Norway

Norway is the SGI 2024’s top performer (rank 1) in the category of vertical accountability.

Forming a political party requires 5,000 petition signatures from eligible voters. Donations are registered and transparent, and parties receiving sufficient votes receive state funding. Elections are considered fair and transparent, with few disputes over voting rights or outcomes, and vote counting is typically uncontested.

The national electoral system is based on proportional representation, with 19 election districts. The party system is tripolar, with three parties on the left, two on the right and several centrist parties. Polarization is modest, and governments are normally formed by center-left or center-right coalitions. Antidemocratic sentiments are rare and condemned by all political parties.

A Freedom of Information Act was introduced in 1970, and citizens’ right to access information on public decision-making was enshrined in the constitution in 2004. Most documents are public unless restricted for privacy or national security reasons. These restrictions are generally seen as legitimate.

Norway falls into the sample’s top group (rank 2) in the category of diagonal accountability.

Media freedom is strongly protected by free speech laws. All traditional media adhere to a national media code of ethics. The public broadcaster NRK is legally independent of the government, and media outlets are free from political control. Only one private broadcaster is allowed at the national level.

State support is provided to print publications threatened by competition, thus preserving a plurality of views. Criticism of political and other elites is commonplace. Citizens’ rights to form organizations and express opinions through collective action is strongly protected. Half of all employees are members of trade unions.

The tripartite system of consultation between the state, and labor and capital groups is a core policymaking institution. Social welfare groups influencing public policies due to their expertise and legitimacy. Environmental organizations tend to be underfunded, gaining influence largely through protests and media attention.

In the category of horizontal accountability, Norway falls into the top group (rank 4).

The independent Office of the Auditor General reviews government resource use. The government is required to follow up on reports, with failure possibly leading to a no-confidence vote in parliament. The Data Protection Authority (DPA) monitors compliance with data protection laws, receiving complaints and engaging in inspections.

Courts are independent of the executive. Professional standards and the quality of internal organization are high. The supreme court can test the constitutional legality of government decisions, but has not done so for many years. Civil rights and political liberties are strongly protected.

Very little corruption is evident, in part due to a culture of transparency in the civil service. The parliament has sufficient resources and powers to monitor the executive and to help shape policy effectively.

Norway falls into the top group (rank 4) in the category of coordination.

The Office of the Prime Minister is comparatively small. The Ministry of Finance helps coordinate policy proposals, with most formal coordination taking place through the annual state budget process. Coordination of new policy proposals is largely informal, typically taking place during coalition negotiations and via ad hoc collaboration between junior ministers.

The governance system is highly sectorized, with each ministry focusing on its own area. This has posed challenges when dealing with cross-cutting issues. The government holds weekly formal meetings, called government conferences, to discuss policies, while informal meetings between party leaders occur when national compromises are needed.

Although national standards guide service quality, with equal access to high-quality public services a goal, the provision of public services is decentralized to local authorities. Ministry directorates offer professional advice, certify professional staff and create crisis-management plans.

Norway performs well in international comparison (rank 6) in the area of consensus-building.

By law, all major decisions and reforms must be based on the best available knowledge. This knowledge is gathered by government-appointed expert committees, which may commission reports from other experts.

The largest trade union and employers’ associations have considerable policymaking influence, with frequent, informal access to the government. This tripartite system of consensus-oriented policymaking is frequently criticized by other, smaller trade unions and employer organizations for lacking transparency.

Critiques offered by social welfare organizations often impact policies. Environmental groups frequently challenge government decisions in court. Open data and data sharing are a key focus on the government, with data typically provided in standardized, readable formats.

In the category of sensemaking, Norway falls into the sample’s upper-middle ranks (rank 9).

The central government is rather rigid, but many individual organizations foster innovation, particularly in the area of the digital transformation. Regulatory agencies have also introduced sandboxes for controlled experimentation.

Norway’s regulatory impact assessment (RIA) system, involves comprehensive evaluations of policy proposals’ budgetary, environmental, health and human rights effects. Ministries have discretion to perform a full RIA or a less detailed assessment. There is no formal requirement for sustainability checks, other than the reference to environmental and social indicators.

Ex post evaluations are mandatory for government ministries and agencies, covering most policy sectors. Each ministry is responsible for evaluating policy results within its domain. The use of external consultants rather than internal ministerial review bodies has become increasingly common.

Norway performs well in international comparison (rank 6) in the category of economic sustainability.

A green transition strategy seeks to increase recycling and reduce use of materials in seven key value chains. The lack of a central ministry responsible for infrastructure has led to fragmented oversight and a lack of modernization plans. Electricity is nearly entirely produced by hydropower. Decarbonization efforts do not entail ending oil and gas production.

The welfare state labor market policies have led to high employment rates, low unemployment rates and high mobility rates. The state offers protection in cases of unemployment and reduced working capacity. Active labor market measures are an alternative to unemployment cash insurance.

Only about half of the state’s revenues come from taxes on income and consumption, with the other half coming from taxes on oil and gas extraction and rents on state investments. A fiscal rule limits spending from the sovereign wealth fund, thus maintaining budgetary discipline. The current state plan is to spend 4% of GDP on R&D by 2032.

Norway is the SGI 2024’s top performer (rank 1) in the category of social sustainability.

Education is tax-financed and free at all levels. There is a social gradient in school results, with children from well-educated, upper-middle-class families achieving the highest grades and having access to popular tertiary programs. Nearly all children between 1 and 4 attend preschool, with a small copayment per month for parents.

There is no minimum wage. However, high employment levels and income insurance ensures that no population segments fall outside the generous safety net. Universal health insurance covers the entire population, with high-quality services. The pension system ensures a minimum income for all, preventing elderly poverty.

Gender equality is a strong focus, with economic benefits and tax incentives to sustain one-earner households having been abandoned. Girls on average do better in school, and women are coming to dominate high-prestige professions. Integration policy in Norway is relatively well-organized and well-funded.

Norway falls into the sample’s top group (rank 2) in the area of environmental sustainability.

A Climate Act aims for a low-emission society by 2050, and mandates a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. The act requires the government to update parliament annually with national and sectoral emission reduction plans.

In the transport sector, electrification has been a key focus. By 2022, more than 80% of new passenger cars were electric, making up 21% of all vehicles. The country has a long tradition of environmental regulation to protect the public from environmental health risks. Air pollution remains a concern in some urban areas.

The state has established strict biodiversity targets for protecting forests, “representative” marine areas and other natural areas. Actual progress remains well away from the targets. The country is very active in international climate agreements, and focuses heavily on emission mitigation efforts abroad.