NorwayCounty number 55
Troms is a county in Norway with 21 municipalities. Troms connects Tromsø and Harstad with islands, fjords and valley communities from Sør-Troms to Nord-Troms. Arctic knowledge, seafood, defence and Sámi, Kven and Norwegian histories give the county an identity spanning urban life and long distances.
Content updated:
SSB · 2026
See how many people live in the county, how many homes it has, and which municipalities have the most residents. Figures are from Statistics Norway (SSB).
Ranked by municipal population, rather than the size of cities or urban settlements. A municipality may contain several settlements and extensive rural areas.
2026 · SSB
Choose a municipality to open its profile. Small island municipalities are marked with a dot.
Known for
Northern lights and the Arctic Cathedral
Troms lies north of the Arctic Circle, with islands such as Senja, fjords and inland valleys including Målselv and Bardu. Tromsø and Harstad are important centres, but school, work and service connections differ. Strong seasonal variation in light and weather shapes everyday life. Island communities, urban regions and inland villages may have very different needs despite modest map distances.
Fishing, trade, farming and reindeer husbandry shaped Troms through Sámi, Kven and Norwegian communities. Norwegianisation policies and wartime destruction in Nord-Troms disrupted languages, buildings and lives. Troms and Finnmark merged in 2020 and separated on 1 January 2024. Tjeldsund, transferred from Nordland in 2020, remains in Troms. Administrative boundaries and cultural-historical areas do not always coincide.
Nord-Troms Museum documents Sámi, Kven and Norwegian history. Norwegianisation policies and burning at the end of the Second World War caused major losses; surviving buildings and objects are important historical evidence.
Seafood and marine industries matter along the coast. Tromsø has substantial education, research, health and service institutions, while defence activity shapes parts of inland Troms. Nature and seasonal experiences support tourism, one part of a broader labour market. Skilled workers and year-round employment affect communities differently. Regional expertise covers both Arctic conditions and everyday services.
Svipper is the county’s public transport service, including buses and express boats. Islands, fjords and long valleys require combined transport modes. County planning covers urban areas and connections between smaller communities. For education, work or visits, check transfers, last departures and service alerts. Weather and seasonal conditions make current information particularly important for sea and mountain journeys.
UiT The Arctic University of Norway has sites including Tromsø and Harstad, connecting international northern research with regional needs. Nord-Troms Museum documents Sámi, Kven and Norwegian lives through buildings, objects and stories. Learning about Norwegianisation and wartime destruction explains why language preservation and local memory remain central to cultural work today.
Troms includes urban development and smaller municipalities working to recruit workers and maintain services. Sámi, Kven and Norwegian identities cross urban–rural divisions. Distance to education or employment can influence settlement. Investigate local population trends alongside transport and housing; the county total describes neither a single town nor all conditions in Nord-Troms.
The adopted Tromsvekstavtalen coordinates the county’s work with Nord-Tromsrådet. Population development, land-use planning and climate adaptation are priorities, aiming to strengthen communities and improve the basis for new initiatives.
Landscapes, heritage sites and buildings offer a concrete view of the county’s history. Continue to the guides to these places and their municipalities.
Fossmotunet tells the story of families who moved from Østerdalen and Gudbrandsdalen to Målselv. Original farm buildings and relocated houses show how those traditions took root in the northern valley.
Polarmuseet brings Arctic exploration and everyday survival into the old customs buildings on the waterfront of Tromsø. Its setting is itself part of the city's polar history.
Troms · 21 municipalities
Find local figures, history, education, housing and public services. Each municipality’s population figure refers to the stated period.
Residents · Q2 2026 · SSB
Norway has three elected levels of government: the state, county authorities and municipalities. A county is both a geographical area and the territory of an elected regional authority.
Responsibilities include upper secondary education, county roads, public transport, public dental services and regional development. These tasks connect municipalities.
Local responsibilities include primary and lower secondary schools, kindergartens, health and care services and land-use planning. Kommuneportal explains these at municipal level.
The County Governor represents the state regionally. This is a separate institution from the elected county authority. Oslo has both municipal and county responsibilities.
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Registry date: · Content updated:
A county total is shown only when every municipality has comparable figures from the same source and period. Land area excludes freshwater and sea. Density uses population and land area from the same year.
The same municipality membership is used; changes across a documented geographical break are withheld.
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