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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 4 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

The picture in figures

The bars show the ten highest and the ten lowest of 181 municipalities. The dashed line is the median of all municipalities.

Highest 10
OsloOslo16.68 per 1,000GloppenGloppen15.11 per 1,000NærøysundNærøysund14.16 per 1,000Midt-TelemarkMidt-Telemark13.69 per 1,000AustevollAustevoll13.40 per 1,000BærumBærum13.37 per 1,000FrognFrogn13.35 per 1,000HoleHole12.78 per 1,000NannestadNannestad12.43 per 1,000ÅsÅs12.41 per 1,000
Lowest 10
ÅrdalÅrdal5.03 per 1,000TynsetTynset5.15 per 1,000NomeNome6.10 per 1,000Vestre TotenVestre Toten6.16 per 1,000HammerfestHammerfest6.28 per 1,000MeløyMeløy6.28 per 1,000HadselHadsel6.35 per 1,000StangeStange6.46 per 1,000SkaunSkaun6.52 per 1,000ÅsnesÅsnes6.61 per 1,000
How 181 municipalities spread
5.03 per 1,000 – 6.00 per 1,000: 26.00 per 1,000 – 6.97 per 1,000: 146.97 per 1,000 – 7.94 per 1,000: 287.94 per 1,000 – 8.91 per 1,000: 318.91 per 1,000 – 9.88 per 1,000: 389.88 per 1,000 – 10.85 per 1,000: 3310.85 per 1,000 – 11.82 per 1,000: 1711.82 per 1,000 – 12.80 per 1,000: 1112.80 per 1,000 – 13.77 per 1,000: 413.77 per 1,000 – 14.74 per 1,000: 114.74 per 1,000 – 15.71 per 1,000: 115.71 per 1,000 – 16.68 per 1,000: 15.03 per 1,00016.68 per 1,000new enterprises per 1,000 inhabitants →

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 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» 93.49 per 1,000 (no. 27 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» 47.02 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
51 Sortland Nordland 10,748 10.32 per 1,000
52 Sola Rogaland 29,541 10.28 per 1,000
53 Rakkestad Østfold 8,583 10.27 per 1,000
54 Luster Vestland 5,478 10.18 per 1,000
55 Bamble Telemark 14,267 10.16 per 1,000
56 Fredrikstad Østfold 86,243 10.16 per 1,000
57 Balsfjord Troms 5,625 10.15 per 1,000
58 Våler (Østfold) Østfold 6,229 10.13 per 1,000
59 Sandnes Rogaland 85,785 10.09 per 1,000
60 Indre Østfold Østfold 47,943 10.09 per 1,000
61 Ringerike Buskerud 31,942 10.08 per 1,000
62 Lillesand Agder 11,822 10.07 per 1,000
63 Nord-Fron Innlandet 5,493 10.02 per 1,000
64 Råde Østfold 7,892 9.98 per 1,000
65 Kvam Vestland 8,490 9.96 per 1,000
66 Øygarden Vestland 40,641 9.96 per 1,000
67 Tromsø Troms 79,943 9.95 per 1,000
68 Haugesund Rogaland 38,663 9.93 per 1,000
69 Hamar Innlandet 33,817 9.88 per 1,000
70 Vågan Nordland 9,905 9.86 per 1,000
71 Nord-Aurdal Innlandet 6,424 9.84 per 1,000
72 Surnadal Møre og Romsdal 5,982 9.81 per 1,000
73 Kvinesdal Agder 6,242 9.79 per 1,000
74 Vestnes Møre og Romsdal 7,315 9.79 per 1,000
75 Jevnaker Akershus 7,040 9.73 per 1,000
76 Sel Innlandet 5,469 9.70 per 1,000
77 Melhus Trøndelag 17,828 9.69 per 1,000
78 Voss Vestland 16,438 9.66 per 1,000
79 Time Rogaland 20,461 9.66 per 1,000
80 Ullensvang Vestland 10,929 9.60 per 1,000
81 Larvik Vestfold 49,022 9.60 per 1,000
82 Lillehammer Innlandet 29,669 9.59 per 1,000
83 Gjøvik Innlandet 31,350 9.55 per 1,000
84 Ulstein Møre og Romsdal 8,958 9.55 per 1,000
85 Sunnfjord Vestland 22,804 9.54 per 1,000
86 Søndre Land Innlandet 5,603 9.53 per 1,000
87 Trysil Innlandet 6,474 9.42 per 1,000
88 Tvedestrand Agder 6,430 9.38 per 1,000
89 Tinn Telemark 5,515 9.38 per 1,000
90 Arendal Agder 46,603 9.37 per 1,000
91 Ringsaker Innlandet 36,199 9.36 per 1,000
92 Notodden Telemark 13,389 9.29 per 1,000
93 Røros Trøndelag 5,638 9.29 per 1,000
94 Gjesdal Rogaland 12,715 9.27 per 1,000
95 Sør-Varanger Finnmark 9,947 9.24 per 1,000
96 Porsgrunn Telemark 37,435 9.18 per 1,000
97 Ørsta Møre og Romsdal 11,068 9.15 per 1,000
98 Eidsvoll Akershus 28,739 9.14 per 1,000
99 Halden Østfold 32,082 9.14 per 1,000
100 Risør Agder 6,683 9.11 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