Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Italy fits inside Norway 2.1 times
Italy: 302,070 km² (2024) · Norway: 624,500 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Norway’s coastline is 3.3 times as long as Italy’s
Italy: 7,600 km (2026 edition) · Norway: 25,148 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Italy’s highest peak towers 2,279 m above Norway’s
Italy: 4,748 m (2026 edition) · Norway: 2,469 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 44% of Italy, versus 2.7% of Norway
Italy: 43.6% (2024) · Norway: 2.7% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Italy has 11 times as many people as Norway
Italy: 58.9 million (2025) · Norway: 5.61 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Italy is 13 times as densely populated as Norway
Italy: 199 per km² (2025) · Norway: 15 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Norway are 6.1 cm taller than in Italy
Italy: 174.4 cm (2019) · Norway: 180.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Norway are 4.6 cm taller than in Italy
Italy: 161.8 cm (2019) · Norway: 166.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Italy is 7.9 years older than in Norway
Italy: 47.5 years (2023) · Norway: 39.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Norway have 0.3 more children on average than in Italy
Italy: 1.18 children per woman (2024) · Norway: 1.45 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
25% of people in Italy are 65 or older, versus 19% in Norway
Italy: 25.1% (2025) · Norway: 19.1% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Norway hosts 6.7 times as many refugees per resident as Italy
Italy: 3.3 per 1,000 (2025) · Norway: 22.1 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Norway has produced 23.2 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Italy 3.4
Italy: 3.4 (2026) · Norway: 23.2 (2026)
How many official languages?
Norway has 3 official languages, Italy 1
Italy: 1 (2026) · Norway: 3 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Italy’s economy is 4.8 times the size of Norway’s
Italy: $2.55 trillion (2025) · Norway: $531 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Norway produces 66% more per person than Italy
Italy: Int$62,803 (2025) · Norway: Int$104,044 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Italy than in Norway (Gini 7.8 points higher)
Italy: 34.3 (2023) · Norway: 26.5 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
0.9% of people in Italy live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.2% in Norway
Italy: 0.9% (2023) · Norway: 0.2% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 6.4% in Italy, versus 4.6% in Norway
Italy: 6.4% (2025) · Norway: 4.6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Norway spends 3.3% of its GDP on the military, Italy 1.9%
Italy: 1.9% (2025) · Norway: 3.3% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Italy’s central government collects 26% of GDP in tax, Norway’s 25%
Italy: 25.6% (2024) · Norway: 24.5% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Norway’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Italy’s
Italy: 69% (2025) · Norway: 91% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Norway spends 2.4 times as much on health per person as Italy
Italy: $3,398 (2024) · Norway: $8,296 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Italy live 0.79 years longer than in Norway
Italy: 84 years (2024) · Norway: 83.2 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Italy is 15% more likely to die before turning one than in Norway
Italy: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024) · Norway: 2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Norway has 19% more doctors per person than Italy
Italy: 4.2 per 1,000 (2022) · Norway: 5 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Norway has 8% more hospital beds per person than Italy
Italy: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · Norway: 3.3 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Norway is 2 times that in Italy
Italy: 5.7 per 100k (2023) · Norway: 11.6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
21% of adults in Norway are obese, versus 18% in Italy
Italy: 17.9% (2024) · Norway: 20.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
22% of adults in Italy smoke, versus 13% in Norway
Italy: 22.4% (2024) · Norway: 12.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Norway rate their lives 0.67 points higher than in Italy
Italy: 6.57 (2025) · Norway: 7.24 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Italy drink 21% more alcohol than in Norway
Italy: 8.4 litres (2023) · Norway: 7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Italy has 1% more meat per person than Norway
Italy: 71.2 kg (2023) · Norway: 70.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Italy has 277 kcal more food per person per day than Norway
Italy: 3,753 kcal (2023) · Norway: 3,476 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Italy put in 289 more hours a year than in Norway
Italy: 1,701 hours (2023) · Norway: 1,412 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Norway went to school 2.3 years longer than in Italy
Italy: 10.8 years (2023) · Norway: 13.1 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Italy welcomed 7% more tourists per resident than Norway (2019)
Italy: 0.98 (2024) · Norway: 0.91 (2022)
How many World Heritage sites?
Italy has 54 more World Heritage sites than Norway (62 against 8)
Italy: 62 (2026) · Norway: 8 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Italy has won 829 Olympic medals, Norway 616
Italy: 829 (2026 edition) · Norway: 616 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
99% of people in Norway are online, versus 89% in Italy
Italy: 89% (2024) · Norway: 99% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Italy is 20% faster than in Norway
Italy: 274 Mbps (2026) · Norway: 228 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Italy and Norway are practically level
Italy: 100% (2024) · Norway: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
84% of people in Norway live in cities, versus 70% in Italy
Italy: 70% (2025) · Norway: 84% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Italy has 133 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Norway 109
Italy: 133 (2024) · Norway: 109 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Italy’s railway network is 4.5 times as long as Norway’s
Italy: 17,305 km (2021) · Norway: 3,885 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Italy: 0.34 (2023) · Norway: no data
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of Norway, but only 32% of Italy
Italy: 31.8% (2024) · Norway: 33.2% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Norway emits 31% more CO₂ than someone in Italy
Italy: 5.1 t (2024) · Norway: 6.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
99% of Norway’s electricity is renewable, versus 49% in Italy
Italy: 48.8% (2025) · Norway: 99% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Italy carries 2.3 times as much fine dust as in Norway
Italy: 15.2 µg/m³ (2024) · Norway: 6.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 28% more likely to be murdered in Norway than in Italy
Italy: 0.6 per 100k (2023) · Norway: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Italy are 2.9 times as deadly as in Norway
Italy: 8.5 per 100k (2023) · Norway: 2.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Italy is on average 12.3 °C warmer than Norway
Italy: 13.9°C (2016–2025 avg) · Norway: 1.6°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Norway gets 22% more rain than Italy
Italy: 1,030 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Norway: 1,259 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Italy bigger than Norway?
Norway is larger. Italy fits inside Norway 2.1 times.
Which has more people, Italy or Norway?
Italy has 11 times as many people as Norway (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Italy or Norway?
People in Italy live 0.79 years longer than in Norway. Life expectancy at birth is 84.0 years in Italy and 83.2 in Norway.
Are people taller in Italy or Norway?
Men in Norway are 6.1 cm taller than in Italy (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
