Norway

Last update: October, 2016

Public cultural expenditure in Norway per capita in 2014 was NOK 4 455 (EUR 533). It corresponded to 0.72 % of GDP. At state level, the expenditure per capita in 2014 was NOK 2 057 (EUR 246), corresponding to 0.33% of GDP.

Table 3:     Public cultural expenditure per capita, in NOK, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014

Source: Statistics Norway.
* Church affairs and sports not included.

Last update: February, 2024

Table 6a. Public cultural expenditure by level of government, 2021

Note: * At the date of expenditure

Source (Kulturstatistikk 2021)

Table 6b. Public cultural expenditure by level of government, 2019

Note: * At the date of expenditure

Source (Kulturstatistikk 2019)

Last update: February, 2024

Table 7: Direct state cultural expenditure and transfers (central level)*: by sector, 2021, in 1000 of national currency

Source(s):       

*        Where available, please provide separate tables – 7.1, 7.2, etc. – for other levels of government

**       Definition: "Direct expenditure" is spent within the administration and its own cultural institutions (for personnel, goods and services, capital investments in their own premises), whereas "transfers" are being allocated to either "other levels of government", e.g. on the local level, or to independent cultural institutions and organisations, to film companies, publishing houses, individual artists; etc.

***     This category does NOT include public investments into constructions or for the renovation of buildings. It covers e.g. the promotion of architecture, educational activities, etc.

****    When not allocable by domain.

NOTE  The diverse field of digital arts could be mentioned either in their appropriate contexts (e.g. design or multimedia) or, where separate budgetary categories exist, specified under VII.

Last update: February, 2024

Public authorities in Norway use the following methods to support artists:

• Government Grants For Artists (Arts Council Norway)

These schemes give support to individual artists.

• The Norwegian Cultural Fund (Arts Council Norway)

This fund allocates funding to projects based on application.

• Schemes for compensation and taxes

There are different schemes to ensure that artists receive compensation for the public use of their work.

• Grants to art institutions

Several theatres, symphony orchestras and the National Opera receive between 70-95% of their income from public grants.

• Grants to dissemination institutions

The major part of the income of many dissemination institutions are public grants.

• Others

There are several schemes that contribute to the extension of the market for artistic and cultural goods and services, e.g. the purchasing scheme for new Norwegian literature.

Last update: February, 2024

Compensation funds / droite de suite:

• The Relief Fund for visual artists;
• Fond for Lyd og Bilde (Cultural Fund for Support to Music and Visual Art); and
• Audiovisual Sound.

Purchasing programmes:

• The Purchasing Programme for Contemporary Fiction and Non-Fiction, Arts Council Norway; and
• The National Foundation for Art in Public Buildings.

Last update: February, 2024

Government Grants for Artists are important instruments in the public artist policy in Norway. Grants for artists may potentially be allocated to all artists who primarily live and work in Norway. In addition to the support schemes for artists on the state level, some municipalities and counties have schemes for artists, but there are great variations among regions. The grants for artists on the state level are direct and individual support for artists awarded for set periods of time. Until recently, grants has also been given to artists permanently as a guarantee income. Nevertheless, only a small number of the applicants are successful. The most important grants are:

• Work grants of 1-5 years: Artists, primarily creative artists, working on a defined project, or artists who want to devote all their working hours to artistic work, are awarded with a grant. Work grants are distributed according to defined quotas between various artist categories. Creative artists receive most of the stipends.

Work grants for young artists: These grants are awarded for 1-3 years to artists under the age of 35 who are at the stage of establishing themselves as artists. This grant is relatively new and was first awarded in 1998 as compensation for the elimination of the specific scholarship connected to art education (see chapter 8.3.4).

Last update: February, 2024

Most of the professional artists associations and unions in Norway administer support schemes for their members. One example is the Norwegian Society of Composers, which administers the Norwegian Composers' Fund, and the Norwegian Authors' Union, which administers several support schemes for their members.