Household statistics, 1998

If we look at the distribution of persons in households, the results show that one in five persons (19 per cent) live alone. Two-person households are the most common. In 1998, 26 per cent of all persons lived in households consisting of two persons. There are also many persons (22 per cent) who live in households consisting of four persons. Large households are relatively rare in Norway today. In 1998 only four per cent of the population lived in a household consisting of six or more members.

Oslo has highest percentage of people who live alone

Of all the counties Oslo has the highest percentage of one-person households, with 55 per cent of all households consisting of just one person. This is considerably higher than the national average of 40 per cent. Finnmark and Hedmark were also above the national average, with 48 and 44 per cent respectively of all households consisting of one person in these counties. The lowest percentage of one-person households is found in Sogn og Fjordane and Sør-Trøndelag, with 34 per cent.

With respect to households with children, the percentage is highest in Akershus and Rogaland and lowest in Oslo. In 1998, 31 per cent of all households in Akershus and Rogaland had at least one child under the age of 17 living at home, while the corresponding figure for Oslo was 20 per cent. On a national basis, households with children made up 27 per cent of all households.

From 1990 to 1994 the number of one-person households increased by just over 120 000, from 38 to 41 per cent of all households. Much of this increase, however, is due to changes that have taken place in the definition of a household in the period (see "About the statistics"). From 1994 to 1998 the number of households increased by almost 50 000. There have been small changes in the number of one-person households, while the number of two-person households has increased steadily during the entire period from 1990 to 1998. The number of larger households has been somewhat stable.

Statistical basis

The basis for the statistics is Statistics Norway's Income Distribution Surveys for Households. The Income Distribution Survey consists of several sample surveys on living conditions.

Information about the composition of the households is obtained by interviewing persons in the households. For the persons who for one reason or another could not be interviewed (non-respondents), information on family composition derived from family and tax return statistics has been used.