On the 1st of May 2015, a new national policy for household payments for kindergarten was put into effect. The policy ensures that no household pays more than six per cent of their total gross annual income for a kindergarten place, up to a given maximum rate. As of January 2024, the maximum rate was NOK 3 000. The policy regulates public and private kindergartens equally.
In January 2024, the average Norwegian household paid NOK 2 504 for a kindergarten place. Furthermore, the kindergartens collected on average NOK 379 per child to cover food and other expenses. On average, privately owned kindergartens collect more fees for food and other expenses than public kindergartens.
The mean annual payment for a full-time place in Norwegian kindergartens, including food and other costs, was NOK 31 720 as of January 2024. This is 0,4 per cent lower than in January 2023. The average paid meal expenses per child increased during this period. This increase is mitigated, in part, by the introduction of free kindergarten placement from the third child for families with multiple children attending kindergarten simultaneously, and for children in Finnmark county and Nord-Troms district.