Right now, the biggest problem faced by Norway is the necessary transition away from the oil and gas industry. The country’s economy has been fuelled by the deposits under the Norwegian continental shelf for decades.

With reservoirs running dry, the economy needs to diversify. But with investment in modern technologies such as electric battery and charging infrastructure, offshore wind, and autonomous shipping, Norway’s government does at least have a plan.

The same can’t be said, yet, for the problem of a future demographic shift. A new report from Statistics Norway (SSB) paints a stark picture that cannot be ignored. Norway’s population is growing – and ageing The present population of Norway stands at around 5.35 million. SSB estimates that by 2060, this will rise to around 6.1 million. By 2100, it could be around 6.3 million.

These predictions are actually less than a previous report, but with less immigration and a lower birth rate, the underlying problem remains. On a percentage basis, Norway’s population is getting older, fast. SSB senior researcher Astri Syse calls the expected change that will leave Norway with more elderly citizens than young people aged up to 19 in just ten years an “historic shift.”

“Clear signs of ageing, lower population growth and more elderly immigrants are trends that will characterize population development in Norway from now on,” says Syse in the report.

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