Business · Economy · 1 day ago
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.
Norway’s sovereign wealth fund financed a quarter of the state budget in 2026.
The government withdrew 579 billion Norwegian kroner, about 54 billion euros, from the fund to pay for spending.
The fund held nearly 22 trillion kroner, about 2.03 trillion euros, in assets in early October.
It was invested in 67 countries and more than 7,000 companies, and held 1.5% of all listed shares worldwide.
The fund’s impact on Norway’s economy and society is now being debated.
- Who
- Norway’s centre-left government withdrew money from the country’s oil fund.
- What
- It took 579 billion kroner from the fund to finance government spending, equal to a quarter of the state budget.
- When
- In 2026; the fund’s reported asset value was from early October.
- Where
- Norway.
- Why
- To finance government spending.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
the economists at the finance ministry were convinced that if extraction generated a surplus for the state budget, politicians would spend it all
Extraction began at the Ekofisk field in the North Sea.
Knut Norheim Kjær was the fund’s first manager.
The government withdrew 579 billion kroner from the fund to finance spending.
The fund held nearly 22 trillion kroner in assets.
- Government withdrawal
- 579 billion kroner in 2026
- Share of state budget
- One quarter
- Fund assets
- Nearly 22 trillion kroner in early October
- Investments
- 67 countries and more than 7,000 companies
- Share of listed shares worldwide
- 1.5%











