The Norwegian Education Mirror 2022

Higher spending per pupil in Norway than in most other countries

Adjusted for purchasing power and converted to dollars, Norway has significantly higher costs per pupil in primary and secondary education than the OECD average. In 2019, which is the last year with comparable figures, Norway spent 55 per cent more per primary level pupil than the OECD average, and 34 per cent more per secondary level pupil. Costs for upper secondary school education is 44 per cent higher than the OECD average (OECD 2022).

Norway also has significantly higher costs per pupil in primary school and upper secondary school in comparison with the other Nordic countries, while Iceland and Finland have higher costs per pupil in lower secondary school than Norway.

Spending in USD per pupil in the Nordic countries
Education level NorwayIsland SwedenDanmark Finland OECD average
Primary school15 334 14 304 13 234 12 273 10 576 9 923 
Lower secondary school15 334 16 502 13 158 14 924 16 869 11 417 
Upper secondary school16 884 14 004 13 437 10 584 9 292 11 711 
Source: OECD (2022)

In Norway, 4.6 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) was used on primary and lower secondary schools and upper secondary education in 2019. Norway uses a higher proportion of its GDP on primary and lower secondary school and upper secondary school than some other OECD countries, 1.5 per cent higher than the OECD average.