Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Norway fits inside the United States 16 times.
Norway: 624,500 km² (2023) · United States: 9,831,510 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Norway’s coastline is 26% longer than the United States’.
Norway: 25,148 km (2026 edition) · United States: 19,924 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The United States’ highest peak towers 3,721 m above Norway’s.
Norway: 2,469 m (2026 edition) · United States: 6,190 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The United States has 61 times as many people as Norway.
Norway: 5.61 million (2025) · United States: 342 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The United States is 2.4 times as densely populated as Norway.
Norway: 15 per km² (2025) · United States: 37 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Norway are 3.5 cm taller than in the United States.
Norway: 180.5 cm (2019) · United States: 176.9 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Norway are 3.1 cm taller than in the United States.
Norway: 166.5 cm (2019) · United States: 163.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Norway is 1.5 years older than in the United States.
Norway: 39.5 years (2023) · United States: 38 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the United States have 0.2 more children on average than in Norway.
Norway: 1.45 children per woman (2024) · United States: 1.63 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
19% of people in Norway are 65 or older, versus 18% in the United States.
Norway: 19.1% (2025) · United States: 18.4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Norway has produced 23.2 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, the United States 8.7.
Norway: 23.2 (2025) · United States: 8.7 (2025)
How many official languages?
Norway has 3 official languages, the United States 1.
Norway: 3 (2026) · United States: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The United States’ economy is 58 times the size of Norway’s.
Norway: $531 billion (2025) · United States: $30.8 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Norway produces 16% more per person than the United States.
Norway: Int$104,044 (2025) · United States: Int$90,027 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in the United States than in Norway (Gini 15.3 points higher).
Norway: 26.5 (2023) · United States: 41.8 (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
Norway and the United States are practically level.
Norway: 4.6% (2025) · United States: 4.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The United States spends 3.4% of its GDP on the military, Norway 2.1%.
Norway: 2.1% (2024) · United States: 3.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The United States’ price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Norway’s.
Norway: 91% (2025) · United States: 100% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The United States spends 62% more on health per person than Norway.
Norway: $8,296 (2023) · United States: $13,473 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Norway live 4.3 years longer than in the United States.
Norway: 83.2 years (2024) · United States: 78.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the United States is 2.8 times as likely to die before turning one as in Norway.
Norway: 2 per 1,000 (2024) · United States: 5.5 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Norway has 35% more doctors per person than the United States.
Norway: 5 per 1,000 (2023) · United States: 3.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
42% of adults in the United States are obese, versus 21% in Norway.
Norway: 20.7% (2024) · United States: 41.8% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
16% of adults in the United States smoke, versus 13% in Norway.
Norway: 12.9% (2024) · United States: 15.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Norway rate their lives 0.43 points higher than in the United States.
Norway: 7.24 (2025) · United States: 6.82 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the United States drink 37% more alcohol than in Norway.
Norway: 7 litres (2023) · United States: 9.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The United States has 73% more meat per person than Norway.
Norway: 70.4 kg (2023) · United States: 122.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The United States has 472 kcal more food per person per day than Norway.
Norway: 3,476 kcal (2023) · United States: 3,947 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the United States put in 377 more hours a year than in Norway.
Norway: 1,412 hours (2023) · United States: 1,789 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the United States went to school 0.79 years longer than in Norway.
Norway: 13.1 years (2023) · United States: 13.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Norway welcomed 4.3 times as many tourists per resident as the United States (2019).
Norway: 0.91 (2022) · United States: 0.21 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
99% of people in Norway are online, versus 95% in the United States.
Norway: 99% (2024) · United States: 95% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Norway and the United States are practically level.
Norway: 100% (2024) · United States: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
84% of people in Norway live in cities, versus 80% in the United States.
Norway: 84% (2025) · United States: 80% (2025)
How many phones per person?
The United States has 113 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Norway 109.
Norway: 109 (2024) · United States: 113 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The United States’ railway network is 38 times as long as Norway’s.
Norway: 3,885 km (2021) · United States: 148,553 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Norway: no data · United States: 2.75 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
The United States and Norway are practically level.
Norway: 33.5% (2023) · United States: 33.9% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the United States emits 2.1 times as much CO₂ as someone in Norway.
Norway: 6.7 t (2024) · United States: 14.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
99% of Norway’s electricity is renewable, versus 26% in the United States.
Norway: 99% (2025) · United States: 25.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in the United States carries 12% more fine dust than in Norway.
Norway: 6.7 µg/m³ (2024) · United States: 7.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 8 times as likely to be murdered in the United States as in Norway.
Norway: 0.7 per 100k (2023) · United States: 5.8 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the United States are 9.5 times as deadly as in Norway.
Norway: 1.5 per 100k (2021) · United States: 14.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The United States is on average 8.7 °C warmer than Norway.
Norway: 1.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Norway gets 48% more rain than the United States.
Norway: 1,259 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 849 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Norway bigger than the United States?
The United States is larger. Norway fits inside the United States 16 times.
Which has more people, Norway or the United States?
The United States has 61 times as many people as Norway (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Norway or the United States?
People in Norway live 4.3 years longer than in the United States. Life expectancy at birth is 83.2 years in Norway and 78.9 in the United States.
Are people taller in Norway or the United States?
Men in Norway are 3.5 cm taller than in the United States (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
