Culture and use of time
Statistics on cultural conditions comprise a number of different statistics. These include statistics on religious and philosophical communities outside the Church of Norway, statistics on film and theatres, use of radio and television, statistics on books and newspapers, scholarships and stipends to artists, the use of the two official languages, a time budget survey, a survey of holiday habits and statistics on sports.
Main figures from the greater part of the cultural statistics are published in Statistical Yearbook. The publication Cultural Statistics, issued in the series Official Statistics of Norway (NOS) in 1975, 1977, 1982, 1985, 1988 and 1992, comprise more detailed figures.
Yearly statistics relating to religious and philosophical communities outside the Church of Norway have been produced by Statistics Norway since 1971. The statistics are based on information given by the communities in order to obtain public grants. Unregistered religious communities have also received public grants since 1982.
The National Association of Municipal Cinemas compiles the statistics on cinemas. The data comprise public, private and itinerant cinemas. Statistics exist from 1926 onwards. Statistics relating to permanent theatres were compiled by Statistics Norway on the basis of direct returns up to 1959-60. As from 1968 the statistics for theatres and the Norwegian Opera are compiled by the Employers' Association of the Norwegian Theatres and individual theatres.
The first Norwegian radio listeners' survey was made in 1953/54 by Norsk Gallup A/S. Since 1967 the statistics on persons with access to and use of radio and television have been made by Statistics Norway. The surveys cover the whole country and are based on a sample of persons 9-79 years of age.
Since 1957 statistics on published books have been worked out by Statistics Norway on the basis of information in Norsk Bokfortegnelse (Norwegian Book Catalogue) which is prepared by the University Library in Oslo. The statistics include first editions, revised editions and new editions. The newspaper statistics include newspapers belonging the Norwegian Newspapers National Association. The data go back to 1956.
Statistics relating to State supported public libraries have been worked out by the Norwegian Directorate for Public and School Libraries. The data go partly back to 1918-19. Statistics on special and research libraries have been worked out by Statistics Norway since 1954. Due to changes in the specifications of the libraries, comparable statistics only exist back to 1980.
Information relating to scholarships and grants to artists has been compiled since 1927, first by the Ministry of Church and Education and later by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. From 1977 onwards the figures for guaranted income for artists are also given.
Statistics relating to the use in government service and in primary schools of the official Norwegian languages ("bokmål" and "nynorsk") are available from 1936 onwards. To begin with, the statistics were compiled by the Ministry of Church and Education and subsequently by Statistics Norway.
The first time budget survey was made in 1970/71 and has subsequently been followed up every tenth year. These surveys of the time used for different activities are composed of interviews and diary keeping among a representative sample of Norwegians 16-79 years of age. The statistics of Norwegians' holiday habits are based on interviews with a representative sample that covers the whole country, and varies from about 2 800 persons to about 1 800 persons 16-79 years of age. Such a survey was made for the first time in1968. Since 1971 similar surveys have been made about every fourth year. Since 1992 questions about holiday trips have been a part of Statistics Norway's omnibus surveys.
Information on the number of associations and members belonging to the Norwegian Confederation of Sports has been published since 1957. Since 1968 the figures include persons who belong to the Norwegian Confederation of Sports through the Norwegian Confederation of Company sports.