BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH SDG 8

With an SDG Index Score of 84.1/100 in 2026, the fourth highest in the world, Norway is one of the strongest performers globally on the UN’s 2030 Agenda (Sachs et al., 2026, p. 13). The country has recently reaffirmed its commitment towards the implementation of all SDGs and has integrated them into its national development strategy, signalling its willingness to remain at the forefront of SDG implementation (Norwegian Ministry of Digitalisation and Public Governance & Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs [NMDPG & NMFA], 2026, p. 5).  With specific respect to SDG 8, Norway continues to strengthen the strong foundation built over the decades by maintaining a resilient economy characterised by high employment and strong workers' rights, while continuing to improve its comprehensive welfare system (NMDPG & NMFA, 2026, p. 5, 76).

Nevertheless, Norway faces several structural challenges in maintaining this strong performance, including an ageing population, overly generous benefits driving people out of productive employment, and persistent labour shortages. Furthermore, while human and workers’ rights are well protected domestically, these rights seem to repeatedly lose out to trade interests when Norway negotiates trade agreements with countries where such rights are frequently violated, revealing a lack of coherence in the pursuit of SDG 8 (NMDPG & NMFA, 2026, pp. 76-77; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2026, p. 11).

CURRENT CHALLENGES AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Norway continues to have a strong labour market by international standards. In 2026, almost 3 million people aged between 15 and 74 were employed, corresponding to nearly 70% of the working-age population, while unemployment has remained relatively stable at around 5% throughout the last year (Statistics Norway, 2026). However, despite high employment levels, Norway is facing significant labour shortages in the healthcare sector and technical professions, which are bound to become more severe as the country’s population continues to age rapidly (NMDPG & NMFA, 2026, p. 76; OECD, 2026, p. 9). Increasing labour market participation to boost the labour supply in response to these shortages is therefore an important priority for Norway. In this regard, a major challenge is the low labour-force participation of people affected by disabilities, who receive generous work assessment allowances and disability benefits that often serve as a pathway to early retirement or may incentivise them to remain out of productive employment entirely, withdrawing human capital away from the labour market (NMDPG & NMFA, 2026, p. 77; OECD, 2026, p. 11).

The exclusion of young people from productive employment is another concern. Although the share of young people not in employment, education or training fell between 2021 and 2023, it has gradually increased from 2023 onwards, standing just below 7% in 2025, while the inflow of young people into various health related benefits remains a concern. In this regard, the Norwegian government has recently launched a package of initiatives aimed at improving youth employment, known as the Ungdomsløftet (NMDPG & NMFA, 2026, p. 76).

Moreover, Norway continues to have negative spillover effects on labour rights and workplace safety in other countries that supply its economy with the goods it consumes. In 2025, Norway’s International Spillover Index stood at 55.4/100, significantly lower than the OECD average, and major challenges still persist in the eradication of modern slavery linked to Norwegian imports (Sachs et al., 2025, pp. 322-323). 

LIST OF REFERENCES AND USEFUL LINKS

Norwegian Ministry of Digitalisation and Public Governance, & Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (2026). Voluntary National Review 2026 Norway: Report on the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. https://hlpf.un.org/countries/norway/voluntary-national-reviews-2026

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2026). OECD Economic Surveys: Norway 2026. https://doi.org/10.1787/5cc02644-en

Sachs, J. D., Lafortune, G., Fuller, G., & Iablonovski, G. (2025). Sustainable Development Report 2025: Financing Sustainable Development to 2030 and Mid-Century. Dublin University Press. https://doi.org/10.25546/111909

Sachs, J. D., Lafortune, G., Fuller, G., & Iablonovski, G. (2026). Sustainable Development Report 2026: Implementing Sustainable Development: 2030 and Beyond. Dublin University Press. https://doi.org/20.500.14765/118015

Statistics Norway. (2026, August 25). Statistics on Labour force survey. Retrieved September 7, 2026, from https://www.ssb.no/en/arbeid-og-lonn/sysselsetting/statistikk/arbeidskraftundersokelsen

United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (n.d.). SDG Country Profile: Norway. Retrieved September 7, 2026, from https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/dataportal/countryprofiles/NOR