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Statistics

Most and fewest new businesses

New enterprises per 1,000 inhabitants.

Oslo has the highest new enterprises per 1,000 inhabitants of Norway's municipalities at 16.68 per 1,000 (2023). The lowest is Årdal at 5.03 per 1,000. Source: SSB, table 13701, processed by Morning Analytics 2 November 2026.

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16.68 per 1,000Highest: Oslo
9.36 per 1,000Median of the municipalities
5.03 per 1,000Lowest: Årdal

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

We compared new enterprises 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 new enterprises 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 «Limited companies we follow per 1,000 inhabitants» most often also rank high on new enterprises per 1,000 inhabitants (moderate association, rank correlation 0.47 across 181 municipalities; Brønnøysund Register Centre, our own calculations).
  • Municipalities that rank high on «Projected population growth to 2050 (main alternative)» most often also rank high on new enterprises per 1,000 inhabitants (moderate association, rank correlation 0.45 across 181 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 14746).
  • Municipalities that rank high on «Share in households with persistent low income (EU60)» most often also rank high on new enterprises per 1,000 inhabitants (moderate association, rank correlation 0.43 across 181 municipalities; NIPH indicator 403).
  • Municipalities that rank high on «Centrality (Statistics Norway's centrality index, 6 is most central)» most often also rank high on new enterprises per 1,000 inhabitants (moderate association, rank correlation 0.34 across 181 municipalities; Statistics Norway, centrality index).

The highest and the lowest

  • No. 1 Oslo (16.68 per 1,000) Fits the pattern: «Share in households with persistent low income (EU60)» 14.4% (no. 1 of 357 from the top; NIPH indicator 403); «Centrality (Statistics Norway's centrality index, 6 is most central)» 6 (no. 1 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway, centrality index); «Limited companies we follow per 1,000 inhabitants» 93.52 per 1,000 (no. 26 of 347 from the top; Brønnøysund Register Centre, our own calculations). Most distinctive industry: tjenester tilknyttet informasjonsteknologi, 6% of the jobs, 2.6 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 2 Gloppen (15.11 per 1,000) Fits the pattern: «Limited companies we follow per 1,000 inhabitants» 72.62 per 1,000 (no. 85 of 347 from the top; Brønnøysund Register Centre, our own calculations). Goes against the pattern: «Projected population growth to 2050 (main alternative)» −4.0% (no. 286 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 14746). Most distinctive industry: jordbruk og tjenester tilknyttet jordbruk, jakt og viltstell, 7% of the jobs, 5.2 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 3 Nærøysund (14.16 per 1,000) Fits the pattern: «Limited companies we follow per 1,000 inhabitants» 75.40 per 1,000 (no. 72 of 347 from the top; Brønnøysund Register Centre, our own calculations). Most distinctive industry: fiske, fangst og akvakultur, 14% of the jobs, 17.3 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 181 Årdal (5.03 per 1,000, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Projected population growth to 2050 (main alternative)» −15.4% (no. 354 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 14746); «Share in households with persistent low income (EU60)» 5.8% (no. 350 of 357 from the top; NIPH indicator 403); «Limited companies we follow per 1,000 inhabitants» 41.33 per 1,000 (no. 323 of 347 from the top; Brønnøysund Register Centre, our own calculations). Most distinctive industry: produksjon av metaller, 35% of the jobs, 90.8 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 180 Tynset (5.15 per 1,000, among the lowest) The municipality does not stand out on the figures that otherwise go together with the measure. The explanation probably lies in something we have no figures for. Most distinctive industry: jordbruk og tjenester tilknyttet jordbruk, jakt og viltstell, 8% of the jobs, 6.3 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 179 Nome (6.10 per 1,000, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Limited companies we follow per 1,000 inhabitants» 46.87 per 1,000 (no. 289 of 347 from the top; Brønnøysund Register Centre, our own calculations); «Share in households with persistent low income (EU60)» 7.2% (no. 281 of 357 from the top; NIPH indicator 403). Goes against the pattern: «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: produksjon av metaller, 7% of the jobs, 17.1 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. Oslo 16.68 per 1,000 78% above the median of the municipalities.
  • 2. Gloppen 15.11 per 1,000 61% above the median of the municipalities.
  • 3. Nærøysund 14.16 per 1,000 51% above the median of the municipalities.
  • 179. Nome 6.10 per 1,000 35% below the median of the municipalities.
  • 180. Tynset 5.15 per 1,000 45% below the median of the municipalities.
  • 181. Årdal 5.03 per 1,000 46% below the median of the municipalities.
#Municipality County Inhabitants new enterprises per 1,000 inhabitants
1 Oslo Oslo - Oslove 728,714 16.68 per 1,000
2 Gloppen Vestland 5,976 15.11 per 1,000
3 Nærøysund Trøndelag - Trööndelage 9,920 14.16 per 1,000
4 Midt-Telemark Telemark 11,157 13.69 per 1,000
5 Austevoll Vestland 5,515 13.40 per 1,000
6 Bærum Akershus 133,228 13.37 per 1,000
7 Frogn Akershus 16,429 13.35 per 1,000
8 Hole Buskerud 7,205 12.78 per 1,000
9 Nannestad Akershus 16,662 12.43 per 1,000
10 Ås Akershus 22,725 12.41 per 1,000
11 Averøy Møre og Romsdal 6,007 12.26 per 1,000
12 Lillestrøm Akershus 96,771 12.13 per 1,000
13 Asker Akershus 101,509 12.05 per 1,000
14 Kristiansand Agder 119,287 11.95 per 1,000
15 Ullensaker Akershus 45,982 11.94 per 1,000
16 Ål Buskerud 5,106 11.93 per 1,000
17 Vestby Akershus 20,167 11.89 per 1,000
18 Alta Finnmark - Finnmárku - Finmarkku 22,074 11.87 per 1,000
19 Gjerdrum Akershus 7,478 11.81 per 1,000
20 Rælingen Akershus 20,904 11.77 per 1,000
21 Nordre Follo Akershus 65,381 11.54 per 1,000
22 Færder Vestfold 27,743 11.47 per 1,000
23 Lier Buskerud 28,797 11.22 per 1,000
24 Lindesnes Agder 23,702 11.20 per 1,000
25 Holmestrand Vestfold 27,086 11.18 per 1,000
26 Stavanger Rogaland 151,669 11.18 per 1,000
27 Vestvågøy Nordland - Nordlánnda 11,606 11.17 per 1,000
28 Bergen Vestland 294,860 11.09 per 1,000
29 Midtre Gauldal Trøndelag - Trööndelage 6,088 11.09 per 1,000
30 Tønsberg Vestfold 60,246 11.05 per 1,000
31 Oppdal Trøndelag - Trööndelage 7,421 11.03 per 1,000
32 Lørenskog Akershus 51,511 10.98 per 1,000
33 Birkenes Agder 5,447 10.95 per 1,000
34 Stryn Vestland 7,319 10.91 per 1,000
35 Sandefjord Vestfold 67,062 10.89 per 1,000
36 Vindafjord Rogaland 9,181 10.74 per 1,000
37 Drammen Buskerud 106,013 10.67 per 1,000
38 Rauma Møre og Romsdal 7,195 10.64 per 1,000
39 Nesodden Akershus 21,005 10.63 per 1,000
40 Trondheim Trøndelag - Trööndelage 218,460 10.57 per 1,000
41 Moss Østfold 53,207 10.54 per 1,000
42 Bjørnafjorden Vestland 26,753 10.51 per 1,000
43 Malvik Trøndelag - Trööndelage 14,961 10.50 per 1,000
44 Aurskog-Høland Akershus 18,458 10.48 per 1,000
45 Kragerø Telemark 10,378 10.47 per 1,000
46 Lyngdal Agder 10,922 10.42 per 1,000
47 Modum Buskerud 14,776 10.39 per 1,000
48 Froland Agder 6,299 10.37 per 1,000
49 Enebakk Akershus 11,697 10.36 per 1,000
50 Grimstad Agder 25,569 10.33 per 1,000

Not ranked because the municipality has fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, where a few people can move the figure a lot (174): Alvdal (8.02 per 1,000), Andøy (6.77 per 1,000), Aremark (9.03 per 1,000), Askvoll (11.87 per 1,000), Aukra (7.66 per 1,000), Aure (9.76 per 1,000), Aurland (14.65 per 1,000), Austrheim (11.90 per 1,000), Bardu (5.06 per 1,000), Beiarn (7.79 per 1,000), Berlevåg (7.71 per 1,000), Bindal (7.19 per 1,000), Bjerkreim (7.72 per 1,000), Bokn (14.98 per 1,000), Bremanger (5.74 per 1,000), Bygland (16.73 per 1,000), Bykle (13.07 per 1,000), Båtsfjord (7.56 per 1,000), Bø (5.80 per 1,000), Dovre (9.33 per 1,000), Drangedal (9.29 per 1,000), Dyrøy (9.47 per 1,000), Dønna (7.19 per 1,000), Eidfjord (19.75 per 1,000), Engerdal (5.27 per 1,000), Etne (10.07 per 1,000), Etnedal (8.07 per 1,000), Evenes (11.45 per 1,000), Evje og Hornnes (8.97 per 1,000), Fedje (25.34 per 1,000), Fitjar (10.06 per 1,000), Fjaler (10.30 per 1,000), Fjord (8.82 per 1,000), Flakstad (13.11 per 1,000), Flatanger (6.32 per 1,000), Flesberg (8.04 per 1,000), Flå (30.99 per 1,000), Folldal (4.61 per 1,000), Frosta (13.23 per 1,000), Fyresdal (15.52 per 1,000) …

Not available for 2 municipalities (hidden by the source, too small or not measured): Haram, Ålesund