Language:NO / EN
Statistics

Most and fewest completing upper secondary

The share of pupils who completed upper secondary education within five or six years.

Vindafjord has the highest completion share of Norway's municipalities at 94.2% (2025). The lowest is Vega at 60.5%. Source: FHI, indicator 623, processed by Morning Analytics 2 November 2026.

Download the table (CSV) Sharing image (PNG)

94.2%Highest: Vindafjord
80.5%Median of the municipalities
60.5%Lowest: Vega

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

We compared completion share 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 completion share 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 «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» most often rank low on completion share (strong association, rank correlation −0.52 across 269 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 09429).
  • Municipalities that rank high on «Life expectancy at birth (15-year period)» most often also rank high on completion share (moderate association, rank correlation 0.39 across 269 municipalities; NIPH indicator 508).
  • Municipalities that rank high on «Disability benefit recipients aged 20–66 (standardised)» most often rank low on completion share (moderate association, rank correlation −0.39 across 269 municipalities; NIPH indicator 787).
  • Municipalities that rank high on «Employed, share of age 20–66» most often also rank high on completion share (moderate association, rank correlation 0.38 across 269 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 11618).

The highest and the lowest

  • No. 1 Vindafjord (94.2%) Fits the pattern: «Employed, share of age 20–66» 81.0% (no. 27 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11618); «Disability benefit recipients aged 20–66 (standardised)» 8.4% (no. 298 of 357 from the top; NIPH indicator 787); «Life expectancy at birth (15-year period)» 83.3 (no. 63 of 348 from the top; NIPH indicator 508). Most distinctive industry: jordbruk og tjenester tilknyttet jordbruk, jakt og viltstell, 10% of the jobs, 7.6 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 2 Hole (94.2%) Fits the pattern: «Disability benefit recipients aged 20–66 (standardised)» 6.7% (no. 349 of 357 from the top; NIPH indicator 787); «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 19.6% (no. 337 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429). Most distinctive industry: overnattingsvirksomhet, 5% of the jobs, 4.8 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 3 Suldal (92.3%) Fits the pattern: «Disability benefit recipients aged 20–66 (standardised)» 8.2% (no. 306 of 357 from the top; NIPH indicator 787); «Employed, share of age 20–66» 79.5% (no. 71 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11618); «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 22.1% (no. 276 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429). Most distinctive industry: bryting og bergverksdrift ellers, 14% of the jobs, 117.6 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 269 Vega (60.5%, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Employed, share of age 20–66» 71.6% (no. 318 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11618); «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 30.7% (no. 45 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429); «Disability benefit recipients aged 20–66 (standardised)» 13.8% (no. 60 of 357 from the top; NIPH indicator 787). Most distinctive industry: fiske, fangst og akvakultur, 10% of the jobs, 12.2 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 268 Flakstad (60.8%, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 35.7% (no. 14 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429); «Employed, share of age 20–66» 70.9% (no. 328 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11618). Most distinctive industry: fiske, fangst og akvakultur, 20% of the jobs, 25.1 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
  • No. 267 Kåfjord (61.9%, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Life expectancy at birth (15-year period)» 80.1 (no. 339 of 348 from the top; NIPH indicator 508); «Share with lower secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 34.9% (no. 15 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429); «Disability benefit recipients aged 20–66 (standardised)» 15.1% (no. 27 of 357 from the top; NIPH indicator 787). Most distinctive industry: jordbruk og tjenester tilknyttet jordbruk, jakt og viltstell, 8% of the jobs, 6.5 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. Vindafjord 94.2% 17% above the median of the municipalities.
  • 2. Hole 94.2% 17% above the median of the municipalities.
  • 3. Suldal 92.3% Small municipality (3,891 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 15% above the median of the municipalities.
  • 267. Kåfjord 61.9% Small municipality (1,939 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 23% below the median of the municipalities.
  • 268. Flakstad 60.8% Small municipality (1,235 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 24% below the median of the municipalities.
  • 269. Vega 60.5% Small municipality (1,202 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 25% below the median of the municipalities.
#Municipality County Inhabitants completion share
1 Vindafjord Rogaland 9,181 94.2%
2 Hole Buskerud 7,205 94.2%
3 Suldalsmall municipality Rogaland 3,891 92.3%
4 Frogn Akershus 16,429 92.2%
5 Røros Trøndelag - Trööndelage 5,638 91.4%
6 Giske Møre og Romsdal 8,828 90.8%
7 Bærum Akershus 133,228 89.6%
8 Luster Vestland 5,478 89.2%
9 Aukrasmall municipality Møre og Romsdal 3,780 89.1%
10 Heim Trøndelag - Trööndelage 6,075 89.0%
11 Sør-Fronsmall municipality Innlandet 3,108 88.8%
12 Vanylvensmall municipality Møre og Romsdal 3,029 88.8%
13 Randaberg Rogaland 11,841 88.7%
14 Surnadal Møre og Romsdal 5,982 88.4%
15 Hurdalsmall municipality Akershus 3,078 88.1%
16 Bjerkreimsmall municipality Rogaland 2,894 87.9%
17 Gausdal Innlandet 6,147 87.8%
18 Hustadvika Møre og Romsdal 13,538 87.6%
19 Midtre Gauldal Trøndelag - Trööndelage 6,088 87.5%
20 Ullensvang Vestland 10,929 87.4%
21 Årdal Vestland 5,178 87.4%
22 Tysvær Rogaland 11,750 87.1%
23 Seljordsmall municipality Telemark 2,959 87.0%
24 Bamble Telemark 14,267 86.5%
25 Lørenskog Akershus 51,511 86.5%
26 Haram Møre og Romsdal 9,460 86.4%
27 Enebakk Akershus 11,697 86.4%
28 Nordre Follo Akershus 65,381 86.4%
29 Kongsberg Buskerud 29,169 86.4%
30 Elverum Innlandet 21,937 86.3%
31 Nesodden Akershus 21,005 86.3%
32 Stryn Vestland 7,319 86.2%
33 Vågåsmall municipality Innlandet 3,553 86.1%
34 Sola Rogaland 29,541 86.1%
35 Sogndal Vestland 12,552 86.0%
36 Hjelmelandsmall municipality Rogaland 2,612 86.0%
37 Hareid Møre og Romsdal 5,411 85.8%
38 Saudasmall municipality Rogaland 4,603 85.8%
39 Lillesand Agder 11,822 85.8%
40 Asker Akershus 101,509 85.5%
41 Lier Buskerud 28,797 85.4%
42 Salangensmall municipality Troms - Romsa - Tromssa 2,132 85.4%
43 Kvinesdal Agder 6,242 85.3%
44 Ålesund Møre og Romsdal 59,663 85.2%
45 Fjordsmall municipality Møre og Romsdal 2,547 85.1%
46 Nittedal Akershus 26,032 85.0%
47 Midt-Telemark Telemark 11,157 85.0%
48 Oslo Oslo - Oslove 728,714 84.9%
49 Sunnfjord Vestland 22,804 84.8%
50 Lillestrøm Akershus 96,771 84.8%

Not available for 88 municipalities (hidden by the source, too small or not measured): Aremark, Askvoll, Aurland, Beiarn, Berlevåg, Bindal, Bokn, Bygland, Bykle, Båtsfjord, Dyrøy, Dønna …