NOK
…
RUB
…
Land Area
Russia
17,098,246 km²
Largest
Norway
323,802 km²
1.9% of largest
Russia is 52.80× larger than Norway
Population
Russia
LARGEST
143.51M
PEOPLE
Norway
3.9% OF LARGEST
5.61M
PEOPLE
Russia has 25.58× the population of Norway
GDP
Russia
LARGEST
$2.56T
Norway
20.7% OF LARGEST
$530.76B
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
Russia
LARGEST
900K
TROOPS
Norway
2.6% OF LARGEST
23.25K
TROOPS
Russia has 38.71× the active personnel of Norway
Air Force
Russia
LARGEST
4.17K
AIRCRAFT
Norway
3.3% OF LARGEST
139
AIRCRAFT
Russia has 30.02× the aircraft of Norway
Naval Assets
Russia
Norway
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Russia
LARGEST
2,332.8
Metric Tonnes
Norway
0.0% OF LARGEST
0.0
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
Russia
LARGEST
$413B
Reserves · excl. gold
Norway
19.6% OF LARGEST
$81B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
Russia
MOST
120
billionaires
Norway
10% OF MOST
12
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
Russia
LARGEST
80
Billion barrels
Norway
9.9% OF LARGEST
7.9
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
Norway
NET EXPORTER
Production
2.0M b/d
Consumption
0.2M b/d
+1.8M b/d net
Russia
NET EXPORTER
Production
10.8M b/d
Consumption
3.7M b/d
+7.1M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
Norway
$229.7B
Exports
$229.7B
Imports
$163.8B
Trade Balance
+$65.9B
Trade Surplus
Russia
$476.4B
Exports
$476.4B
Imports
$382.4B
Trade Balance
+$94.0B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Norway
consumption
Russia
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
Russia
consumption
Norway
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
Russia
consumption
Norway
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
Norway
consumption
Russia
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
Russia
consumption
Norway
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
Russia
Norway
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
Norway
231
Gold
199
Silver
188
Bronze
618
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 171
❄ Winter: 447
Russia
192
Gold
164
Silver
184
Bronze
540
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 422
❄ Winter: 118
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
Norway
Russia
Age Demographics
Median Age
Norway
39.5
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Russia
39.2
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Norway is 0.3 years older (median) than Russia
Youth Population
Norway has the highest youth population at 37.0% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Russia has the highest elderly population at 22% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
Norway
|
Russia
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
190
|
119
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
5.9M
|
24.4M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
13
|
32
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
2
|
0
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
8
|
32
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation, UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
Norway
|
Russia
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | N/A |
|
| Rent Index | N/A |
|
| Groceries Index | N/A |
|
| Restaurant Price Index | N/A |
|
| Local Purchasing Power | N/A |
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | N/A | $8 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | N/A | $35 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | N/A | $600 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | N/A | $400 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | N/A | $85 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | N/A | $12 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | N/A | $25 |
Health
Healthcare spending, capacity and outcomes. Sources: World Bank / WHO — the year tag shows each figure’s vintage; “—” means the country doesn’t report that metric.
Health spending / person
Norway
Russia
Physicians per 1,000
Russia
Norway
Hospital beds per 1,000
Russia
Norway
Diabetes prevalence
Russia
Norway
Obesity prevalence
Norway
Russia
Suicide rate per 100k
Russia
Norway
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for Norway vs Russia — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | Norway | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 5610870 | 143513328 |
| Area (sq km) | 323802 | 17098246 |
| Capital | Oslo | Moscow |
| Official Language | Norwegian | Russian |
| Currency | Norwegian Krone (NOK) | Russian Ruble (RUB) |
| Government Type | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy | Federal semi-presidential republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | Norway | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 23,250 | 900,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 40,000 | 2,000,000 |
| Total Military Personnel | 63,250 | 3,350,000 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $8,300,000,000 | $154,000,000,000 |
| Tanks | 52 | 12,420 |
| Armored Vehicles | 440 | 30,122 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 56 | 6,574 |
| Towed Artillery | 0 | 7,571 |
| Rocket Projectors | 12 | 3,391 |
Economy
| Metric | Norway | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $530,755,719,439 | $2,561,310,169,359 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $94,594 | $17,847 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 4.6% | 2.1% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 26.5 | 33.0 |
| Currency | Norwegian Krone (NOK) | Russian Ruble (RUB) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
Russia is 52.8 times larger in area than Norway.
That's a massive difference!
Russia has 25.6 times more people than Norway.
Norway has the highest GDP per capita at $94,594 among the selected countries.
Russia has the largest economy with a GDP of
$2.56 trillion.
Russia has the largest active military personnel with 900,000 troops.
Russia has the largest air force with 4,173 aircraft.
Russia has the largest navy with 605 vessels.
Russia Fact: Russia spans 11 time zones, more than any other country in the world.
Norway vs Russia: Key Comparisons
Economy: Russia's GDP of $2.6T is 4.8x larger than Norway's $531B — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: Russia's population of 144M is 25.6x larger than Norway's 6M.
Area: Russia covers 17,098,246 km², making it 52.8x larger than Norway.
Military: Russia fields 900Thousand active troops vs Norway's 23Thousand.
Trade: Norway runs a trade surplus of $66B while Russia runs a trade surplus of $94B.
Life Expectancy: Norway leads with a life expectancy of 83 years vs Russia's 73.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology