Iceland vs Norway: Government spending per capita
Iceland
39,385 current international-$
in 2024
Norway
50,330 current international-$
in 2024
Iceland rank
5th
Norway rank
2nd
Government spending per capita over time
- Iceland
- Norway
How they compare
Norway currently reports 50,330 current international-$ against 39,385 current international-$ in Iceland, a difference of 10,945 current international-$.
That makes Norway's figure about 1.3 times Iceland's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 18 shared years of data; in 2007 it was Norway ahead.
Iceland ranks 5th and Norway ranks 2nd of 43 countries.
Norway has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iceland | Norway | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 22,923 current international-$ | 24,716 current international-$ | 1,794 current international-$ | Norway |
| 2010s | 22,848 current international-$ | 30,498 current international-$ | 7,649 current international-$ | Norway |
| 2020s | 34,914 current international-$ | 45,444 current international-$ | 10,529 current international-$ | Norway |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending per capita, Iceland or Norway?
- Norway, at 50,330 current international-$ against 39,385 current international-$ in Iceland as of 2024.
- What is the difference in government spending per capita between Iceland and Norway?
- 10,945 current international-$, with Norway ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and Norway?
- 18 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2024.
- How do Iceland and Norway rank globally for government spending per capita?
- Iceland ranks 5th and Norway ranks 2nd of 43 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Government spending per capita. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The total amount of money the general government spends per capita. This data is adjusted for differences in living costs between countries but not for inflation.