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Statistics

Most and fewest on disability benefit

The share of residents aged 20 to 66 who receive disability benefit, adjusted for age and sex.

Iveland has the highest share on disability benefit of Norway's municipalities at 20.9% (2024). The lowest is Bærum at 4.7%. Source: FHI, indicator 787, processed by Morning Analytics 2 November 2026.

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20.9%Highest: Iveland
11.2%Median of the municipalities
4.7%Lowest: Bærum

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

We compared share on disability benefit 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 share on disability benefit 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 «Employed, share of age 20–66» most often rank low on share on disability benefit (strong association, rank correlation −0.70 across 357 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 11618).
  • Municipalities that rank high on «Gross income per person aged 17 and over, median» most often rank low on share on disability benefit (strong association, rank correlation −0.58 across 357 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 05671).
  • Municipalities that rank high on «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» most often also rank high on share on disability benefit (strong association, rank correlation 0.51 across 357 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 09429).
  • Municipalities that rank high on «Life expectancy at birth (15-year period)» most often rank low on share on disability benefit (moderate association, rank correlation −0.49 across 348 municipalities; NIPH indicator 508).

The highest and the lowest

  • No. 1 Iveland (20.9%) Fits the pattern: «Life expectancy at birth (15-year period)» 80.3 (no. 331 of 348 from the top; NIPH indicator 508); «Employed, share of age 20–66» 71.2% (no. 324 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11618); «Gross income per person aged 17 and over, median» 469,200 kr (no. 301 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 05671). Most distinctive industry: produksjon av drikkevarer, 13% of the jobs, 116.4 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 2 Søndre Land (19.0%) Fits the pattern: «Employed, share of age 20–66» 67.1% (no. 354 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11618); «Life expectancy at birth (15-year period)» 80.3 (no. 334 of 348 from the top; NIPH indicator 508); «Gross income per person aged 17 and over, median» 453,600 kr (no. 332 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 05671). Most distinctive industry: jordbruk og tjenester tilknyttet jordbruk, jakt og viltstell, 6% of the jobs, 4.5 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 3 Åmli (18.8%) Fits the pattern: «Employed, share of age 20–66» 69.7% (no. 343 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11618); «Gross income per person aged 17 and over, median» 464,000 kr (no. 309 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 05671); «Life expectancy at birth (15-year period)» 81.5 (no. 288 of 348 from the top; NIPH indicator 508). Most distinctive industry: produksjon av trelast og varer av tre, kork, strå og flettematerialer, unntatt møbler, 12% of the jobs, 30.7 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 357 Bærum (4.7%, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Gross income per person aged 17 and over, median» 638,400 kr (no. 1 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 05671); «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 15.1% (no. 357 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429); «Life expectancy at birth (15-year period)» 84.3 (no. 6 of 348 from the top; NIPH indicator 508). Most distinctive industry: arkitektvirksomhet og teknisk konsulentvirksomhet, og teknisk prøving og analyse, 7% of the jobs, 3.4 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 356 Eidfjord (4.9%, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Employed, share of age 20–66» 83.5% (no. 2 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11618); «Gross income per person aged 17 and over, median» 553,300 kr (no. 30 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 05671); «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 20.1% (no. 325 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429). Most distinctive industry: elektrisitets-, gass-, damp- og varmtvannsforsyning, 8% of the jobs, 12.0 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 355 Bykle (5.4%, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 17.8% (no. 353 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429); «Life expectancy at birth (15-year period)» 83.7 (no. 27 of 348 from the top; NIPH indicator 508); «Gross income per person aged 17 and over, median» 539,500 kr (no. 48 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 05671). Most distinctive industry: overnattingsvirksomhet, 7% of the jobs, 6.9 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. Iveland 20.9% Small municipality (1,386 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 86% above the median of the municipalities.
  • 2. Søndre Land 19.0% 69% above the median of the municipalities.
  • 3. Åmli 18.8% Small municipality (1,805 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 68% above the median of the municipalities.
  • 355. Bykle 5.4% Small municipality (1,057 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 52% below the median of the municipalities.
  • 356. Eidfjord 4.9% Small municipality (985 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 56% below the median of the municipalities.
  • 357. Bærum 4.7% 58% below the median of the municipalities.
#Municipality County Inhabitants share on disability benefit
101 Indre Østfold Østfold 47,943 12.8%
102 Storfjordsmall municipality Troms - Romsa - Tromssa 1,848 12.8%
103 Karlsøysmall municipality Troms - Romsa - Tromssa 2,235 12.7%
104 Sokndalsmall municipality Rogaland 3,356 12.7%
105 Rødøysmall municipality Nordland - Nordlánnda 1,140 12.6%
106 Hamarøysmall municipality Nordland - Nordlánnda 2,808 12.6%
107 Porsgrunn Telemark 37,435 12.6%
108 Indre Fosen Trøndelag - Trööndelage 10,006 12.6%
109 Fredrikstad Østfold 86,243 12.6%
110 Lurøysmall municipality Nordland - Nordlánnda 1,953 12.6%
111 Lillesand Agder 11,822 12.5%
112 Drangedalsmall municipality Telemark 4,056 12.5%
113 Moss Østfold 53,207 12.5%
114 Skien Telemark 56,906 12.5%
115 Rana Nordland - Nordlánnda 25,844 12.5%
116 Nærøysund Trøndelag - Trööndelage 9,920 12.5%
117 Tingvollsmall municipality Møre og Romsdal 3,066 12.4%
118 Sørfoldsmall municipality Nordland - Nordlánnda 1,819 12.4%
119 Rennebusmall municipality Trøndelag - Trööndelage 2,514 12.4%
120 Loppasmall municipality Finnmark - Finnmárku - Finmarkku 846 12.4%
121 Hurdalsmall municipality Akershus 3,078 12.4%
122 Ringsaker Innlandet 36,199 12.4%
123 Vanylvensmall municipality Møre og Romsdal 3,029 12.4%
124 Heim Trøndelag - Trööndelage 6,075 12.4%
125 Sel Innlandet 5,469 12.3%
126 Øvre Eiker Buskerud 20,965 12.3%
127 Sortland Nordland - Nordlánnda 10,748 12.3%
128 Alta Finnmark - Finnmárku - Finmarkku 22,074 12.3%
129 Seljordsmall municipality Telemark 2,959 12.3%
130 Kristiansand Agder 119,287 12.3%
131 Stange Innlandet 21,839 12.2%
132 Alstahaug Nordland - Nordlánnda 7,489 12.2%
133 Sandefjord Vestfold 67,062 12.2%
134 Holmestrand Vestfold 27,086 12.2%
135 Vaksdalsmall municipality Vestland 3,899 12.2%
136 Høyangersmall municipality Vestland 3,883 12.1%
137 Overhallasmall municipality Trøndelag - Trööndelage 3,944 12.1%
138 Trysil Innlandet 6,474 12.1%
139 Nesnasmall municipality Nordland - Nordlánnda 1,796 12.1%
140 Sør-Varanger Finnmark - Finnmárku - Finmarkku 9,947 12.1%
141 Farsund Agder 9,949 12.1%
142 Skiptvetsmall municipality Østfold 3,940 12.0%
143 Kviteseidsmall municipality Telemark 2,463 12.0%
144 Smølasmall municipality Møre og Romsdal 2,141 12.0%
145 Steigensmall municipality Nordland - Nordlánnda 2,679 12.0%
146 Stjørdal Trøndelag - Trööndelage 25,108 12.0%
147 Våler (Østfold) Østfold 6,229 12.0%
148 Vevelstadsmall municipality Nordland - Nordlánnda 477 11.9%
149 Hjartdalsmall municipality Telemark 1,638 11.9%
150 Namsskogansmall municipality Trøndelag - Trööndelage 803 11.8%