Where to live, study and work: the cities newcomers ask us about most, with their population on 30 June 2026, universities and colleges, airports, public transport and the Service Centres for Foreign Workers (SUA).
Updated 5 November 2026
Population of Norway
5,636,904
On 30 June 2026 (end of the 2nd quarter), according to Statistics Norway (SSB), table 01222.
Average rent, 2-room flat
NOK 11,790
A month in 2025 for Norway as a whole; NOK 15,260 in Oslo and Bærum (SSB rental market survey).
Registered unemployment
2.0%
Fully unemployed as a share of the labour force in September 2026 (NAV, published 2 October 2026).
Service Centres for Foreign Workers
4 offices
Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim. Elsewhere, ID checks are done at 42 selected tax offices.
Each pin marks the city centre. The population figures are for the whole municipality.
Many rules apply nationwide, but some depend on where you live. Rents vary a lot: Statistics Norway's predicted 2025 rent for a 2-room flat of 50 m² was NOK 16,700 a month in central Oslo, NOK 13,300 in central Bergen, NOK 13,400 in Tromsø and NOK 10,900 in Kristiansand, excluding electricity and heating. In Finnmark and the Nord-Troms action zone, tax on ordinary income is 18.5 percent instead of 22 percent and kindergarten is free, and child benefit carries a supplement of NOK 512 per child per month in Finnmark, on Svalbard and in seven Nord-Troms municipalities.
Ordered by population on 30 June 2026 (Statistics Norway, SSB, table 01222). The figures are for the whole municipality.
Oslo
Population
729,437
Municipality website
Universities and colleges
Largest industries (jobs by place of work, 4th quarter 2025)
All jobs in the municipality: 538,133
Airport
Public transport
Vestland
Population
295,009
Universities and colleges
Largest industries (jobs by place of work, 4th quarter 2025)
All jobs in the municipality: 183,652
Airport
Public transport
Trøndelag
Population
218,787
Universities and colleges
Largest industries (jobs by place of work, 4th quarter 2025)
All jobs in the municipality: 131,907
Airport
Rogaland
Population
151,761
Universities and colleges
Largest industries (jobs by place of work, 4th quarter 2025)
All jobs in the municipality: 91,151
Airport
Agder
Population
119,720
Universities and colleges
Largest industries (jobs by place of work, 4th quarter 2025)
All jobs in the municipality: 63,645
Airport
Buskerud
Population
106,368
Universities and colleges
Largest industries (jobs by place of work, 4th quarter 2025)
All jobs in the municipality: 48,931
Østfold
Population
86,459
Largest industries (jobs by place of work, 4th quarter 2025)
All jobs in the municipality: 34,266
Troms
Population
79,932
Universities and colleges
Largest industries (jobs by place of work, 4th quarter 2025)
All jobs in the municipality: 48,085
Airport
International schools in Norway
IB, Cambridge and French curricula in Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim, with free public options in Oslo.
National identity number and D-number
Who gets which number, when to report a move, the ID check, what to bring and what comes next.
Norway relocation essentials
Medical emergency numbers, BankID and MinID, health care, driving licence, Norwegian lessons, work rights and family benefits.
We compare commute, schools and housing for your family, and help with the registration once you have chosen.
Official sources
Statistics Norway (SSB)
Service Centres for Foreign Workers
Last reviewed and updated: . Rules, fees and waiting times change often. Always check the current rules with the authority concerned.
