National report on housing inequalities – Norway

An extract from Deliverable 2.1 “Contextualized analysis of the housing situation – Papers on (sub)national trends”

Since 2000, Norway’s population has grown by approximately 20%, intensifying housing demand, especially in urban areas like Oslo, where housing pressure is highest.  Homeownership, despite a slight decline since the early 2000s, remains the main tenure form, with 79% of individuals owning their property in 2023. The role of subsidized housing in Norway is limited, with only around 4% of households living in public housing. Vulnerable groups, including students, immigrants, and tenants in private rentals, often face a housing cost burden exceeding 30% of their disposable income. Single-person households and renters in urban areas pay significantly more, with some spending up to 40% of their income on rent. With housing pressures intensifying in major cities and affordable options diminishing, housing inequalities are becoming more pronounced, particularly in the most urbanized areas and among low-income renters and marginalized groups.