Industry statistics for Svalbard

Updated: 29 August 2024

Next update: 29 August 2025

Change in turnover (percentage change from last year)
Change in turnover (percentage change from last year)
2023
11.4
%
 
Svalbard. Industry statistics, by main industry (SIC2007)
Svalbard. Industry statistics, by main industry (SIC2007)
Man-yearsTurnover (NOK 1 000)
2023Percentage change from last year2023Percentage change from last year
Svalbard total1 690.67.15 244 92811.4
Mining and quarrying76.0-2.6118 798-20.7
Manufacturing; Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply; Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities59.585.9200 75290.9
Construction209.0-2.2665 236-13.5
Wholesale and retail trade124.76.8497 08213.8
Transportation and storage118.117.61 026 3672.0
Accommodation and food service activities295.411.3510 474-2.4
Information, communication, financial and insurance activities83.717.11 038 59231.0
Real estate activities2.9-17.1148 09522.1
Professional, scientific and technical activities75.6-0.795 21831.6
Administrative and support service activities182.625.2602 97148.1
Public administration and defence99.4-12.346 486-17.2
Education::::
Human health and social work activities61.7-3.311 949-30.1
Arts, entertainment and recreation109.520.9180 18225.3
Other service activities9.1-29.513 68141.2
Explanation of symbols

Selected tables and charts from this statistics

  • Local KAUs on Svalbard. Main figures by code system and structure.
    Local KAUs on Svalbard. Main figures by code system and structure.
    EstablishmentsMan-yearsTurnover (NOK 1 000)Public Subsidies (NOK 1 000)Wage costs (NOK 1 000)Investments (NOK 1 000)
    202220232022202320222023202220232022202320222023
    Svalbard total3763781 578.81 690.64 709 4065 244 928866 639940 0931 225 1171 347 466575 186860 110
    B Mining and quarrying1178.076.0149 888118 7980-88 53584 5032 8143 090
    C+D+E Manufacturing; Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply; Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities182132.059.5105 188200 7524 16053 63728 84053 17523 22677 916
    F Construction2622213.8209.0769 091665 236239-185 998162 06214 77920 016
    G Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles2632116.8124.7436 745497 0820-71 04675 56312 76136 526
    H Transportation and storage2323100.4118.11 006 0911 026 367459-105 475138 53128 15950 230
    I Accommodation and food service activities2624265.3295.4523 250510 47446 57467 893147 717165 06824 67015 221
    J+K Information and communication. Financial and insurance activities181771.583.7793 0121 038 5921 9528 05964 41780 280177 006247 341
    L Real estate activities39373.52.9121 311148 0952482039072 402151 152111 958
    M Professional, scientific and technical activities636576.175.672 37395 21876 10874 91861 83465 45114 37183 852
    N Administrative and support service activities5958145.9182.6407 023602 97152 41757 773101 471128 48556 008148 610
    O Public administration and defence; compulsory social security89113.499.456 14546 486395 285375 166100 724103 48924 64317 406
    P Education1514::::::::::
    Q Human health and social work activities101163.861.717 09511 94923 94326 59854 23456 5611 6931 209
    R Arts, entertainment and recreation333790.6109.5143 790180 18231 17630 81656 63364 35729 06136 712
    S Other service activities11712.99.19 68613 6815 7255 8226 4517 5922150
    Missing000.00.000000000
    Explanation of symbols

About the statistics

The statistics provide insight into the development and structure of the various industries in Svalbard. The figures include man-years, employment, turnover, costs and investment, based on reported data from all active businesses located in Svalbard.

The information under «About the statistics» was last updated 5 July 2023.

Establishment


The Standard Industrial Classification (SN07) defines an establishment as a locally defined functional unit whose main activities fall within a specific industrial classification. The activity carried out by a legal entity (enterprise) is known as an establishment. A legal entity can engage in one or more establishments/businesses.

Number of man-hours worked


This is defined as the total number of hours worked by employees in a workplace, both within and outside normal working hours. Short breaks are included, but time spent in transit between home and the workplace is not included. Number of man-hours in a year is 1687 hours

Hours worked by seasonal workers counts as long as worker is employed directly by establisment, it means not by employment tempt agency.

Employment

Employment is defined as the total number of owners and employees. One person is only counted in his/her main job, the same person here can have more than one job.

Turnover


Turnover is defined as an enterprise's operating revenues minus government subsidies and gains on the sale of fixed assets. Special public duties related to the sale, and taxes and duties are included in the turnover, but VAT is not included.


Salary costs


Wages, holiday pay, fees, employer's national insurance contributions, pension costs subject to reporting and other personnel costs for work carried out on Svalbard. Salary costs do not include remuneration to owners of sole proprietorships or partnerships.

Public subsidies


Applies to allocations received for operations and investment from the government, the local government on Longyearbyen, and other public bodies (e.g. Innovation Norway). It is rapported separetly in its own field. It is not included in turnover.

Merchandise

Is defined as goods purchased during the year and and sold without further processing (with the exception of labeling and packaging).

Total purchase of goods and services


The total purchase of goods and services includes the value of all goods and services that are purchased during the course of the year for resale, for use in the enterprise’s own production process or for storage. The procurement of tangible fixed assets is not included in these figures.

Investments


Investments in assets with a lifetime of more than a year, including investments in new and used capital goods, and extensions, alterations, improvements and repairs that prolong the lifetime of the capital goods or increase their production capacity. Costs for design, transportation, installation and any special duties are also included.

Deductible VAT, financial expenses, tax benefits achieved (e.g. investments in more environmentally-friendly equipment) and fixed assets acquired through restructuring (e.g. mergers, takeovers, demergers, divisions) are not included.

Purchased goods are valued at cost price and self-produced goods are valued at production cost.

Public sector

The public sector can be divided into an public administration part and an public enterprise part. The public administration consists of the authorities and other companies that take care of a wide range of society's common tasks. Hospitals and schools are examples of institutions that are part of the public administration. The public enterprise part consists of market-based enterprises that are owned or otherwise controlled by the public sector. The public enterprises are companies such as water supply, sewerage, waste management og large companies where state owns more then half of the shares.

The industrial classification is in accordance with the Norwegian Standard Industrial Classification (SN2007) , used in Statistics Norway, which is based on the EU Standard NACE Rev. 2 and the United Nation’s International Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities (ISIC), Rev. 4.

Name: Industry statistics for Svalbard.

Topic: Transport and tourism

29 August 2025

Division for Structural Business Statistics.

National level.

Annually.

Preliminary key figures are published eight months after the end of the statistics year. Final figures are released together with final figures for the other structure statistics within 20 months of the year to which the figures apply.

Not relevant.

Collected and revised data are stored securely by Statistics Norway in compliance with applicable legislation on data processing.

Statistics Norway can grant access to the source data (de-identified or anonymised microdata) on which the statistics are based, for researchers and public authorities for the purposes of preparing statistical results and analyses. Access can be granted upon application and subject to conditions. Refer to the details about this at Access to data from Statistics Norway.

The industry statistics for Svalbard are a full census at establishment level. The statistics are published on an ongoing basis and provide detailed information on the activity on Svalbard based on data collected from all active establishments.

The statistics are intended to show the structure within all the main sectors of industry in the Standard Industrial Classification based on data collected from the relevant financial year. The statistics were first published in the statistics year 2008.

The data is useful for central and local authorities, ministries and various trade associations that require statistics on Svalbard. The figures that are collected are made unidentifiable and the micro data is accessible to researchers in accordance with standard terms of Statistics Norway. Coordinated data collection entails Statistics Norway being responsible for collecting data from the establishments on Svalbard and the data required for Svalbard: Society and industrial affairs being covered in the data basis. The timeliness in relation to Longyearbyen's local government previous data releases is maintained and released at an earlier date than other national industry statistics.

No external users have access to statistics until it is published for everyone at 08.00 on ssb.no after prior notice no later than three months before in the Statistikkalenderen. This is one of the most important principles in Statistics Norway to ensure equal treatment of users.

While the industry statistics can provide employment figures on a detailed industry and are consistent with other establishment-related variables, the national accounts provide quarterly figures with a short production time. The Labour Market Survey and the register-based employment statistics also provide figures on personal identifiers such as age, sex, education and working hours. The register-based employment statistics also give figures down to municipality level.

The statistics are developed, produced and disseminated pursuant to Act no. 32 of 21 June 2019 relating to official statistics and Statistics Norway (the Statistics Act).

No EU legislation.

The Industry survey for Svalbard is broken down in line with the Standard Industrial Classification SIC2007 and covers the following industries:

05-09 - Mining and quarrying
10-33 - Manufacturing
35 - Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
36-39 - Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities
41-43 - Construction
45-47 - Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles
49-53 - Transportation and storage
55-56 - Accommodation and food service activities
58-63 - Information and communication
64-66 - Financial and insurance activities
68 - Real estate activities
69-75 - Professional, scientific and technical activities
77-82 - Administrative and support service activities
84 - Public administration and defence; compulsory social security
85 - Education
86-88 - Human health and social work activities
90-93 - Arts, entertainment and recreation
94-96 - Other service activities

All of the establishments within these industries are included in the statistics if they are registered as an active business on Svalbard in the statistics year.

Primary industries farm, forestry and fishing (01 - 03: SN2007) are not covered in the industry statistics for Svalbard. For details about the capture volume and value in the waters off Svalbard, please visit the ministry's side: https://www.fiskeridir.no/English . More details of these variables for fisheries protection zone around Svalbard and other nearby hunting zones can be found here.

For an establishment, the statistics are based on the Business Statement (NO) or annual accounts. The business statement is reported electronically via the Norwegian Directorate of Taxes.

The data is quality assured using the following sources:

  • Electronically delivered tax statements to the Tax Directorate
  • Register of Company Accounts at Brønnøysund

The Central Register of Establishments and Enterprises is used when collecting data. The register is updated regularly with data relating to Svalbard in collaboration with the local government on Longyearbyen, the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities, various trade organisations and directly from the individual establishment/enterprise.

The population consists of all active establishments within the aforementioned industry sectors in the statistics year.

Data Collection

The forms will be sent out in April / May, and have a 4-week response deadline.

Establishments that do not answer by the deadline are sent a written reminder about 10 days after expiry of the deadline. Establishments that do not respond after receiving the reminder are issued with a compulsory fine.

Editing

Controls and alignments are carried out on data received from establishments, tax statements and annual accounts. Revisions of the data are carried out after controls against figures from the previous year, the Central Register of Establishments and Enterprises, Register of Company Accounts at Brønnøysund, other available sources and according to consultations with the respondent where necessary.

Data received is controlled against electronically delivered tax statements, annual accounts and through contact with the respondent. Since the statistics are a full census, there is no need for estimations.

The employment figures are controlled against the Register of employees and employers, and undergo a manual or automated revision prior to publishing, based on the control source.

Last year's numbers are edited when final figures arepublished, sice the static data releases earlier than other national statistics.

Estimation

All enterprises are included in the population. Calculations of figures are based on reported numbers. Figures are constructed based on income statements (NO) or anual reports for those companies that have not participated.

Not relevant.

Due to the situation of domineering establishments on Svalbard, exemption from confidentiality is required for Store Norske Spitsbergen Kullkompani AS. Otherwise, the rule is applied which stipulates that figures are not published where there are fewer than three units in a cell in a table. The reason for this is a risk of identification whereby the figures can be traced back to the respondent. This particularly applies when publishing figures at a low geographical level. This is solved by suppressing these figures in the table.

To ensure confidentiality, the ‘[suppression]1’ method is used in these statistics.

Employees of Statistics Norway have a duty of confidentiality.

Statistics Norway can make exceptions to the general rule if deemed necessary to meet the requirements of the EEA agreement, if the respondent is a public authority, if the respondent has consented to this, or when the information disclosed is openly accessible to the public.

More information can be found on Statistics Norway’s website under Methods in official statistics, in the ‘Confidentiality’ section.

When comparing with previously published figures, users should be aware that older data may have been corrected in connection with the revision of the statistics for the last year. In addition, updating of industry codes in the Central Register of Establishments and Enterprises could lead to changes for some of the industries. Such changes will not be reflected in the figures for previous years.

Accuracy and reliability

Measurement errors arise when the respondent gives the wrong answer due to an oversight, misunderstanding or similar.

Processing errors are possible but we have a complex control system to avoid them.

Form-based surveys normally contain a certain number of non-responses. Non-responses by units are due to circumstances such as closure, bankruptcy, mergers, demergers, holidays, errors in the dispatch, refusals and similar. Partial non-responses (where answers are missing to individual questions) can be due to oversights, lack of data or other circumstances.

The variables that are included are based on a full census. Sampling errors are therefore not relevant.

Several administrative registers are central to the work entailed in the structure statistics. The Central Register of Establishments and Enterprises is used both to define the population and to retrieve identifiers and data. The Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities at Brønnøysund are used to retrieve data on the units. These data form the basis for two types of register errors, which can have an impact on the uncertainty in the statistics.

The most common error is as a result of time lags in the registers. Such time lags can be caused by late reporting to the registers or because changes are normally registered some time after they have occurred. The consequences are that the registers are not fully up-to-date at any given time, which can lead to imbalances in the sampling or outdated data being used in the statistics.

A revision is a planned change to figures that have already been published, for example when releasing final figures as a follow-up to published preliminary figures. See also Statistics Norway’s principles for revisions.

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