 2004 to 2010.

Most male shareholders

Almost 74 per cent of the shareholders in private and public limited companies in total were men. This share has been nearly constant in recent years. With regard to sole shareholders in limited companies, men constituted 85 per cent of these.

Few industries dominated by women

Women were represented among the owners in 45 per cent of all general partnerships and general partnerships with shared liability. However, there are few industries where the majority of the owners are women. Just over half of the proprietorships within human health and social work activities had female owners, while 57 per cent of the general partnerships and general partnerships with shared liability and 75 per cent of the sole proprietorships within other service activities had only female owners. In all the other economic activities, the majority of owners were men.

Small increase in the share of immigrants

About 11 per cent of the owners of personally-owned enterprises were immigrants or Norwegian-born to immigrant parents. In 2004, only 7.7 per cent of the owners belonged to this group.

Ownership structure in private and public limited companies

Nearly 56 per cent of the limited companies had only personal shareholders, while 30 per cent had only enterprises among the shareholders as per 1 January 2010.

A large share of these enterprises had few shareholders. Fifty-six per cent had one shareholder, while 21 per cent had two. Only 758 of the over 203 000 enterprises had more than a hundred shareholders. These shareholders amounted to almost 69 per cent; over a million, of all the shareholders.

Almost 24 per cent of the personal shareholders were major shareholders in one or more enterprises. Of the shareholders that were enterprises, about 55 per cent were major shareholders in at least one enterprise.

General managers and board representatives often represented among the owners

In 64 per cent of the private and public limited companies, the shareholders had roles as General manager, Chairman of the board, board member or deputy chairman. The largest share of the enterprises where the shareholders had roles is to be found within the enterprises with between three and nine shareholders. In about 80 per cent of these enterprises, the General manager and board representatives were represented among the owners.

Tables:

• Table 1 Owners of personally owned enterprises by organizational structure, sex, age, national background and level of education. 1st January 2010
• Table 2 Number of enterprises by number of employees, economic activity and owners sex. 1.1.2010
• Table 3 Number of enterprises by number of employees, economic activity and owners national background. 1.1.2010
• Table 4 Shareholders in public and private limited companies, by gender and share. 31. December 2009
• Table 5 Number of enterprises and shareholders, by shareholder type. 1st January 2010
• Table 6 Number of enterprises and shareholders by share and number of shareholders in enterprise. Per Cent. 1st January 2010
• Table 7 Number of enterprises where shareholder has a role, type of role and number of shareholders in enterprise. 1st January 2010
• Table 8 Number of shareholders, by number of enterprises they have shares in. 1st January 2010
• Table 9 Number of shareholders, by number of enterprises they are the major shareholders in. 1st January 2010