Expenditure on tertiary education in Norway
Norway: Expenditure on tertiary education was 26.7% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on tertiary education in Norway, 1972–2016
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
In 2016, expenditure on tertiary education in Norway stood at 26.7%.
The figure is up 3.2% on the previous year and down 15.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in Norway peaked at 32.4% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 12.0%, in 1978.
That places Norway 33rd out of 160 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Expenditure on tertiary education in Norway, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 12.8% | — |
| 1973 | 12.5% | -2.4% |
| 1974 | 13.0% | +3.5% |
| 1975 | 14.3% | +10.6% |
| 1976 | 13.7% | -4.7% |
| 1977 | 15.2% | +11.6% |
| 1978 | 12.0% | -21.2% |
| 1980 | 13.8% | +15.0% |
| 1981 | 13.9% | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 13.8% | -0.7% |
| 1983 | 13.8% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 14.0% | +1.8% |
| 1985 | 14.1% | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 15.1% | +7.2% |
| 1987 | 15.0% | -0.7% |
| 1988 | 15.9% | +5.7% |
| 1989 | 15.8% | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 16.7% | +5.9% |
| 1991 | 24.9% | +48.6% |
| 1992 | 26.2% | +5.4% |
| 1993 | 26.2% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 26.0% | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 27.5% | +5.5% |
| 1996 | 27.0% | -1.8% |
| 1997 | 26.5% | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 26.1% | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 27.1% | +3.9% |
| 2000 | 25.4% | -6.3% |
| 2001 | 26.4% | +4.0% |
| 2002 | 27.5% | +4.1% |
| 2003 | 30.4% | +10.5% |
| 2004 | 32.1% | +5.6% |
| 2005 | 32.4% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 31.5% | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 31.9% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 32.0% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 30.4% | -4.9% |
| 2010 | 29.6% | -2.6% |
| 2011 | 29.9% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 26.6% | -11.0% |
| 2014 | 28.6% | +7.4% |
| 2015 | 25.9% | -9.3% |
| 2016 | 26.7% | +3.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 13.4% | 12.0% | 15.2% | 7 |
| 1980s | 14.5% | 13.8% | 15.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 25.4% | 16.7% | 27.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 30.0% | 25.4% | 32.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.9% | 25.9% | 29.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Norway
More education data for Norway
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 59,473 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (1993)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 85,282 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 80,636 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 469,508 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 434,422 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.7841 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.078 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on tertiary education in Norway?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in Norway was 26.7% in 2016, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 32.4% in 2005.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.0% in 1978.
- How does Norway rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- Norway ranks 33rd out of 160 countries with data for 2016.
- Is expenditure on tertiary education rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Norway data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Expenditure on tertiary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.