World median is the middle country on each statistic: half of all countries with data are above it, half below. It is not an average, so it is never pulled up or down by giants or microstates.
Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
The median country fits inside Norway 5.6 times.
Norway: 624,500 km² (2023) · World median: 111,370 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Norway’s coastline is 57 times as long as the median country’s.
Norway: 25,148 km (2026 edition) · World median: 440 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Norway’s highest peak towers 134 m above the median country’s.
Norway: 2,469 m (2026 edition) · World median: 2,335 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The median country has 32% more people than Norway.
Norway: 5.61 million (2025) · World median: 7.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The median country is 6.4 times as densely populated as Norway.
Norway: 15 per km² (2025) · World median: 98 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Norway are 7.0 cm taller than in the median country.
Norway: 180.5 cm (2019) · World median: 173.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Norway are 5.9 cm taller than in the median country.
Norway: 166.5 cm (2019) · World median: 160.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Norway is 8.4 years older than in the median country.
Norway: 39.5 years (2023) · World median: 31.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the median country have 0.5 more children on average than in Norway.
Norway: 1.45 children per woman (2024) · World median: 1.9 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
19% of people in Norway are 65 or older, versus 8.6% in the median country.
Norway: 19.1% (2025) · World median: 8.6% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Norway has produced 23.2 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, the median country 0.0.
Norway: 23.2 (2025) · World median: 0 (2025)
How many official languages?
Norway has 3 official languages, the median country 1.
Norway: 3 (2026) · World median: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Norway’s economy is 12 times the size of the median country’s.
Norway: $531 billion (2025) · World median: $45.5 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Norway produces 4.9 times as much per person as the median country.
Norway: Int$104,044 (2025) · World median: Int$21,072 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in the median country than in Norway (Gini 7.9 points higher).
Norway: 26.5 (2023) · World median: 34.4 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.1% in the median country, versus 4.6% in Norway.
Norway: 4.6% (2025) · World median: 5.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Norway and the median country are practically level.
Norway: 2.1% (2024) · World median: 1.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Norway’s price level (US = 100) is 2× the median country’s.
Norway: 91% (2025) · World median: 45% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Norway spends 18 times as much on health per person as the median country.
Norway: $8,296 (2023) · World median: $470 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Norway live 8.5 years longer than in the median country.
Norway: 83.2 years (2024) · World median: 74.6 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the median country is 6.3 times as likely to die before turning one as in Norway.
Norway: 2 per 1,000 (2024) · World median: 12.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Norway has 3 times as many doctors per person as the median country.
Norway: 5 per 1,000 (2023) · World median: 1.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
24% of adults in the median country are obese, versus 21% in Norway.
Norway: 20.7% (2024) · World median: 24% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
19% of adults in the median country smoke, versus 13% in Norway.
Norway: 12.9% (2024) · World median: 19% (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 the median country.
Norway: 7.24 (2025) · World median: 5.83 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Norway drink 60% more alcohol than in the median country.
Norway: 7 litres (2023) · World median: 4.3 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Norway has 25% more meat per person than the median country.
Norway: 70.4 kg (2023) · World median: 56.2 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Norway has 538 kcal more food per person per day than the median country.
Norway: 3,476 kcal (2023) · World median: 2,938 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the median country put in 562 more hours a year than in Norway.
Norway: 1,412 hours (2023) · World median: 1,974 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Norway went to school 3.2 years longer than in the median country.
Norway: 13.1 years (2023) · World median: 9.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Norway welcomed 2.7 times as many tourists per resident as the median country (2019).
Norway: 0.91 (2022) · World median: 0.34 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
99% of people in Norway are online, versus 82% in the median country.
Norway: 99% (2024) · World median: 82% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Norway and the median country are practically level.
Norway: 100% (2024) · World median: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
84% of people in Norway live in cities, versus 64% in the median country.
Norway: 84% (2025) · World median: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
The median country has 115 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Norway 109.
Norway: 109 (2024) · World median: 115 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Norway’s railway network is 81% longer than the median country’s.
Norway: 3,885 km (2021) · World median: 2,141 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Norway: no data · World median: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 34% of Norway, but only 31% of the median country.
Norway: 33.5% (2023) · World median: 31.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Norway emits 2.2 times as much CO₂ as someone in the median country.
Norway: 6.7 t (2024) · World median: 3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
99% of Norway’s electricity is renewable, versus 31% in the median country.
Norway: 99% (2025) · World median: 30.8% (2024)
How clean is the air?
The air in the median country carries 2.5 times as much fine dust as in Norway.
Norway: 6.7 µg/m³ (2024) · World median: 16.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 3.1 times as likely to be murdered in the median country as in Norway.
Norway: 0.7 per 100k (2023) · World median: 2.3 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the median country are 8.2 times as deadly as in Norway.
Norway: 1.5 per 100k (2021) · World median: 12.3 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The median country is on average 21.4 °C warmer than Norway.
Norway: 1.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · World median: 23°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Norway gets 24% more rain than the median country.
Norway: 1,259 mm (2016–2025 avg) · World median: 1,014 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Norway bigger than the median country?
Norway is larger. The median country fits inside Norway 5.6 times.
Which has more people, Norway or the median country?
The median country has 32% more people than Norway (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Norway or the median country?
People in Norway live 8.5 years longer than in the median country. Life expectancy at birth is 83.2 years in Norway and 74.6 in the median country.
Are people taller in Norway or the median country?
Men in Norway are 7.0 cm taller than in the median country (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
