Municipality

Vestvågøy

Municipality no. 1860 · Nordland - Nordlánnda · 11,606 inhabitants · KOSTRA group 8

Municipality index · based on 2025

49 of 100

Between rank 4 and 11 of 13 in KOSTRA group 8 (rank 8 with the default weights). Between 122 and 300 of 357 in Norway (199 with the default weights).

The rank is shown as a range when it moves a lot with other weights, normalisations and handling of missing data. The range covers 90 per cent of 1,000 draws. Methodology

Development index 75 of 100: how the key figures have changed over about the last three years, compared with the group. Profile: Lower level · improving.

No figures for public contracts; the weights are spread over the other parts.

Sub-indices for the municipality against the group median
Part	Score (0–100)	Group median	Development (0–100)	Score as a bar
Work and business	44	48	79
Economy	62	55	67
Population and growth	47	47	83
Work, education and housing	39	50	89
Health and living conditions	Third quarter of the group			Shown as a quarter, not as a score or rank
Local economy (our company data)	53	47	50
Public contracts	–	–	–	Comes when Doffin is connected (weight 0)

The score is the percentile rank in the group: 50 means middle of the pack among municipalities like it. The index does not measure the quality of services.

Level and development in the group

Each dot is a municipality in the same group. The municipality you are viewing is the largest dot, with its name. Level largely reflects size and geography; development shows the direction.

Similar municipalities

Stad 9,616 inhabitants · index 55
Vågan 9,905 inhabitants · index 43
Ullensvang 10,929 inhabitants · index 58
Kvinnherad 13,236 inhabitants · index 52
Oppdal 7,421 inhabitants · index 73
Sør-Varanger 9,947 inhabitants · index 49
Hadsel 8,374 inhabitants · index 46
Kinn 17,356 inhabitants · index 37

Chosen by population, centrality, commuting and industry structure (employment by industry), not by the index.

Summary analysis

Vestvågøy has a municipality index of 49 of 100 against its KOSTRA group.

Strongest: Economy: 62 of 100 (group 55).

Weakest: Health and living conditions: 28 of 100 (group 50). Work, education and housing: 39 of 100 (group 50).

Worth a closer look

Share in households with persistent low income (EU60): 8.3% against 7.7% in the group (2024).
Share living in overcrowded homes: 7.7% against 7.3% in the group (2025).

Written by fixed rules from the figures. Describes the figures, does not explain causes. Not investment or financial advice. How the summary is made

Key figures from Statistics Norway

Work and business

Key figure	Value	Group median	National median	Source
Employed, share of age 20–66 (high scores high)	77.2% 2025	77.6%	76.7%	table 11618
Job coverage (jobs per employed resident) (shown, not in the index)	93.8% 2025	96.7%	90.0%	table 11618
Registered unemployed, share of labour force (low scores high)	1.1% 2025	1.0%	1.3%	table 13563
New enterprises per 1,000 inhabitants (high scores high)	11.2 2023	8.4	9.2	table 13701
Limited company bankruptcies per 1,000 inhabitants (low scores high)	0.9 2025	0.5	0.5	table 07165

Economy

Key figure	Value	Group median	National median	Source
Household income after tax, median (high scores high)	NOK 657,800 2024	NOK 657,800	NOK 657,600	table 06944
Net operating result, share of operating revenue (municipal group) (high scores high)	9.0% 2025	−0.2%	1.3%	table 12143
Unrestricted reserves, share of operating revenue (high scores high)	2.8% 2025	7.3%	10.4%	table 12143
Net debt, share of operating revenue (low scores high)	92.6% 2025	95.9%	84.9%	table 12143
Net operating expenditure per inhabitant (shown, not in the index)	NOK 88,368 2025	NOK 95,591	NOK 96,691	table 12137
Gross operating revenue per inhabitant (shown, not in the index)	NOK 141,462 2025	NOK 139,432	NOK 141,010	table 12137

Population and growth

Key figure	Value	Group median	National median	Source
Population on 1 January (shown, not in the index)	11,606 2026	11,750	5,447	table 11342
Population growth, last year (high scores high)	0.2% 2026	0.2%	0.3%	table 06913
Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (shown, not in the index)	3.5 2025	2.2	4.1	table 06913 some years withheld by SSB
Share aged 80 and over (shown, not in the index)	5.4% 2026	5.5%	6.3%	table 07459
Projected population growth to 2030 (main alternative) (high scores high)	−0.8% 2026	−0.5%	1.1%	table 14746
Projected population growth to 2050 (main alternative) (shown, not in the index)	−1.9% 2026	−2.4%	3.6%	table 14746

Work, education and housing

Key figure	Value	Group median	National median	Source
Net in-commuting, share of employed residents (shown, not in the index)	−5.5% 2025	−2.7%	−10.2%	table 11616
Children aged 1–5 in kindergarten (high scores high)	93.6% 2025	95.3%	94.1%	table 13502
Share with university or college education (16 and over) (high scores high)	29.4% 2025	28.7%	27.5%	table 09429
Share living in overcrowded homes (low scores high)	7.7% 2025	7.3%	6.9%	table 14902
Detached houses, share of all dwellings (shown, not in the index)	76.0% 2026	64.9%	75.1%	table 06265
Net expenditure on culture per inhabitant (shown, not in the index)	NOK 3,469 2025	NOK 3,533	NOK 3,310	table 13135

Health and living conditions

Key figure	Value	Group median	National median	Source
Life expectancy at birth (15-year period) (high scores high)	81.2 years 2025	82.3 years	82.4 years	FHI table 508
Share in households with persistent low income (EU60) (low scores high)	8.3% 2024	7.7%	8.1%	FHI table 403
Completed upper secondary education (standardised) (high scores high)	74.7% 2025	78.8%	80.5%	FHI table 623
Young people satisfied with their health (Ungdata, latest survey) (high scores high)	59.7% 2025	61.0%	64.7%	FHI table 349
Disability benefit recipients aged 20–66 (standardised) (low scores high)	11.1% 2024	11.1%	11.2%	FHI table 787

Local economy (our company data)

Key figure	Value	Group median	National median	Source
Limited companies we follow per 1,000 inhabitants (high scores high)	26.5 2026	16.7	16.7	Our data
Median operating margin, companies we follow (shown, not in the index)	4.3% 2025	4.6%	3.2%	Our data
New bankruptcies and liquidations per 1,000 limited companies (low scores high)	19.5 2025	15.2	13.5	Our data

Public contracts

Key figure	Value	Group median	National median	Trend	Source
Share of the municipality's contracts (Doffin) won by local companies (shown, not in the index)	– 2025	–	11.9%		Our data

Each key figure is for the year shown beside it. Municipalities that merged or were renumbered get the figures from the old number where Statistics Norway has not recalculated them.

Industries in the municipality · 2025

The largest industries by persons employed with their workplace in the municipality (5,570 in all in 2025), with the change since 2020.

Industry (SN2007)	Employed	Share	Change since 2020	Change in Norway	Location quotient	Trend
Helsetjenester 86	767	13.8%	41.0%	13.3%	1.52	Rising
Undervisning 85	497	8.9%	−2.7%	4.1%	1.10	Stable
Sosiale omsorgstjenester uten botilbud 88	453	8.1%	−31.8%	1.7%	1.29	Falling
Detaljhandel, unntatt med motorvogner 47	449	8.1%	5.4%	4.0%	1.16	Stable
Spesialisert bygge- og anleggsvirksomhet 43	407	7.3%	−1.0%	4.0%	1.54	Stable
Fiske, fangst og akvakultur 03	377	6.8%	13.2%	17.8%	8.42	Stable
Produksjon av nærings- og nytelsesmidler 10	366	6.6%	−8.5%	10.5%	3.94	Stable
Offentlig administrasjon og forsvar, og trygdeordninger underlagt offentlig forvaltning 84	230	4.1%	−9.8%	8.7%	0.64	Stable
Pleie- og omsorgstjenester i institusjon 87	225	4.0%	6.6%	6.4%	0.74	Stable
Oppføring av bygninger 41	218	3.9%	−12.8%	−3.4%	1.63	Falling
Serveringsvirksomhet 56	109	2.0%	41.6%	31.2%	0.72	Rising
Landtransport og rørtransport 49	103	1.8%	1.0%	7.8%	0.81	Stable

A location quotient above 1 means the industry is larger here than in the rest of Norway (2 = twice the share). “Rising” and “Falling” need both at least a 10% change over five years and a change at least 5 percentage points better or worse than in Norway. Industries with fewer than 20 employed are shown as a three-year moving average and are not classified. Source: Statistics Norway, table 13470 (employed by workplace, 4th quarter).

See business development in the municipality

Housing and labour market · 2025

Vestvågøy has about as many jobs as employed residents. The municipality has 5,571 jobs and 5,890 employed residents, and 85% of the residents work in the municipality.

Jobs (employed by workplace): 5,571
Employed residents: 5,890
Jobs per employed resident: 0.95
Commute in: 574
Commute out: 893

Where the residents work (outside the municipality)

Municipality	Employed	Share of employed residents
Vågan	168	2.9%
Flakstad	85	1.4%
Oslo	84	1.4%
Bodø	66	1.1%
Tromsø	48	0.8%

Where those who work here live (outside the municipality)

Municipality	Employed	Share of jobs
Vågan	158	2.8%
Flakstad	126	2.3%
Hadsel	49	0.9%
Moskenes	42	0.8%
Bodø	25	0.4%

Employed persons aged 15–74 in the 4th quarter, by home and work municipality (SSB 03321). Job municipality: at least 10% more jobs than employed residents. Home municipality: at least 10% fewer. Flows under 10 people are counted but not shown. Work on the continental shelf is shown as its own workplace.

Stress test: the oil downturn and the pandemic

How did employment and unemployment in the municipality develop in two downturns, compared with the country?

The oil downturn (2014–2016)

The number of jobs changed by −2.8% from 2014 to 2016, against −1.3% in the country: a weaker development than the country.

Measure	Vestvågøy	Country	Difference
Change in jobs 2014–2016	−2.8%	−1.3%	−1.5 pp
Change in jobs 2014–2018 (recovery)	−0.9%	+2.0%	−2.9 pp
Change in registered unemployment 2014–2016	+0.3 pp	+0.3 pp	0.0 pp
Registered unemployment 2014	2.7%	2.1%	–
Share of jobs in oil and gas 2014 (extraction and services)	0.1%	–	–

The change in jobs is in the second-weakest quarter of municipalities in the period.

The pandemic (2019–2020)

The number of jobs changed by −2.9% from 2019 to 2020, against −0.9% in the country: a weaker development than the country.

Measure	Vestvågøy	Country	Difference
Change in jobs 2019–2020	−2.9%	−0.9%	−2.0 pp
Change in jobs 2019–2022 (recovery)	−0.3%	+4.2%	−4.5 pp
Change in registered unemployment 2019–2020	+1.6 pp	+1.1 pp	+0.5 pp
Registered unemployment 2019	1.9%	1.8%	–

The change in jobs is in the quarter of municipalities with the weakest development in the period.

Jobs are employed persons aged 15–74 by workplace in the 4th quarter (SSB 07984). Unemployment is registered unemployed as a share of the labour force (SSB 13563). The country is the sum of the municipalities, on today's municipality map. Within one percentage point counts as “about like the country”. Oil and gas is industry 05–09 (extraction and services), without the supply industry. pp = percentage points.

Cost and quality of services · 2025

Cost per user and one quality measure for three services, compared with the median of the municipality group (KOSTRA).

Service	Cost	Group median	Quality measure	Group median	Position against the group
Kindergarten cost per child in municipal kindergartens, share of qualified kindergarten teachers	NOK 488,061 +61% against the median	NOK 302,772	41%	41%	Higher cost, higher quality measure (12 municipalities in the group)
Primary school net expenditure per inhabitant aged 6–15, lower secondary school points	NOK 164,665 −7% against the median	NOK 177,388	40.9	40.9	Lower cost, quality measure at the median (13 municipalities in the group)
Nursing homes expenditure per resident day, share of care staff with health education	NOK 6,862 +15% against the median	NOK 5,986	82%	71%	Higher cost, higher quality measure (13 municipalities in the group)

KOSTRA (SSB 12379, 13502, 12255 and 12209). One measure is not the whole quality of a service, and school points also reflect the pupils' background. Cost depends on settlement patterns and distances. The figures are a starting point for questions, not a grade.

Companies registered in the municipality

Limited companies we follow: 307
With accounts 2025: 223
Turnover 2025 (NOK): 9,351 MNOK
Median operating margin 2025: 4.3%

Only limited companies in the sectors we follow, by business address. The head office can be elsewhere than the activity. Companies reporting in another currency than NOK are left out of turnover.

Largest companies in the municipality

STIM AS 1,656 MNOK (2025)
NORDLAND HAVFISKE AS 1,062 MNOK (2025)
SJØFRISK NORGE AS 1,053 MNOK (2025)
LOFOTPRODUKT AS 1,007 MNOK (2025)
LOFOTEN SJØPRODUKTER AS 781 MNOK (2025)
POLARFEED AS 523 MNOK (2025)
ISQUEEN AS 463 MNOK (2025)
LOFOT ENTREPRENØR AS 210 MNOK (2025)
K. KRISTOFFERSEN AS 179 MNOK (2025)
THORE MAGNUSSEN OG SØNN AS 161 MNOK (2025)
AQILA AS 139 MNOK (2025)
BYGGTORGET LOFOTEN AS 129 MNOK (2025)
ROWENTA AS 118 MNOK (2025)
TEKNISK BUREAU LEKNES AS 105 MNOK (2025)
INSULA AS 105 MNOK (2025)

307 limited companies in the sectors we follow have their business address here.

Latest awards from buyers in the municipality

Anskaffelse av elektriske renovasjonsbiler Lofoten Avfallsselskap IKS · 26 August 2025
Innsamling av husholdningsavfall Lofoten Avfallsselskap IKS · 1 February 2025
Transport og sluttbehandling av restavfall Lofoten Avfallsselskap IKS · 23 December 2024
Innsamling og transport av slam Lofoten Avfallsselskap IKS · 23 December 2024
Beltegående gravemaskin Lofoten Avfallsselskap IKS · 2 May 2024
Kontainertransport Lofoten Avfallsselskap IKS · 2 June 2022

From Doffin. The buyer's address decides the municipality; state agencies are often where their head office is.

Contains data under the Norwegian licence for public data (NLOD 2.0) made available by Doffin/the Norwegian Agency for Public and Financial Management (DFØ). NLOD 2.0

Indications based on open data. Not advice. Methodology

Source: Statistics Norway (SSB), table 03321, table 06265, table 06913, table 06944, table 07165, table 07459, table 07984, table 09429, table 11342, table 11616, table 11618, table 12137, table 12143, table 12209, table 12255, table 12379, table 13135, table 13470, table 13502, table 13563, table 13701, table 14746, table 14902, municipality map and KOSTRA groups from Klass. CC BY 4.0.

Source for health and living conditions: Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI), Folkehelsestatistikk, FHI table 349, FHI table 403, FHI table 508, FHI table 623, FHI table 787. NLOD 2.0.