Most and fewest bankruptcies per inhabitant

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

We compared bankruptcies per 1,000 inhabitants 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 bankruptcies per 1,000 inhabitants 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 «New bankruptcies and liquidations per 1,000 limited companies» most often also rank high on bankruptcies per 1,000 inhabitants (moderate association, rank correlation 0.33 across 357 municipalities; Brønnøysund Register Centre, our own calculations).
• Municipalities that rank high on «Population on 1 January» most often also rank high on bankruptcies per 1,000 inhabitants (weak association, rank correlation 0.30 across 357 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 11342).
• Municipalities that rank high on «Centrality (Statistics Norway's centrality index, 6 is most central)» most often also rank high on bankruptcies per 1,000 inhabitants (weak association, rank correlation 0.29 across 357 municipalities; Statistics Norway, centrality index).
• Municipalities that rank high on «Net operating expenditure per inhabitant» most often rank low on bankruptcies per 1,000 inhabitants (weak association, rank correlation −0.28 across 357 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 12137).

The highest and the lowest

• No. 1 Træna (4.32 per 1,000) Fits the pattern: «New bankruptcies and liquidations per 1,000 limited companies» 23.81 per 1,000 (no. 4 of 357 from the top; Brønnøysund Register Centre, our own calculations). Goes against the pattern: «Net operating expenditure per inhabitant» 153,804 kr (no. 15 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 12137). Most distinctive industry: fiske, fangst og akvakultur, 17% of the jobs, 20.6 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
• No. 2 Gol (3.89 per 1,000) Fits the pattern: «New bankruptcies and liquidations per 1,000 limited companies» 22.99 per 1,000 (no. 5 of 357 from the top; Brønnøysund Register Centre, our own calculations); «Centrality (Statistics Norway's centrality index, 6 is most central)» 3 (no. 81 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway, centrality index). Most distinctive industry: overnattingsvirksomhet, 6% of the jobs, 5.8 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
• No. 3 Værøy (2.95 per 1,000) Fits the pattern: «New bankruptcies and liquidations per 1,000 limited companies» 14.49 per 1,000 (no. 18 of 357 from the top; Brønnøysund Register Centre, our own calculations). Goes against the pattern: «Net operating expenditure per inhabitant» 146,659 kr (no. 23 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 12137). Most distinctive industry: produksjon av nærings- og nytelsesmidler, 31% of the jobs, 18.7 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
• No. 357 Nesseby (0.00 per 1,000, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Population on 1 January» 874 (no. 342 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11342); «Net operating expenditure per inhabitant» 152,261 kr (no. 19 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 12137). Most distinctive industry: fiske, fangst og akvakultur, 8% of the jobs, 10.6 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
• No. 356 Berlevåg (0.00 per 1,000, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Population on 1 January» 864 (no. 343 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11342); «Net operating expenditure per inhabitant» 131,259 kr (no. 44 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 12137). Most distinctive industry: fiske, fangst og akvakultur, 17% of the jobs, 21.4 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
• No. 355 Gamvik (0.00 per 1,000, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Population on 1 January» 1,019 (no. 334 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11342); «Net operating expenditure per inhabitant» 117,934 kr (no. 75 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 12137). Most distinctive industry: fiske, fangst og akvakultur, 30% of the jobs, 37.6 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.