# Norway’s Housing Market: Ownership, Renting and Costs Updated overview of official Norwegian housing statistics, ownership, renting and household housing costs. Canonical: https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/boligmarked-statistikk-norge Language: en Publisher: SamfunnPrep Author: Hlib Suslov Published: 2026-07-01T16:57:07.084+00:00 Modified: 2026-10-11T16:28:50.376507+00:00 AI use policy: https://samfunnprep.no/ai-policy.txt ## Key takeaways - Housing stock is a 2026 figure SSB shows 2,762,504 dwellings in Norway in 2026, including occupied and unoccupied dwellings. - Ownership and renting are 2024 figures In 2024, 76.4 percent of households owned their home, while 23.6 percent rented. - Housing costs use older consumption data The Consumer Expenditure Survey shows that housing, electricity and fuels were 35.3 percent of consumption expenditure in 2022. Norway’s housing market is not only about prices. SSB reports 2,762,504 dwellings in 2026, but the newest ownership/renting figures are from 2024: 76.4 percent of households owned their home and 23.6 percent rented. ## Why Housing Matters Housing is a home, a major monthly cost and often the largest asset a family owns. That is why housing appears in social studies, personal finance and debates about inequality. When prices rise, many owners gain wealth on paper, while young people, single people and newcomers may find it harder to buy. Most people in Norway live in owner-occupied homes, but renting is normal. Students, young adults, labour migrants, refugees and people who have recently moved often rent. Some want flexibility; others lack enough equity or stable income for a mortgage. See our guides to [rental contracts](https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/leiekontrakt-norge-2026), [deposits](https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/depositum-norge) and [personal finance](https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/personlig-okonomi-norge). ## Housing Stock in 2026 SSB’s “Boliger” statistics count dwellings in residential buildings and other building types. The latest published year is 2026. Norway had 2,762,504 dwellings: 1,306,558 detached houses, 244,516 two-dwelling houses, 332,898 row houses and other small houses, 725,715 dwellings in apartment blocks, 76,517 in buildings for shared housing and 76,300 in other building types. This is the housing stock, including occupied and unoccupied dwellings. It is not the same as counting people. A small flat, a large house and an empty registered dwelling each count as one dwelling. ## Ownership and Renting The newest register-based SSB table on living conditions has 2024 as the latest year. It counted 2,584,527 households. Of these, 62.8 percent were direct owners, 13.7 percent were cooperative/share owners and 23.6 percent rented. Together, 76.4 percent of households owned their home. SSB’s fact page also says that 81.5 percent of people lived in a home owned by their household in 2024. That share is higher because larger households more often own. For exams, always ask whether a number refers to people or households. A better answer than “everyone owns” is: most households own, but almost one in four rented in 2024. The rental market is therefore a large part of Norwegian housing. For buying, read [home buying in Norway](https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/boligkjop-norge-innvandrere) and [housing cooperative or freehold](https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/borettslag-eller-selveier-norge). ## Houses, Apartments and Place Detached houses were the largest group in the 2026 housing stock. Still, many households live in apartment blocks, especially in cities. SSB’s 2024 household table showed 1,219,181 households in detached houses and 689,284 in apartment blocks. Geography matters: smaller municipalities often have more detached houses, while Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and other urban areas have more flats. ## Housing Costs SSB’s Consumer Expenditure Survey table currently has 2022 as the latest year. Average total household consumption expenditure was NOK 554,585. “Housing, electricity and fuels” was NOK 195,667, or 35.3 percent. Paid rent averaged NOK 27,537, imputed rent NOK 109,976 and electricity and fuels NOK 36,042. Imputed rent is a statistical value for living in an owned home, not rent paid to oneself. These are 2022 figures, not 2026 prices. They still show why housing and energy are among the largest household budget items. Some people may qualify for Husbanken support, such as housing allowance or start loans; see [housing allowance 2026](https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/bostotte-2026) and [municipal start loans](https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/startlan-kommune). ## Loans and Rules From 31 December 2024, the lending regulation changed so the maximum loan-to-value ratio for mortgages increased from 85 to 90 percent. The government describes this as reducing the equity requirement from 15 to 10 percent. The main rule that total debt should not exceed five times annual income remains central. Banks must still assess income, debt, payment ability and risk. Good exam answers separate statistics, lending rules and social consequences. ## FAQ ### How many dwellings are there in Norway in 2026? SSB shows 2,762,504 dwellings in 2026, including occupied and unoccupied dwellings. ### How many households own their home? In 2024, 76.4 percent of households owned when direct owners and cooperative/share owners are combined. ### How many households rent? SSB’s register-based figures show that 23.6 percent of households rented in 2024. ### What is the difference between 76.4 and 81.5 percent? 76.4 percent refers to households owning in 2024. 81.5 percent refers to people living in a home owned by their household. ### Are the housing cost figures from 2026? No. The SSB Consumer Expenditure Survey table used here has 2022 as the latest year. ## Sources - [Boliger](https://www.ssb.no/bygg-bolig-og-eiendom/bolig-og-boforhold/statistikk/boliger) - [Boforhold, registerbasert](https://www.ssb.no/bygg-bolig-og-eiendom/bolig-og-boforhold/statistikk/boforhold-registerbasert) - [Forbruksundersøkelsen](https://www.ssb.no/inntekt-og-forbruk/forbruk/statistikk/forbruksundersokelsen) - [Endringer i lover og regler fra 1. januar 2025](https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokument/lover_regler/endringer-i-lover-og-regler/endringer-i-lover-og-regler-fra-1.-januar-2025/id3077519/) - [Startlån](https://www.husbanken.no/person/startlaan/) - [Bostøtte](https://www.husbanken.no/person/bostotte/) Citation: Hlib Suslov, "Norway’s Housing Market: Ownership, Renting and Costs", SamfunnPrep, 2026-07-01T16:57:07.084+00:00, https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/boligmarked-statistikk-norge