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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 5 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 «Average price per square metre, second-hand dwellings» most often also rank high on new enterprises per 1,000 inhabitants (moderate association, rank correlation 0.41 across 181 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 14545).

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); «Average price per square metre, second-hand dwellings» 98,381 kr (no. 1 of 278 from the top; Statistics Norway table 14545); «Limited companies we follow per 1,000 inhabitants» 93.47 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: «Average price per square metre, second-hand dwellings» 15,751 kr (no. 246 of 278 from the top; Statistics Norway table 14545); «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). 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
151 Rana Nordland 25,844 7.66 per 1,000
152 Kongsvinger Innlandet 18,191 7.63 per 1,000
153 Flekkefjord Agder 9,373 7.60 per 1,000
154 Løten Innlandet 7,951 7.53 per 1,000
155 Hustadvika Møre og Romsdal 13,538 7.50 per 1,000
156 Volda Møre og Romsdal 11,009 7.48 per 1,000
157 Sykkylven Møre og Romsdal 7,626 7.47 per 1,000
158 Brønnøy Nordland 7,841 7.45 per 1,000
159 Kvinnherad Vestland 13,236 7.43 per 1,000
160 Hå Rogaland 20,087 7.38 per 1,000
161 Verdal Trøndelag 15,435 7.33 per 1,000
162 Sunndal Møre og Romsdal 7,094 7.31 per 1,000
163 Osterøy Vestland 8,231 7.24 per 1,000
164 Fauske Nordland 9,707 7.21 per 1,000
165 Levanger Trøndelag 20,807 6.98 per 1,000
166 Steinkjer Trøndelag 24,007 6.89 per 1,000
167 Sula Møre og Romsdal 9,798 6.85 per 1,000
168 Øyer Innlandet 5,130 6.78 per 1,000
169 Alstahaug Nordland 7,489 6.71 per 1,000
170 Gausdal Innlandet 6,147 6.69 per 1,000
171 Vefsn Nordland 13,481 6.67 per 1,000
172 Åsnes Innlandet 7,216 6.61 per 1,000
173 Skaun Trøndelag 8,574 6.52 per 1,000
174 Stange Innlandet 21,839 6.46 per 1,000
175 Hadsel Nordland 8,374 6.35 per 1,000
176 Meløy Nordland 6,074 6.28 per 1,000
177 Hammerfest Finnmark 11,391 6.28 per 1,000
178 Vestre Toten Innlandet 13,612 6.16 per 1,000
179 Nome Telemark 6,529 6.10 per 1,000
180 Tynset Innlandet 5,762 5.15 per 1,000
181 Årdal Vestland 5,178 5.03 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