Economy - overview:
The Norwegian economy is a prosperous bastion of welfare capitalism, featuring a combination of free market activity and government intervention. The government controls key areas such as the vital petroleum sector (through large-scale state enterprises). The country is richly endowed with natural resources - petroleum, hydropower, fish, forests, and minerals - and is highly dependent on its oil production and international oil prices, with oil and gas accounting for one-third of exports. Only Saudi Arabia and Russia export more oil than Norway. Norway opted to stay out of the EU during a referendum in November 1994; nonetheless, it contributes sizably to the EU budget. The government has moved ahead with privatization. Although Norwegian oil production peaked in 2000, natural gas production is still rising. Norwegians realize that once their gas production peaks they will eventually face declining oil and gas revenues; accordingly, Norway has been saving its oil-and-gas-boosted budget surpluses in a Government Petroleum Fund, which is invested abroad and now is valued at more than $250 billion. After lackluster growth of less than 1% in 2002-03, GDP growth picked up to 3-4% in 2004-06. Norway's economy remains buoyant. Domestic economic activity is, and will continue to be, the main driver of growth, supported by high consumer confidence and strong investment spending in the offshore oil and gas sector.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$207.3 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
$261.7 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
$47,800 (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 2.3%
industry: 41.4%
services: 56.3% (2006 est.)

Labor force:
2.42 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 4%
industry: 22%
services: 74% (1995)

Unemployment rate:
3.5% (2006 est.)

Population below poverty line:
NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 4.1%
highest 10%: 21.8% (1995)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
25.8 (2000)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.3% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
19.1% of GDP (2006 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $195.8 billion
expenditures: $133.1 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)

Public debt:
44.8% of GDP (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products:
barley, wheat, potatoes; pork, beef, veal, milk; fish

Industries:
petroleum and gas, food processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, textiles, fishing

Industrial production growth rate:
1.8% (2006 est.)

Electricity - production:
108.9 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - consumption:
112.8 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports:
3.8 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports:
15.3 billion kWh (2004)

Oil - production:
3.22 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
244,300 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports:
3.466 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports:
88,870 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - proved reserves:
9.859 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
83.49 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
8.09 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
75.4 billion cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.085 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

Current account balance:
$63.33 billion (2006 est.)

Exports:
$122.6 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, machinery and equipment, metals, chemicals, ships, fish

Exports - partners:
UK 25.5%, Germany 12.6%, Netherlands 9.9%, France 9.1%, US 6.7%, Sweden 6.5% (2005)

Imports:
$59.9 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, metals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners:
Sweden 14.6%, Germany 13.6%, Denmark 7.3%, UK 6.8%, China 5.5%, US 5%, France 4% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$49.62 billion (August 2006 est.)

Debt - external:
$350.3 billion; note - Norway is a net external creditor (30 June 2006)

Economic aid - donor:
ODA, $1.4 billion (1998)

Currency (code):
Norwegian krone (NOK)

Exchange rates:
Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 6.41332 (2006), 6.4425 (2005), 6.7408 (2004), 7.0802 (2003), 7.9838 (2002)