Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Norway fits inside Russia 27 times
Norway: 624,500 km² (2024) · Russia: 17,125,200 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Russia’s coastline is 50% longer than Norway’s
Norway: 25,148 km (2026 edition) · Russia: 37,653 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Russia’s highest peak towers 3,173 m above Norway’s
Norway: 2,469 m (2026 edition) · Russia: 5,642 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 13% of Russia, versus 2.7% of Norway
Norway: 2.7% (2024) · Russia: 13.2% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Russia has 26 times as many people as Norway
Norway: 5.61 million (2025) · Russia: 144 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Norway is 76% more densely populated than Russia
Norway: 15 per km² (2025) · Russia: 9 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Norway are 3.8 cm taller than in Russia
Norway: 180.5 cm (2019) · Russia: 176.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Norway are 1.9 cm taller than in Russia
Norway: 166.5 cm (2019) · Russia: 164.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
Norway and Russia are practically level
Norway: 39.5 years (2023) · Russia: 39.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Norway and Russia are practically level
Norway: 1.45 children per woman (2024) · Russia: 1.42 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
19% of people in Norway are 65 or older, versus 18% in Russia
Norway: 19.1% (2025) · Russia: 17.8% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Norway hosts 269 times as many refugees per resident as Russia
Norway: 22.1 per 1,000 (2025) · Russia: 0.1 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Norway has produced 23.2 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Russia 2.0
Norway: 23.2 (2026) · Russia: 2 (2026)
How many official languages?
Norway has 3 official languages, Russia 1
Norway: 3 (2026) · Russia: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Russia’s economy is 4.8 times the size of Norway’s
Norway: $531 billion (2025) · Russia: $2.56 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Norway produces 2.1 times as much per person as Russia
Norway: Int$104,044 (2025) · Russia: Int$49,568 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Russia than in Norway (Gini 6.5 points higher)
Norway: 26.5 (2023) · Russia: 33 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Norway and Russia are practically level
Norway: 0.2% (2023) · Russia: 0.1% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 4.6% in Norway, versus 2.1% in Russia
Norway: 4.6% (2025) · Russia: 2.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Russia spends 7.5% of its GDP on the military, Norway 3.3%
Norway: 3.3% (2025) · Russia: 7.5% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Norway’s central government collects 25% of GDP in tax, Russia’s 11%
Norway: 24.5% (2024) · Russia: 10.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Norway’s price level (US = 100) is 2.6× Russia’s
Norway: 91% (2025) · Russia: 35% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Norway spends 8.3 times as much on health per person as Russia
Norway: $8,296 (2023) · Russia: $1,003 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Norway live 9.7 years longer than in Russia
Norway: 83.2 years (2024) · Russia: 73.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Russia is 2.1 times as likely to die before turning one as in Norway
Norway: 2 per 1,000 (2024) · Russia: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Russia has 3% more doctors per person than Norway
Norway: 5 per 1,000 (2023) · Russia: 5.1 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Russia has 2.1 times as many hospital beds per person as Norway
Norway: 3.3 per 1,000 (2023) · Russia: 6.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Russia is 71% higher than in Norway
Norway: 11.6 per 100k (2023) · Russia: 19.8 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
21% of adults in Russia are obese, versus 21% in Norway
Norway: 20.7% (2024) · Russia: 21.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
27% of adults in Russia smoke, versus 13% in Norway
Norway: 12.9% (2024) · Russia: 27% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Norway rate their lives 1.41 points higher than in Russia
Norway: 7.24 (2025) · Russia: 5.83 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Russia drink 50% more alcohol than in Norway
Norway: 7 litres (2023) · Russia: 10.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Russia has 20% more meat per person than Norway
Norway: 70.4 kg (2023) · Russia: 84.8 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Russia has 53 kcal more food per person per day than Norway
Norway: 3,476 kcal (2023) · Russia: 3,528 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Russia put in 675 more hours a year than in Norway
Norway: 1,412 hours (2023) · Russia: 2,087 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Norway went to school 0.71 years longer than in Russia
Norway: 13.1 years (2023) · Russia: 12.4 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Norway: 0.91 (2022) · Russia: no data
How many World Heritage sites?
Russia has 25 more World Heritage sites than Norway (33 against 8)
Norway: 8 (2026) · Russia: 33 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Norway has won 616 Olympic medals, Russia 539
Norway: 616 (2026 edition) · Russia: 539 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
99% of people in Norway are online, versus 94% in Russia
Norway: 99% (2024) · Russia: 94% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Norway: 228 Mbps (2026) · Russia: no data
Who has electricity at home?
Norway and Russia are practically level
Norway: 100% (2024) · Russia: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
84% of people in Norway live in cities, versus 75% in Russia
Norway: 84% (2025) · Russia: 75% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Russia has 186 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Norway 109
Norway: 109 (2024) · Russia: 186 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Russia’s railway network is 22 times as long as Norway’s
Norway: 3,885 km (2021) · Russia: 85,544 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Norway: no data · Russia: 0.69 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 51% of Russia, but only 33% of Norway
Norway: 33.2% (2024) · Russia: 50.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Russia emits 84% more CO₂ than someone in Norway
Norway: 6.7 t (2024) · Russia: 12.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
99% of Norway’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Russia
Norway: 99% (2025) · Russia: 17.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Russia carries 93% more fine dust than in Norway
Norway: 6.7 µg/m³ (2024) · Russia: 12.9 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 11 times as likely to be murdered in Russia as in Norway
Norway: 0.7 per 100k (2023) · Russia: 7.8 per 100k (2024)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Russia are 4.6 times as deadly as in Norway
Norway: 2.9 per 100k (2023) · Russia: 13.4 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Norway is on average 4.2 °C warmer than Russia
Norway: 1.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · Russia: -2.6°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Norway gets 2.1 times as much rain as Russia
Norway: 1,259 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Russia: 586 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Norway bigger than Russia?
Russia is larger. Norway fits inside Russia 27 times.
Which has more people, Norway or Russia?
Russia has 26 times as many people as Norway (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Norway or Russia?
People in Norway live 9.7 years longer than in Russia. Life expectancy at birth is 83.2 years in Norway and 73.4 in Russia.
Are people taller in Norway or Russia?
Men in Norway are 3.8 cm taller than in Russia (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
