Where most people live in crowded homes
The share of inhabitants living in overcrowded homes.
Oslo has the highest share living in overcrowded homes of Norway's municipalities at 20.4% (2025). The lowest is Kvitsøy at 1.6%. Source: SSB, table 14902, processed by Morning Analytics 2 November 2026.
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20.4%Highest: Oslo
6.9%Median of the municipalities
1.6%Lowest: Kvitsøy
The picture in figures
The bars show the ten highest and the ten lowest of 357 municipalities. The dashed line is the median of all municipalities.
Each bar is the number of municipalities in a range of values. The dashed line is the median. Hover over a bar to see the range.
Analysis: why are some at the top and others at the bottom?
We compared share living in overcrowded homes with every other municipal figure we have, from Statistics Norway, NIPH and the Brønnøysund Register Centre. Below are the figures that go most closely together with share living in overcrowded homes across the country, and what marks the municipalities at the top and bottom on those figures.
The pattern across the country
- Municipalities that rank high on «Share with upper secondary as highest education (16 and over)» most often rank low on share living in overcrowded homes (strong association, rank correlation −0.53 across 357 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 09429).
- Municipalities that rank high on «Detached houses, share of all dwellings» most often rank low on share living in overcrowded homes (moderate association, rank correlation −0.35 across 357 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 06265).
- Municipalities that rank high on «Share in households with persistent low income (EU60)» most often also rank high on share living in overcrowded homes (weak association, rank correlation 0.29 across 357 municipalities; NIPH indicator 403).
- Municipalities that rank high on «Job coverage (jobs per employed resident)» most often also rank high on share living in overcrowded homes (weak association, rank correlation 0.29 across 357 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 11618).
The highest and the lowest
- No. 1 Oslo (20.4%) Fits the pattern: «Share with upper secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 22.7% (no. 357 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429); «Detached houses, share of all dwellings» 7.9% (no. 357 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 06265); «Share in households with persistent low income (EU60)» 14.4% (no. 1 of 357 from the top; NIPH indicator 403). Most distinctive industry: tjenester tilknyttet informasjonsteknologi, 6% of the jobs, 2.6 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
- No. 2 Lørenskog (16.0%) Fits the pattern: «Detached houses, share of all dwellings» 23.8% (no. 355 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 06265); «Share with upper secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 32.8% (no. 343 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429); «Share in households with persistent low income (EU60)» 10.5% (no. 29 of 357 from the top; NIPH indicator 403). Most distinctive industry: post og distribusjonsvirksomhet, 6% of the jobs, 10.4 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
- No. 3 Ås (15.5%) Fits the pattern: «Share with upper secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 30.0% (no. 350 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429); «Detached houses, share of all dwellings» 41.1% (no. 341 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 06265); «Share in households with persistent low income (EU60)» 9.8% (no. 47 of 357 from the top; NIPH indicator 403). Most distinctive industry: forskning og utviklingsarbeid, 8% of the jobs, 12.3 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
- No. 357 Kvitsøy (1.6%, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Detached houses, share of all dwellings» 84.9% (no. 55 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 06265); «Share with upper secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 44.9% (no. 74 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429). Goes against the pattern: «Share in households with persistent low income (EU60)» 10.4% (no. 30 of 357 from the top; NIPH indicator 403). Most distinctive industry: spesialisert bygge- og anleggsvirksomhet, 40% of the jobs, 8.5 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
- No. 356 Bokn (1.8%, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Share with upper secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 49.0% (no. 10 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429); «Job coverage (jobs per employed resident)» 63.5% (no. 319 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 11618). Most distinctive industry: fiske, fangst og akvakultur, 18% of the jobs, 22.6 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
- No. 355 Åseral (2.8%, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Share with upper secondary as highest education (16 and over)» 51.8% (no. 1 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09429); «Detached houses, share of all dwellings» 90.2% (no. 5 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 06265). Goes against the pattern: «Share in households with persistent low income (EU60)» 11.9% (no. 7 of 357 from the top; NIPH indicator 403). Most distinctive industry: jordbruk og tjenester tilknyttet jordbruk, jakt og viltstell, 33% of the jobs, 25.6 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
The analysis describes what goes together, not what causes what. Two figures can follow each other because both depend on something else, such as size, location or industry. The figures are from the latest year available for each source, so the years can differ. Rank correlation runs from −1 to 1; values near 1 mean the municipalities lie in roughly the same order on both measures.
What explains the placing?
- 1. Oslo 20.4% 196% above the median of the municipalities.
- 2. Lørenskog 16.0% 132% above the median of the municipalities.
- 3. Ås 15.5% 125% above the median of the municipalities.
- 355. Åseral 2.8% Small municipality (904 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 59% below the median of the municipalities.
- 356. Bokn 1.8% Small municipality (907 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 74% below the median of the municipalities.
- 357. Kvitsøy 1.6% Small municipality (579 inhabitants): one company or a few people can move the figure a lot. 77% below the median of the municipalities.
| # | Municipality | share living in overcrowded homes |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | Nærøysund | 8.0% |
| 102 | Lyngensmall municipality | 8.0% |
| 103 | Sandnes | 7.9% |
| 104 | Fjordsmall municipality | 7.9% |
| 105 | Hamar | 7.9% |
| 106 | Alvdalsmall municipality | 7.9% |
| 107 | Sandefjord | 7.9% |
| 108 | Hjartdalsmall municipality | 7.9% |
| 109 | Stord | 7.9% |
| 110 | Osterøy | 7.9% |
| 111 | Stryn | 7.9% |
| 112 | Frøya | 7.9% |
| 113 | Nordreisasmall municipality | 7.9% |
| 114 | Lundsmall municipality | 7.8% |
| 115 | Hadsel | 7.8% |
| 116 | Elverum | 7.8% |
| 117 | Høylandetsmall municipality | 7.8% |
| 118 | Vestvågøy | 7.7% |
| 119 | Indre Østfold | 7.7% |
| 120 | Sola | 7.6% |
| 121 | Sula | 7.6% |
| 122 | Asker | 7.6% |
| 123 | Nesbyensmall municipality | 7.6% |
| 124 | Overhallasmall municipality | 7.6% |
| 125 | Meløy | 7.5% |
| 126 | Bøsmall municipality | 7.5% |
| 127 | Skiptvetsmall municipality | 7.5% |
| 128 | Dovresmall municipality | 7.5% |
| 129 | Vestre Slidresmall municipality | 7.5% |
| 130 | Kinn | 7.5% |
| 131 | Øygarden | 7.5% |
| 132 | Vaksdalsmall municipality | 7.5% |
| 133 | Alver | 7.5% |
| 134 | Bardusmall municipality | 7.5% |
| 135 | Aurskog-Høland | 7.4% |
| 136 | Hurdalsmall municipality | 7.4% |
| 137 | Vinjesmall municipality | 7.4% |
| 138 | Lillesand | 7.4% |
| 139 | Askøy | 7.4% |
| 140 | Harstad | 7.4% |
| 141 | Sykkylven | 7.3% |
| 142 | Gjerdrum | 7.3% |
| 143 | Jevnaker | 7.3% |
| 144 | Kongsberg | 7.3% |
| 145 | Kongsvinger | 7.3% |
| 146 | Stor-Elvdalsmall municipality | 7.3% |
| 147 | Ossmall municipality | 7.3% |
| 148 | Ullensvang | 7.3% |
| 149 | Lærdalsmall municipality | 7.3% |
| 150 | Hitra | 7.3% |