Norway - Population

The population of Norway in 2003 was estimated by the United Nations at 4,533,000, which placed it as number 114 in population among the 193 nations of the world. In that year approximately 15% of the population was over 65 years of age, with another 20% of the population under 15 years of age. There were 98 males for every 100 females in the country in 2003. According to the UN, the annual population growth rate for 2000–2005 is 0.43%, with the projected population for the year 2015 at 4,719,000. The population density in 2002 was 14 per sq km (36 per sq mi). Most inhabitants are concentrated in the southern areas of the country.

It was estimated by the Population Reference Bureau that 76% of the population lived in urban areas in 2001. The capital city, Oslo, had a population of 959,000 in that year. The only other towns with populations exceeding 100,000 were Bergen (215,967) and Trondheim (139,660). Most provincial cities are small, with only Stavanger (99,764), Kristiansand (66,398), and Drammen (52,062) having more than 50,000. According to the United Nations, the urban population growth rate for 2000– 2005 was 0.9%.