Government budget and revenue in Telemark (Agder og Sør-Østlandet, Norway): official figures
The county authority of Telemark had unrestricted revenues, mainly tax income and the general block grant, of NOK 17,137 per resident in 2025; that is the 6th lowest among the 14 county authorities, up from NOK 15,790 in 2024.
Does Telemark county have a budget surplus?
The county authority of Telemark ran a net operating surplus of 1.9% of gross operating revenues in 2025, the 2nd lowest among the 14 county authorities, up from -2.4% in 2024.
Source: Statistics Norway (SSB) · saved copyHow much debt does Telemark county have?
Net loan debt of the county authority of Telemark equalled 75.0% of its gross operating revenues in 2025, the 5th highest among the 14 county authorities, down from 79.8% in 2024.
Source: Statistics Norway (SSB) · saved copyHow much does Telemark county invest?
Gross investment by the county authority of Telemark equalled 13.4% of operating revenues in 2025, the 5th lowest among the 14 county authorities.
Source: Statistics Norway (SSB) · saved copyHow strong are the finances of Telemark county?
Working capital of the county authority of Telemark, excluding the pension premium deviation, was 14.2% of gross operating revenues in 2025, against an average of 17.7% for county authorities outside Oslo.
Source: Statistics Norway (SSB) · saved copyHow much money does Telemark county have in reserve?
Free reserves in the operating accounts (disposisjonsfond) of Telemark county authority equalled 12.4% of gross operating revenues in 2025, below the average of 12.8% for county authorities outside Oslo.
Source: Statistics Norway (SSB) · saved copyHow does Telemark county finance its investments?
The county authority of Telemark paid for 99.7% of its gross investment in 2025 from its own funds rather than new loans, against 65.6% on average outside Oslo.
Source: Statistics Norway (SSB) · saved copyHow Telemark compares with other counties in Norway
County authority unrestricted revenues (tax and general grants) per resident (NOK) (2025)
Telemark ranks 9 of 14, highest first. Oslo is left out: the City of Oslo carries both municipal and county duties, so its accounts are not comparable with county authorities.
| Rank | Area | County authority unrestricted revenues (tax and general grants) per resident (NOK) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Trøndelag/Trööndelage | NOK 18,608 |
| 7 | Innlandet | NOK 18,214 |
| 8 | Agder | NOK 17,384 |
| 9 | Telemark | NOK 17,137 |
| 10 | Rogaland | NOK 16,623 |
| 11 | Buskerud | NOK 15,240 |
| 12 | Vestfold | NOK 14,160 |
County authority net operating surplus as a share of gross operating revenues (%) (2025)
Telemark ranks 13 of 14, highest first. Oslo is left out: the City of Oslo carries both municipal and county duties, so its accounts are not comparable with county authorities.
| Rank | Area | County authority net operating surplus as a share of gross operating revenues (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Agder | 4.0% |
| 9 | Nordland/Nordlánnda | 3.8% |
| 10 | Trøndelag/Trööndelage | 3.0% |
| 11 | Innlandet | 2.5% |
| 12 | Vestfold | 2.0% |
| 13 | Telemark | 1.9% |
| 14 | Østfold | 0.0% |
County authority net loan debt as a share of gross operating revenues (%) (2025)
Telemark ranks 5 of 14, highest first. Oslo is left out: the City of Oslo carries both municipal and county duties, so its accounts are not comparable with county authorities.
| Rank | Area | County authority net loan debt as a share of gross operating revenues (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Trøndelag/Trööndelage | 110.4% |
| 3 | Finnmark/Finnmárku/Finmarkku | 100.4% |
| 4 | Vestland | 92.4% |
| 5 | Telemark | 75.0% |
| 6 | Vestfold | 70.6% |
| 7 | Buskerud | 67.8% |
| 8 | Troms/Romsa/Tromssa | 66.7% |
County authority gross investment as a share of gross operating revenues (%) (2025)
Telemark ranks 10 of 14, highest first. Oslo is left out: the City of Oslo carries both municipal and county duties, so its accounts are not comparable with county authorities.
| Rank | Area | County authority gross investment as a share of gross operating revenues (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Nordland/Nordlánnda | 16.0% |
| 8 | Trøndelag/Trööndelage | 15.8% |
| 9 | Møre og Romsdal | 14.0% |
| 10 | Telemark | 13.4% |
| 11 | Vestfold | 12.1% |
| 12 | Innlandet | 10.2% |
| 13 | Agder | 8.1% |
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Sources
- Statistics Norway (SSB): Table 12133: Financial key figures for county authorities (KOSTRA), 2015-2025, read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8336bb1d8e77…)
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