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About Statistics Norway

Statistics Norway (Statistisk sentralbyr - SSB) is the official statistics institution of Norway and serves as the principal producer of official statistics in the country. Established in 1876, it is one of the oldest statistical institutions in the world and celebrated its 145th anniversary in 2021. Operating as an independent government agency under the Ministry of Finance, SSB is responsible for collecting, producing, and disseminating statistics that cover various aspects of Norwegian society.

Headquartered in Oslo, Statistics Norway employs approximately 1,000 people and maintains regional offices in several cities across Norway. The institution plays a critical role in providing reliable information that supports democratic processes, governance, research, and public debate in Norway. By offering objective statistics about the Norwegian society, economy, and environment, SSB enables informed decision-making by government agencies, businesses, researchers, and the general public.

Years of Service

145+

Since 1876

The mission of Statistics Norway is to document the development of Norwegian society over time and provide society with the statistical information it needs. This mission is carried out through extensive data collection from individuals, businesses, and other organizations, followed by thorough analysis and publication of findings. The statistics produced cover a wide range of areas including population, health, education, labor market, income, consumption, national accounts, business statistics, energy, environment, and many more.

Organizational Structure

Statistics Norway is organized around its core functions and the statistical areas it covers. The agency is led by a Director-General appointed by the King in Council, who serves as both the administrative and professional head of the institution. Under the Director-General are various departments responsible for different statistical domains, methodological development, and administrative functions.

Research and Methodological Department

This department develops statistical methods and conducts research to improve the quality of Norwegian statistics. They work on new methodologies for data collection, processing, and analysis.

Statistical Divisions

SSB contains several statistical divisions, each responsible for specific areas such as population, education, labor market, national accounts, and business statistics.

Information Technology Department

This department provides technical infrastructure for the massive data collection and processing operations that SSB performs, ensuring the security and accuracy of data handling.

Communication and Dissemination

Responsible for publishing statistical findings through various channels, including the SSB website, publications, and media statements, ensuring accessibility for all users.

The organizational structure is designed to support the production of high-quality statistics while ensuring methodological independence, scientific integrity, and efficient use of resources. Regular quality assurance processes are implemented at all levels of the organization to maintain compliance with international statistical standards.

Key Functions

Statistics Norway fulfills several important functions in Norwegian society, making it an essential institution for both governance and democratic processes:

Official Statistics Production

SSB produces approximately 700 statistics annually across a wide range of topics. These statistics are based on comprehensive data collection through censuses, surveys, and administrative registers. The production follows international standards ensuring compatibility and comparability with other countries' statistics.

Government Information Source

SSB serves as the primary source of statistical information for the Norwegian government, providing data essential for policy planning, evaluation, and decision-making. Key ministries rely on SSB's statistics for budget planning, economic forecasting, and monitoring the implementation of governmental programs.

International Reporting

Norway is obliged to report statistics to various international organizations, including Eurostat, the UN, OECD, and the Nordic statistical institutions. SSB bears the responsibility for providing the required statistical information to meet these international obligations.

In recent years, SSB has increasingly focused on improving the efficiency of its operations by making greater use of existing data from administrative registers rather than conducting separate surveys. This approach, known as register-based statistics, allows for more frequent and detailed statistics while reducing the reporting burden on citizens and businesses.

Publications and Data

Statistics Norway publishes a wide variety of statistical products tailored to different users' needs. These include:

Weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual statistical releases covering economic indicators, population developments, and other dynamically changing phenomena
Detailed statistical reports that provide in-depth analysis of specific topics
Special publications addressing topical issues or presenting new statistical methodologies
Norway's Official Statistics (Norges Offisielle Statistikk - NOS), a series of comprehensive publications on key statistical areas
Statistical Yearbook of Norway, which presents a comprehensive overview of Norwegian society
Statistical analyses and reports on special projects

SSB Online

The SSB website offers free access to all published statistics, with advanced features for searching, analyzing, and downloading data in various formats including tables, databases, and APIs for developers.

StatBank Norway

A comprehensive database containing 23,000 tables of official statistics, allowing users to create customized tables and charts. It is one of the most advanced statistical databases in the world.

Micro-data Access

Qualified researchers can access anonymized micro-data for research purposes through the Micro-data Access Service, following strict ethical guidelines and security protocols.

All publications are available in both Norwegian and English, ensuring accessibility for international users. SSB also provides special services for media, including press releases, interviews with subject experts, and customized data visualizations for journalists.

International Cooperation

Statistics Norway actively participates in international statistical cooperation, which is essential for several reasons:

Norway is a member of the European Statistical System (ESS), even though it is not a member of the European Union. As part of the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement, Norway implements a significant portion of EU statistical legislation. This ensures that Norwegian statistics are compatible with those of EU countries and that Norway contributes to the development of European statistics.

SSB collaborates extensively with other national statistical institutes, international organizations like the UN, OECD, IMF, and World Bank, as well as regional statistical bodies. These partnerships facilitate methodological development, data exchange, and joint projects that enhance the quality and relevance of statistics worldwide.

Nordic Statistical Cooperation

Norway maintains particularly close cooperation with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden) through the Nordic Statistical Committee. This cooperation ensures comparable statistics across the Nordic region and facilitates joint statistical projects of mutual benefit.

Statistics Norway also provides assistance to developing countries through capacity building projects, often as part of bilateral development aid programs or through multilateral initiatives coordinated by organizations like Statistics Sweden, Paristat, and the World Bank. This assistance helps strengthen statistical systems in partner countries and supports the development of better global statistics.

Impact and Relevance

The statistics produced by Statistics Norway have significant impact across various sectors of Norwegian society:

In the political sphere, SSB's statistics form the foundation for evidence-based policy making. Political parties use statistical information when formulating election platforms, the government relies on them when planning policies and budgets, and the opposition uses them to evaluate government performance. The independence and credibility of SSB are essential for maintaining trust in these processes.

The business community depends heavily on SSB's statistics for market analysis, investment decisions, and strategic planning. Industry associations use the data to advocate for their members' interests, while individual businesses rely on the information for everything from site selection to product development.

Researchers across disciplines, including economics, sociology, political science, public health, and environmental studies, utilize SSB's data extensively. The availability of high-quality, longitudinal statistics has contributed to Norway's strong research output and international reputation in various academic fields.

Economic Policy

National accounts and economic indicators produced by SSB form the basis for monetary policy decisions by Norway's Central Bank and fiscal policy decisions by the government.

Regional Planning

Municipalities and county authorities rely on local population, housing, and economic statistics to plan services, infrastructure investments, and regional development strategies.

Public Debate

Journalists and commentators use SSB statistics extensively when reporting on social issues, creating a more informed public discourse about key challenges facing Norwegian society.

Looking forward, Statistics Norway faces new challenges including adapting to technological changes, addressing increasing demands for real-time statistics, balancing data access with privacy concerns, and developing methodologies to measure new phenomena such as the digital economy and sharing economy. The organization continues to evolve to meet these challenges while maintaining its core principles of objectivity, relevance, and quality.

Statistics Norway (SSB)