Business · Economy · 1 day ago

Norway’s oil fund now finances a quarter of the state budget

Norway’s oil fund now finances a quarter of the state budget

Norway’s wealth fund was built using income from extracting oil and gas.

It began after oil production started at the Ekofisk field in the North Sea in the early 1970s.

In early October, the fund was worth about 2.03 trillion euros, making it the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund.

It invests in 67 countries and more than 7,000 companies, and owns 1.5% of all publicly listed shares worldwide.

In 2026, the Norwegian government took 579 billion kroner from the fund to pay for public spending, equal to a quarter of its budget.

The fund has helped support Norway’s prosperity and welfare state, but its effects on the economy and society are now being debated.

Sources

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