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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 5 November 2026.

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

The picture in figures

The bars show the ten highest and the ten lowest of 348 municipalities. The dashed line is the median of all municipalities.

Highest 10
BoknBokn85.2 yearsHøylandetHøylandet84.7 yearsHemsedalHemsedal84.5 yearsVoldaVolda84.4 yearsRindalRindal84.4 yearsBærumBærum84.3 yearsGiskeGiske84.2 yearsMalvikMalvik84.2 yearsSykkylvenSykkylven84.2 yearsRollagRollag84.1 years
Lowest 10
VardøVardø78.2 yearsGamvikGamvik78.6 yearsLoppaLoppa79.0 yearsKvænangenKvænangen79.2 yearsLebesbyLebesby79.5 yearsBerlevågBerlevåg79.6 yearsPorsangerPorsanger79.7 yearsNordkappNordkapp79.8 yearsMåsøyMåsøy80.0 yearsKåfjordKåfjord80.1 years
How 348 municipalities spread
78.2 years – 78.8 years: 278.8 years – 79.4 years: 279.4 years – 79.9 years: 479.9 years – 80.5 years: 1280.5 years – 81.1 years: 2181.1 years – 81.7 years: 3581.7 years – 82.3 years: 7982.3 years – 82.8 years: 7682.8 years – 83.4 years: 7183.4 years – 84.0 years: 3184.0 years – 84.6 years: 1384.6 years – 85.2 years: 278.2 years85.2 yearslife expectancy →

Each bar is the number of municipalities in a range of values. The dashed line is the median. Hover over a bar to see the range.

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
251 Vågåsmall municipality Innlandet 3,553 81.9 years
252 Kviteseidsmall municipality Telemark 2,463 81.8 years
253 Gran Innlandet 13,689 81.8 years
254 Andøysmall municipality Nordland 4,525 81.8 years
255 Steigensmall municipality Nordland 2,679 81.8 years
256 Lyngdal Agder 10,922 81.8 years
257 Halden Østfold 32,082 81.8 years
258 Løten Innlandet 7,951 81.8 years
259 Sarpsborg Østfold 60,614 81.8 years
260 Vaksdalsmall municipality Vestland 3,899 81.8 years
261 Kvæfjordsmall municipality Troms 2,901 81.8 years
262 Årdal Vestland 5,178 81.8 years
263 Saltdalsmall municipality Nordland 4,865 81.8 years
264 Vangsmall municipality Innlandet 1,666 81.8 years
265 Vegasmall municipality Nordland 1,202 81.7 years
266 Vestnes Møre og Romsdal 7,315 81.7 years
267 Froland Agder 6,299 81.7 years
268 Jevnaker Akershus 7,040 81.7 years
269 Evje og Hornnessmall municipality Agder 3,842 81.7 years
270 Kvinesdal Agder 6,242 81.7 years
271 Eidsvoll Akershus 28,739 81.7 years
272 Storfjordsmall municipality Troms 1,848 81.7 years
273 Nome Telemark 6,529 81.7 years
274 Tvedestrand Agder 6,430 81.7 years
275 Porsgrunn Telemark 37,435 81.6 years
276 Dovresmall municipality Innlandet 2,523 81.6 years
277 Hægebostadsmall municipality Agder 1,794 81.6 years
278 Bindalsmall municipality Nordland 1,361 81.6 years
279 Øksnessmall municipality Nordland 4,613 81.6 years
280 Alta Finnmark 22,074 81.6 years
281 Karasjoksmall municipality Finnmark 2,524 81.6 years
282 Namsskogansmall municipality Trøndelag 803 81.6 years
283 Vegårsheismall municipality Agder 2,253 81.6 years
284 Etnedalsmall municipality Innlandet 1,593 81.6 years
285 Risør Agder 6,683 81.5 years
286 Nord-Aurdal Innlandet 6,424 81.5 years
287 Sør-Odal Innlandet 8,165 81.5 years
288 Åmlismall municipality Agder 1,805 81.5 years
289 Kragerø Telemark 10,378 81.5 years
290 Saudasmall municipality Rogaland 4,603 81.5 years
291 Karlsøysmall municipality Troms 2,235 81.4 years
292 Seljordsmall municipality Telemark 2,959 81.4 years
293 Åmotsmall municipality Innlandet 4,191 81.4 years
294 Skjervøysmall municipality Troms 2,802 81.4 years
295 Sør-Aurdalsmall municipality Innlandet 2,841 81.4 years
296 Fyresdalsmall municipality Telemark 1,274 81.3 years
297 Salangensmall municipality Troms 2,132 81.3 years
298 Vestvågøy Nordland 11,606 81.2 years
299 Vadsø Finnmark 5,808 81.2 years
300 Kongsvinger Innlandet 18,191 81.2 years

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