UK vs Norway: life expectancy, GDP and GDP per person compared
On World Bank figures, the UK's life expectancy in 2024 was 81.4 years; Norway's was 83.2 years. In 2025 the IMF gives $4.01 trillion for the UK's GDP and $530.1 billion for Norway. IMF figures for 2025 put the UK's GDP per head at $65,758, lower than Norway's $111,462.
Life expectancy at birth
On World Bank figures, the UK's life expectancy in 2024 was 81.4 years; Norway's was 83.2 years. The UK's figure was not higher than Norway's in any year from 2014 to 2024.
| Year | UK | Norway |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 81.4 years | 83.2 years |
| 2023 | 81.2 years | 83.0 years |
| 2022 | 81.0 years | 82.5 years |
| 2021 | 80.6 years | 83.2 years |
| 2020 | 80.3 years | 83.2 years |
| 2019 | 81.4 years | 83.0 years |
| 2018 | 81.3 years | 82.8 years |
| 2017 | 81.3 years | 82.6 years |
| 2016 | 81.2 years | 82.4 years |
| 2015 | 81.0 years | 82.3 years |
| 2014 | 81.3 years | 82.1 years |
The World Bank's life expectancy at birth is the number of years a newborn baby would live if the death rates of the year it was born applied throughout its life.
GDP, current prices
In 2025 the IMF gives $4.01 trillion for the UK's GDP and $530.1 billion for Norway. The UK's figure was higher than Norway's in every year from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | UK | Norway |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4.01 trillion | $530.1 billion |
| 2024 | $3.71 trillion | $500.9 billion |
| 2023 | $3.44 trillion | $502.2 billion |
| 2022 | $3.20 trillion | $617.3 billion |
| 2021 | $3.21 trillion | $521.6 billion |
| 2020 | $2.73 trillion | $382.3 billion |
| 2019 | $2.89 trillion | $424.2 billion |
| 2018 | $2.91 trillion | $454.6 billion |
| 2017 | $2.71 trillion | $415.7 billion |
| 2016 | $2.72 trillion | $383.3 billion |
| 2015 | $2.95 trillion | $400.7 billion |
The IMF's GDP in US dollars is the value of all goods and services produced in a country in a calendar year, at that year's prices, converted from the national currency into US dollars at market exchange rates.
GDP per head, purchasing power parity
IMF figures for 2025 put the UK's GDP per head at $65,758, lower than Norway's $111,462. The UK's figure was not higher than Norway's in any year from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | UK | Norway |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $65,758 | $111,462 |
| 2024 | $63,492 | $108,107 |
| 2023 | $61,899 | $104,894 |
| 2022 | $60,180 | $101,822 |
| 2021 | $54,009 | $92,322 |
| 2020 | $48,881 | $69,713 |
| 2019 | $50,729 | $73,508 |
| 2018 | $47,780 | $72,454 |
| 2017 | $46,556 | $66,660 |
| 2016 | $44,511 | $64,248 |
| 2015 | $43,480 | $63,396 |
The IMF's GDP per head at purchasing power parity is GDP divided by population, converted into international dollars using purchasing power parities: rates that adjust for differences in price levels between countries, so that a dollar buys the same amount everywhere.
More figures for the UK and Norway
| Figure | UK | Norway | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General government gross debt | 102.1% of GDP | 54.0% of GDP | 2025 | IMF |
| Total tax revenue | 34.4% of GDP | 40.2% of GDP | 2024 | OECD |
| Current health expenditure | 11.4% of GDP | 9.3% of GDP | 2025 | OECD |
| General government expenditure | 43.5% of GDP | 48.7% of GDP | 2025 | IMF |
| Employment rate, ages 15 to 64 | 75.1% | 76.6% | 2025 | OECD |
| Core defence expenditure | 2.56% of GDP | 3.17% of GDP | 2026 | NATO |
| Gross domestic spending on research and development | 2.8% of GDP | 1.9% of GDP | 2023 | OECD |
| Price-to-income ratio, standardised | 115.7 (100 = long-term average) | 121.5 (100 = long-term average) | 2025 | OECD |
Each value is for the latest year both the UK and Norway have in that body's data. International bodies adjust national figures so that countries can be compared, so UK values can differ from the ONS's.
Ranked tables with the UK and Norway
- UK GDP compared with other countries
- UK GDP per head compared with other countries
- UK life expectancy compared with other countries
More about Norway: Norway in figures. Compare any two countries with the country comparison tool.
Sources and receipts
- World Bank: World Development Indicatorsread 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
c23c4fa421ef9984…· publisher's page - International Monetary Fund: World Economic Outlook database (IMF DataMapper)read 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
7294ac0b3013e39b…· publisher's page - International Monetary Fund: World Economic Outlook database (IMF DataMapper)read 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
50bf0fd1cc9a9b57…· publisher's page
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