Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Norway is 23% bigger than Spain
Norway: 624,500 km² (2024) · Spain: 505,981 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Norway’s coastline is 5.1 times as long as Spain’s
Norway: 25,148 km (2026 edition) · Spain: 4,964 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Spain’s highest peak towers 1,249 m above Norway’s
Norway: 2,469 m (2026 edition) · Spain: 3,718 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 49% of Spain, versus 2.7% of Norway
Norway: 2.7% (2024) · Spain: 49.3% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Spain has 8.8 times as many people as Norway
Norway: 5.61 million (2025) · Spain: 49.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Spain is 6.4 times as densely populated as Norway
Norway: 15 per km² (2025) · Spain: 99 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Norway are 4.4 cm taller than in Spain
Norway: 180.5 cm (2019) · Spain: 176.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Norway are 4.4 cm taller than in Spain
Norway: 166.5 cm (2019) · Spain: 162 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Spain is 5.4 years older than in Norway
Norway: 39.5 years (2023) · Spain: 44.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Norway have 0.3 more children on average than in Spain
Norway: 1.45 children per woman (2024) · Spain: 1.1 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
22% of people in Spain are 65 or older, versus 19% in Norway
Norway: 19.1% (2025) · Spain: 21.6% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Norway hosts 2.1 times as many refugees per resident as Spain
Norway: 22.1 per 1,000 (2025) · Spain: 10.4 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Norway has produced 23.2 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Spain 1.4
Norway: 23.2 (2026) · Spain: 1.4 (2026)
How many official languages?
Norway has 3 official languages, Spain 1
Norway: 3 (2026) · Spain: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Spain’s economy is 3.6 times the size of Norway’s
Norway: $531 billion (2025) · Spain: $1.91 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Norway produces 74% more per person than Spain
Norway: Int$104,044 (2025) · Spain: Int$59,868 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Spain than in Norway (Gini 6.9 points higher)
Norway: 26.5 (2023) · Spain: 33.4 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
0.8% of people in Spain live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.2% in Norway
Norway: 0.2% (2023) · Spain: 0.8% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 10% in Spain, versus 4.6% in Norway
Norway: 4.6% (2025) · Spain: 10.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Norway spends 3.3% of its GDP on the military, Spain 2.1%
Norway: 3.3% (2025) · Spain: 2.1% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Norway’s central government collects 25% of GDP in tax, Spain’s 15%
Norway: 24.5% (2024) · Spain: 14.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Norway’s price level (US = 100) is 1.4× Spain’s
Norway: 91% (2025) · Spain: 65% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Norway spends 2.7 times as much on health per person as Spain
Norway: $8,296 (2023) · Spain: $3,107 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Spain live 0.73 years longer than in Norway
Norway: 83.2 years (2024) · Spain: 83.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Spain is 30% more likely to die before turning one than in Norway
Norway: 2 per 1,000 (2024) · Spain: 2.6 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Norway has 16% more doctors per person than Spain
Norway: 5 per 1,000 (2023) · Spain: 4.3 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Norway has 13% more hospital beds per person than Spain
Norway: 3.3 per 1,000 (2023) · Spain: 2.9 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Norway is 63% higher than in Spain
Norway: 11.6 per 100k (2023) · Spain: 7.1 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
21% of adults in Norway are obese, versus 19% in Spain
Norway: 20.7% (2024) · Spain: 18.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
28% of adults in Spain smoke, versus 13% in Norway
Norway: 12.9% (2024) · Spain: 27.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Norway rate their lives 0.70 points higher than in Spain
Norway: 7.24 (2025) · Spain: 6.54 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Spain drink 74% more alcohol than in Norway
Norway: 7 litres (2023) · Spain: 12.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Spain has 43% more meat per person than Norway
Norway: 70.4 kg (2023) · Spain: 100.8 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Norway has 98 kcal more food per person per day than Spain
Norway: 3,476 kcal (2023) · Spain: 3,377 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Spain put in 226 more hours a year than in Norway
Norway: 1,412 hours (2023) · Spain: 1,638 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Norway went to school 2.4 years longer than in Spain
Norway: 13.1 years (2023) · Spain: 10.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Spain welcomed 2.1 times as many tourists per resident as Norway (2019)
Norway: 0.91 (2022) · Spain: 1.92 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Spain has 42 more World Heritage sites than Norway (50 against 8)
Norway: 8 (2026) · Spain: 50 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
Norway has won 616 Olympic medals, Spain 195
Norway: 616 (2026 edition) · Spain: 195 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
99% of people in Norway are online, versus 96% in Spain
Norway: 99% (2024) · Spain: 96% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in Spain is 42% faster than in Norway
Norway: 228 Mbps (2026) · Spain: 324 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Norway and Spain are practically level
Norway: 100% (2024) · Spain: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
84% of people in Norway live in cities, versus 81% in Spain
Norway: 84% (2025) · Spain: 81% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Spain has 130 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Norway 109
Norway: 109 (2024) · Spain: 130 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Spain’s railway network is 4.1 times as long as Norway’s
Norway: 3,885 km (2021) · Spain: 15,963 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Norway: no data · Spain: 1.91 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 38% of Spain, but only 33% of Norway
Norway: 33.2% (2024) · Spain: 38.2% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Norway emits 45% more CO₂ than someone in Spain
Norway: 6.7 t (2024) · Spain: 4.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
99% of Norway’s electricity is renewable, versus 56% in Spain
Norway: 99% (2025) · Spain: 55.9% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Spain carries 49% more fine dust than in Norway
Norway: 6.7 µg/m³ (2024) · Spain: 10 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 5% more likely to be murdered in Norway than in Spain
Norway: 0.7 per 100k (2023) · Spain: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Spain are 2.1 times as deadly as in Norway
Norway: 2.9 per 100k (2023) · Spain: 6.2 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Spain is on average 13.2 °C warmer than Norway
Norway: 1.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · Spain: 14.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Norway gets 89% more rain than Spain
Norway: 1,259 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Spain: 665 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Norway bigger than Spain?
Norway is larger. Norway is 23% bigger than Spain.
Which has more people, Norway or Spain?
Spain has 8.8 times as many people as Norway (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Norway or Spain?
People in Spain live 0.73 years longer than in Norway. Life expectancy at birth is 83.2 years in Norway and 83.9 in Spain.
Are people taller in Norway or Spain?
Men in Norway are 4.4 cm taller than in Spain (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
