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Statistics

Highest and lowest life expectancy

How long a newborn can expect to live, computed over 15 years to even out chance swings in small municipalities.

Bokn has the highest life expectancy of Norway's municipalities at 85.2 years (2025). The lowest is Vardø at 78.2 years. Source: FHI, indicator 508, processed by Morning Analytics 2 November 2026.

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85.2 yearsHighest: Bokn
82.4 yearsMedian of the municipalities
78.2 yearsLowest: Vardø

Analysis: why are some at the top and others at the bottom?

We compared life expectancy with every other municipal figure we have, from Statistics Norway, NIPH and the Brønnøysund Register Centre. Below are the figures that go most closely together with life expectancy across the country, and what marks the municipalities at the top and bottom on those figures.

The pattern across the country

  • Municipalities that rank high on «Household income after tax, median» most often also rank high on life expectancy (strong association, rank correlation 0.56 across 348 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 06944).
  • Municipalities that rank high on «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» most often rank low on life expectancy (strong association, rank correlation −0.55 across 348 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 09429).
  • Municipalities that rank high on «Employed, share of age 20–66» most often also rank high on life expectancy (strong association, rank correlation 0.53 across 348 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 11618).
  • Municipalities that rank high on «Disability benefit recipients aged 20–66 (standardised)» most often rank low on life expectancy (moderate association, rank correlation −0.49 across 348 municipalities; NIPH indicator 787).

The highest and the lowest

  • No. 1 Bokn (85.2 years) Fits the pattern: «Household income after tax, median» 763,000 kr (no. 24 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 06944); «Employed, share of age 20–66» 80.1% (no. 52 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11618); «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 21.1% (no. 301 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429). Most distinctive industry: fiske, fangst og akvakultur, 18% of the jobs, 22.6 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 2 Høylandet (84.7 years) Fits the pattern: «Employed, share of age 20–66» 83.0% (no. 6 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11618); «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 21.0% (no. 305 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429). Most distinctive industry: jordbruk og tjenester tilknyttet jordbruk, jakt og viltstell, 11% of the jobs, 8.4 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 3 Hemsedal (84.5 years) Fits the pattern: «Disability benefit recipients aged 20–66 (standardised)» 6.3% (no. 354 of 357 from the top; NIPH indicator 787); «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 19.0% (no. 347 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429); «Employed, share of age 20–66» 80.0% (no. 55 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11618). Most distinctive industry: overnattingsvirksomhet, 10% of the jobs, 9.2 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 348 Vardø (78.2 years, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Household income after tax, median» 527,000 kr (no. 353 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 06944); «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 30.5% (no. 49 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429); «Employed, share of age 20–66» 73.3% (no. 284 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11618). Most distinctive industry: fiske, fangst og akvakultur, 14% of the jobs, 17.8 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 347 Gamvik (78.6 years, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Household income after tax, median» 503,600 kr (no. 357 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 06944); «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 39.5% (no. 3 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429); «Employed, share of age 20–66» 68.7% (no. 347 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11618). Most distinctive industry: fiske, fangst og akvakultur, 30% of the jobs, 37.6 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 346 Loppa (79.0 years, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 39.0% (no. 4 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429); «Household income after tax, median» 544,000 kr (no. 351 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 06944); «Employed, share of age 20–66» 72.2% (no. 305 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11618). Most distinctive industry: fiske, fangst og akvakultur, 21% of the jobs, 26.0 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).

The analysis describes what goes together, not what causes what. Two figures can follow each other because both depend on something else, such as size, location or industry. The figures are from the latest year available for each source, so the years can differ. Rank correlation runs from −1 to 1; values near 1 mean the municipalities lie in roughly the same order on both measures.

What explains the placing?

  • 1. Bokn 85.2 years Small municipality (907 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 3% above the median of the municipalities.
  • 2. Høylandet 84.7 years Small municipality (1,230 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 3% above the median of the municipalities.
  • 3. Hemsedal 84.5 years Small municipality (2,707 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 3% above the median of the municipalities.
  • 346. Loppa 79.0 years Small municipality (846 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 4% below the median of the municipalities.
  • 347. Gamvik 78.6 years Small municipality (1,019 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 5% below the median of the municipalities.
  • 348. Vardø 78.2 years Small municipality (1,969 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 5% below the median of the municipalities.
#Municipality County Inhabitants life expectancy
1 Boknsmall municipality Rogaland 907 85.2 years
2 Høylandetsmall municipality Trøndelag - Trööndelage 1,230 84.7 years
3 Hemsedalsmall municipality Buskerud 2,707 84.5 years
4 Volda Møre og Romsdal 11,009 84.4 years
5 Rindalsmall municipality Trøndelag - Trööndelage 1,935 84.4 years
6 Bærum Akershus 133,228 84.3 years
7 Giske Møre og Romsdal 8,828 84.2 years
8 Malvik Trøndelag - Trööndelage 14,961 84.2 years
9 Sykkylven Møre og Romsdal 7,626 84.2 years
10 Rollagsmall municipality Buskerud 1,452 84.1 years
11 Aukrasmall municipality Møre og Romsdal 3,780 84.1 years
12 Hjartdalsmall municipality Telemark 1,638 84.1 years
13 Sunnfjord Vestland 22,804 84.0 years
14 Kvam Vestland 8,490 84.0 years
15 Viksmall municipality Vestland 2,532 84.0 years
16 Haram Møre og Romsdal 9,460 83.9 years
17 Ås Akershus 22,725 83.9 years
18 Gloppen Vestland 5,976 83.9 years
19 Samnangersmall municipality Vestland 2,489 83.9 years
20 Masfjordensmall municipality Vestland 1,672 83.9 years
21 Nesodden Akershus 21,005 83.9 years
22 Alver Vestland 30,285 83.9 years
23 Tingvollsmall municipality Møre og Romsdal 3,066 83.8 years
24 Nordre Follo Akershus 65,381 83.8 years
25 Randaberg Rogaland 11,841 83.7 years
26 Ulstein Møre og Romsdal 8,958 83.7 years
27 Byklesmall municipality Agder 1,057 83.7 years
28 Strandasmall municipality Møre og Romsdal 4,333 83.7 years
29 Luster Vestland 5,478 83.7 years
30 Sola Rogaland 29,541 83.7 years
31 Bjørnafjorden Vestland 26,753 83.7 years
32 Nissedalsmall municipality Telemark 1,509 83.6 years
33 Holsmall municipality Buskerud 4,552 83.6 years
34 Osterøy Vestland 8,231 83.6 years
35 Rauma Møre og Romsdal 7,195 83.6 years
36 Stryn Vestland 7,319 83.6 years
37 Asker Akershus 101,509 83.6 years
38 Vestby Akershus 20,167 83.6 years
39 Skjåksmall municipality Innlandet 2,185 83.5 years
40 Sandesmall municipality Møre og Romsdal 2,437 83.5 years
41 Fitjarsmall municipality Vestland 3,237 83.5 years
42 Stjørdal Trøndelag - Trööndelage 25,108 83.5 years
43 Ørsta Møre og Romsdal 11,068 83.5 years
44 Sogndal Vestland 12,552 83.5 years
45 Molde Møre og Romsdal 33,291 83.5 years
46 Time Rogaland 20,461 83.4 years
47 Herøy (Møre og Romsdal) Møre og Romsdal 9,003 83.4 years
48 Tysvær Rogaland 11,750 83.4 years
49 Skaun Trøndelag - Trööndelage 8,574 83.4 years
50 Auresmall municipality Møre og Romsdal 3,371 83.4 years

Not available for 9 municipalities (hidden by the source, too small or not measured): Fedje, Kvitsøy, Leka, Modalen, Røst, Røyrvik, Træna, Utsira, Vevelstad