EnglishEnglish
中文Chinese (Simplified)
EspañolSpanish
हिन्दीHindi
العربيةArabic
FrançaisFrench
PortuguêsPortuguese
РусскийRussian
DeutschGerman
日本語Japanese
United States
Poland
Maldives
Iraq ↑ 54
Austria vs Czechia
Norway vs Portugal
Side-by-side comparison of Norway and Portugal from official statistics: size, economy, people, trade, natural resources, health, infrastructure and military, with world ranks, years and sources.
Norway
Europe & Central Asia · nation age 1,154 years
Portugal
Europe & Central Asia · nation age 887 years
In short
Norway scores 76.7 in the NationsTree Index (11th in the world) and Portugal scores 76.7 (13th), a gap of 0.1 points. Their trees are 17 m and 16 m tall; tree height grows with real GDP and is adjusted by the index.
Portugal has 93% more people than Norway. Norway is 6.8 times larger than Portugal by land area. Norway and Portugal have economies of similar size (GDP at purchasing power parity). Population: Norway 5.6 million and Portugal 10.8 million (2025).
GDP per person at purchasing power parity is $104,044 in Norway and $53,146 in Portugal (2025, international dollars). People in Norway live on average 0.8 years longer (83.2 vs 82.4 years).
Of 37 indicators reported by both countries, Norway ranks higher in the world on 27 and Portugal on 10. Norway is clearly stronger in military, natural resources and institutions & safety. Portugal is clearly stronger in tourism.
As a nation, Norway is the older of the two (statehood since 872, 1,154 years), compared with Portugal (since 1139). Over the last five years Portugal improved faster (direction score 73 vs 22 out of 100).
Where they differ most
The indicators with the biggest gap in world position between Norway and Portugal.
Norwaybetter
98.9%
10th of 153
Portugal
64.5%
93rd of 153
Income inequality (Gini)Society & health
Norwaybetter
26.5
8th of 108
Portugal
33.9
52nd of 108
High-tech exportsTrade
Norwaybetter
25.4%
21st of 168
Portugal
6.8%
85th of 168
Renewable freshwater per personNatural resources
Norwaybetter
70,000
7th of 183
Portugal
3,642
74th of 183
Internet usersInfrastructure & digital
Norwaybetter
99.0%
8th of 186
Portugal
88.5%
68th of 186
Over time
How the two countries moved against each other, from the yearly data.
Norway overtook Portugal in GDP (PPP) in 2017 and has stayed ahead since.
Norway has been ahead of Portugal in GDP per person (PPP) and life expectancy in every year since 1990.
Portugal has been ahead of Norway in population in every year since 1990.
Strength by category
Average world percentile of the indicators in each category (0–100, direction taken into account). i
NorwayPortugal All indicators
Latest available value for each country with its year and world rank. Green: the better world position of the two, red: the weaker one.
| Indicator | Norway | Portugal |
|---|---|---|
| Land & people | ||
| Surface area km² | 624,50043rd/216 · 2024 | 92,230112th/216 · 2024 |
| Land area km² | 364,27063rd/216 · 2024 | 91,606109th/216 · 2024 |
| Population people | 5.6 m118th/217 · 2025 | 10.8 m89th/217 · 2025 |
| Population growth % | 0.69%122nd/217 · 2025 | 1.03%101st/217 · 2025 |
| Population density people/km² | 15.3200th/216 · 2024 | 116.794th/216 · 2024 |
| Urban population % | 83.6%49th/217 · 2025 | 61.5%122nd/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 0–14 % | 15.9%167th/217 · 2025 | 12.7%208th/217 · 2025 |
| Population aged 65+ % | 19.1%41st/217 · 2025 | 24.9%5th/217 · 2025 |
| Economy | ||
| GDP USD | $530.76 bn31st/210 · 2025 | $346.64 bn46th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP (PPP) intl. USD | $583.78 bn50th/199 · 2025 | $574.23 bn51st/199 · 2025 |
| Real GDP (PPP, constant 2021 prices) intl. USD 2021 | $534.01 bn48th/199 · 2025 | $460.04 bn51st/199 · 2025 |
| GDP per person USD | $94,59410th/210 · 2025 | $32,08256th/210 · 2025 |
| GDP per person (PPP) intl. USD | $104,0447th/199 · 2025 | $53,14647th/199 · 2025 |
| GNI per person (Atlas) USD | $97,3103rd/201 · 2025 | $29,93049th/201 · 2025 |
| GDP growth % | 1.1%170th/210 · 2025 | 1.9%150th/210 · 2025 |
| Inflation % | 3.0%88th/180 · 2025 | 2.3%69th/180 · 2025 |
| Unemployment % | 4.6%79th/187 · 2025 | 6.2%113th/187 · 2025 |
| Central government debt % of GDP | 30.9%1994 | 5.7%1994 |
| General government gross debt % of GDP | 54.0%99th/189 · 2025 | 89.7%159th/189 · 2025 |
| Government budget balance % of GDP | 10.6%3rd/192 · 2025 | 0.7%29th/192 · 2025 |
| Main industries | ||
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing % of GDP | 1.6%153rd/197 · 2025 | 2.0%146th/197 · 2025 |
| Industry incl. construction % of GDP | 34.5%35th/200 · 2025 | 18.3%138th/200 · 2025 |
| Manufacturing % of GDP | 6.1%141st/192 · 2025 | 11.3%84th/192 · 2025 |
| Services % of GDP | 55.0%119th/200 · 2025 | 66.6%47th/200 · 2025 |
| Trade | ||
| Exports of goods & services USD | $240.82 bn34th/182 · 2025 | $151.34 bn40th/182 · 2025 |
| Imports of goods & services USD | $178.76 bn35th/182 · 2025 | $148.16 bn40th/182 · 2025 |
| Exports % of GDP | 45.4%63rd/183 · 2025 | 43.7%67th/183 · 2025 |
| Imports % of GDP | 33.7%119th/183 · 2025 | 42.7%95th/183 · 2025 |
| Trade openness % of GDP | 79.1%99th/183 · 2025 | 86.4%84th/183 · 2025 |
| Fuel exports % of merchandise exports | 62.1%18th/170 · 2025 | 5.1%74th/170 · 2025 |
| Manufactures exports % of merchandise exports | 17.4%111th/171 · 2025 | 75.3%31st/171 · 2025 |
| Food exports % of merchandise exports | 10.8%113th/171 · 2025 | 14.4%93rd/171 · 2025 |
| Ores & metals exports % of merchandise exports | 5.4%62nd/171 · 2025 | 2.7%90th/171 · 2025 |
| High-tech exports % of manufactured exports | 25.4%21st/168 · 2024 | 6.8%85th/168 · 2024 |
| Current account balance % of GDP | 14.2%15th/191 · 2025 | 1.2%66th/191 · 2025 |
| Foreign direct investment, inflows % of GDP | -1.3%186th/196 · 2025 | 3.5%62nd/196 · 2025 |
| Natural resources | ||
| Natural resource rents % of GDP | 10.0%46th/209 · 2021 | 0.3%144th/209 · 2021 |
| Oil rents % of GDP | 6.06%24th/197 · 2021 | 0.05%83rd/197 · 2021 |
| Natural gas rents % of GDP | 3.94%17th/197 · 2021 | 0.00%100th/197 · 2021 |
| Coal rents % of GDP | 0.00%61st/195 · 2021 | 0.00%68th/195 · 2021 |
| Mineral rents % of GDP | 0.00%91st/209 · 2021 | 0.15%66th/209 · 2021 |
| Forest rents % of GDP | 0.04%132nd/209 · 2021 | 0.09%114th/209 · 2021 |
| Arable land % of land area | 2.2%166th/206 · 2024 | 9.3%108th/206 · 2024 |
| Renewable freshwater per person m³ | 70,0007th/183 · 2022 | 3,64274th/183 · 2022 |
| Tourism | ||
| International tourist arrivals arrivals | 1.4 m82nd/194 · 2020 | 4.2 m41st/194 · 2020 |
| Tourism receipts USD | $2.20 bn49th/175 · 2020 | $10.52 bn19th/175 · 2020 |
| Tourism receipts % of exports | 1.9%132nd/168 · 2020 | 12.2%50th/168 · 2020 |
| Outbound trips departures | 1.7 m51st/107 · 2020 | 680,00071st/107 · 2020 |
| Society & health | ||
| Life expectancy years | 83.219th/217 · 2024 | 82.429th/217 · 2024 |
| Under-5 mortality per 1,000 births | 2.510th/196 · 2024 | 3.220th/196 · 2024 |
| Physicians per 1,000 people | 4.9811th/174 · 2023 | 5.855th/174 · 2022 |
| Hospital beds per 1,000 people | 3.352nd/145 · 2023 | 3.549th/145 · 2022 |
| DPT immunization % of children 12–23 months | 97%29th/193 · 2024 | 99%1st/193 · 2024 |
| Completed lower secondary, 25+ % of adults | 98.9%10th/153 · 2023 | 64.5%93rd/153 · 2024 |
| Secondary enrolment % gross | 116.3%21st/173 · 2024 | 120.3%15th/173 · 2023 |
| Old-age dependency ratio % of working-age population | 29.4%40th/217 · 2025 | 40.0%3rd/217 · 2025 |
| Health spending % of GDP | 9.4%36th/193 · 2023 | 10.2%27th/193 · 2024 |
| Adult literacy % | — | 94.5%2011 |
| Tertiary enrolment % gross | 95.5%12th/150 · 2024 | 77.7%32nd/150 · 2023 |
| Human Development Index index 0–1 | 0.9702nd/193 · 2023 | 0.89040th/193 · 2023 |
| Income inequality (Gini) index | 26.58th/108 · 2023 | 33.952nd/108 · 2023 |
| Extreme poverty % of population | 0.2%18th/108 · 2023 | 0.4%27th/108 · 2023 |
| Infrastructure & digital | ||
| Access to electricity % of population | 100.0%1st/215 · 2024 | 100.0%1st/215 · 2024 |
| Safely managed drinking water % of population | 99.1%29th/150 · 2024 | 95.2%51st/150 · 2024 |
| Safely managed sanitation % of population | 77.9%54th/144 · 2024 | 93.9%27th/144 · 2024 |
| Internet users % of population | 99.0%8th/186 · 2024 | 88.5%68th/186 · 2024 |
| Mobile subscriptions per 100 people | 109121st/210 · 2024 | 12479th/210 · 2024 |
| Fixed broadband per 100 people | 45.214th/208 · 2024 | 45.213th/208 · 2024 |
| Trade & transport infrastructure quality (LPI) score 1–5 | 3.9016th/164 · 2022 | 3.6029th/164 · 2022 |
| Rail lines route-km | 3,88534th/82 · 2021 | 2,52747th/82 · 2021 |
| Air passengers carried passengers | 12.3 m2004 | 18.3 m37th/161 · 2023 |
| Environment & energy | ||
| CO₂ emissions per person t CO₂e | 7.18171st/203 · 2024 | 3.32114th/203 · 2024 |
| Renewable energy % of final energy use | 61.4%36th/212 · 2021 | 32.3%77th/212 · 2021 |
| Air pollution (PM2.5) µg/m³ | 5.518th/200 · 2023 | 8.837th/200 · 2023 |
| Forest area % of land area | 33.2%103rd/214 · 2024 | 36.6%90th/214 · 2024 |
| Energy use per person kg oil eq. | 4,87717th/149 · 2024 | 1,81863rd/149 · 2024 |
| Institutions & safety | ||
| Government effectiveness score 0–100 | 90.08th/205 · 2025 | 73.339th/205 · 2025 |
| Control of corruption score 0–100 | 87.06th/207 · 2025 | 63.648th/207 · 2025 |
| Rule of law score 0–100 | 90.63rd/207 · 2025 | 75.934th/207 · 2025 |
| Political stability score 0–100 | 84.535th/207 · 2025 | 77.965th/207 · 2025 |
| Regulatory quality score 0–100 | 82.810th/205 · 2025 | 65.154th/205 · 2025 |
| Voice & accountability score 0–100 | 91.21st/205 · 2025 | 81.120th/205 · 2025 |
| Homicide rate per 100,000 | 0.726th/145 · 2023 | 0.724th/145 · 2022 |
| Military | ||
| Military expenditure USD | $17.03 bn23rd/156 · 2025 | $5.86 bn46th/156 · 2025 |
| Military expenditure % of GDP | 3.3%22nd/156 · 2025 | 1.7%79th/156 · 2025 |
| Military expenditure % of government spending | 6.7%51st/154 · 2025 | 4.0%110th/154 · 2025 |
| Armed forces personnel people | 25,00094th/170 · 2020 | 52,00068th/170 · 2020 |
| Armed forces personnel % of labour force | 0.85%81st/168 · 2020 | 1.01%67th/168 · 2020 |
| Arms imports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | 407.0 m27th/163 · 2025 | 90.0 m50th/163 · 2025 |
| Arms exports (SIPRI TIV) TIV | 415.0 m12th/65 · 2025 | 1.0 m61st/65 · 2025 |
| Science & innovation | ||
| R&D spending % of GDP | 1.85%20th/110 · 2023 | 1.69%25th/110 · 2023 |
| Patent applications by residents applications | 73239th/137 · 2024 | 74338th/137 · 2024 |
| Scientific articles articles | 13,75636th/197 · 2023 | 18,22527th/197 · 2023 |
Questions and answers
Which has more people, Norway or Portugal?
Portugal has the larger population: 10.8 m (2025) compared with 5.6 m for Norway (2025). Source: World Bank, SP.POP.TOTL.
Which is bigger by area, Norway or Portugal?
Norway is larger: 624,500 km² (2024) compared with 92,230 km² for Portugal (2024). Source: World Bank, AG.SRF.TOTL.K2.
Which economy is larger, Norway or Portugal?
Norway has the larger economy at purchasing power parity: $583.78 bn intl. (2025) compared with $574.23 bn intl. for Portugal (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD.
Which is richer per person, Norway or Portugal?
Norway has the higher GDP per person (PPP): $104,044 intl. (2025) compared with $53,146 intl. for Portugal (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD.
Where do people live longer, in Norway or Portugal?
Norway has the higher life expectancy at birth: 83.2 years (2024) compared with 82.4 years for Portugal (2024). Source: World Bank, SP.DYN.LE00.IN.
Which spends more on the military, Norway or Portugal?
Norway spends more on the military: $17.03 bn (2025) compared with $5.86 bn for Portugal (2025). Source: World Bank, MS.MIL.XPND.CD.
Which ranks higher in the NationsTree Index, Norway or Portugal?
Norway: 76.7 points (11th in the world); Portugal: 76.7 points (13th). The index combines foundations, economic strength, quality of life, problems and 5-year direction from public statistics.
Denmark
Sweden
Ukraine
Uzbekistan
Greece
HungarySources
World Bank World Development Indicators and Worldwide Governance Indicators, compiling UN agencies, the IMF, WHO, SIPRI and national statistical offices; every row links to its world ranking with the source series. See Sources & licences and Methodology.
Cite as: NationsTree (2026). Norway vs Portugal — country comparison. https://nationstree.org/compare/norway-vs-portugal. Data as of 26 October 2026.