Cities in Norway
Last updated 25 September 2026
All 8 cities in Norway with more than 100,000 residents: the official population, a short profile and the crime rate recorded by the police, set against the rate for Norway.
Municipalities (kommuner) with at least 100,000 residents on 1 July 2026. A kommune can include suburbs, smaller settlements and countryside around the main town.
How to read the figures
- Population is the latest official figure from Statistics Norway (SSB).
- The crime rate is: offences reported to the police per 1,000 residents, yearly average for 2024–2025, 2024–2025 average, from Statistics Norway (SSB). National rate: Norway 59.9.
- SSB publishes municipal figures only as two-year averages. They include traffic and minor offences and are counted where the offence was committed, so city centres also record offences involving commuters and visitors.
- Compare cities within Norway only: every country defines and records crime differently.
- The figure is not your personal risk: offences are counted where they happen, so city centres with many commuters and visitors record higher rates.
All 8 cities
| City | Region | Residents | Crime rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oslo | Oslo | 729,437 | 100.1 |
| Bergen | Vestland | 295,009 | 64.1 |
| Trondheim | Trøndelag | 218,787 | 68.9 |
| Stavanger | Rogaland | 151,761 | 65.4 |
| Bærum | Akershus | 133,712 | 51.7 |
| Kristiansand | Agder | 119,720 | 81.7 |
| Drammen | Buskerud | 106,368 | 68.7 |
| Asker | Akershus | 101,921 | 45.0 |
The cities, from largest
Oslo
Oslo · 729,437 residents on 1 July 2026.
Norway's capital and largest city, and home to the University of Oslo, the country's oldest university (since 1811). Oslo is Norway's hub for national and international travel, and the train from Oslo Airport to the city centre takes about 20 minutes.
Offences reported to the police per 1,000 residents, yearly average for 2024–2025, 2024–2025 average: Oslo 100.1, Norway 59.9.
Sources – population: SSB · Crime: SSB · About the city: About Oslo – City of Oslo (Oslo kommune), UiO in numbers and facts – University of Oslo, Public transportation to/from Oslo Airport – Avinor
Bergen
Vestland · 295,009 residents on 1 July 2026.
Norway's second-largest municipality and seat of Vestland County Council; oil and gas is its largest base industry, alongside renewable energy and marine and maritime industries. More than 40,000 students attend institutions including the University of Bergen and NHH Norwegian School of Economics.
Offences reported to the police per 1,000 residents, yearly average for 2024–2025, 2024–2025 average: Bergen 64.1, Norway 59.9.
Sources – population: SSB · Crime: SSB · About the city: Næring (Kort om Bergen) – Bergen kommune, Fakta om Vestlandshuset – Vestland fylkeskommune
Trondheim (Trondheim – Tråante)
Trøndelag · 218,787 residents on 1 July 2026.
Norway's third-largest municipality and headquarters of NTNU, the country's largest university, with a main profile in science and technology. St. Olavs hospital, the university hospital, has more than 11,000 employees, and the train to Trondheim Airport takes about 35 minutes.
Offences reported to the police per 1,000 residents, yearly average for 2024–2025, 2024–2025 average: Trondheim 68.9, Norway 59.9.
Sources – population: SSB · Crime: SSB · About the city: About the university – NTNU, Om oss – St. Olavs hospital HF, Public transportation – Trondheim Airport, Avinor
Stavanger
Rogaland · 151,761 residents on 1 July 2026.
Norway's fourth-largest municipality and seat of Rogaland County Council, in a region that has led Norway's development as an energy nation for about 60 years. The energy company Equinor has its headquarters in Stavanger.
Offences reported to the police per 1,000 residents, yearly average for 2024–2025, 2024–2025 average: Stavanger 65.4, Norway 59.9.
Sources – population: SSB · Crime: SSB · About the city: Fylkesadministrasjonen – Rogaland fylkeskommune, The energy capital – City of Stavanger, Norway – Equinor
Bærum
Akershus · 133,712 residents on 1 July 2026.
Suburban municipality (Oslo region) and Norway's fifth-largest, with its administrative centre in Sandvika, which gained town status in 2003. Telenor's headquarters and Equinor's Oslo offices are at Fornebu, which lies in Bærum.
Offences reported to the police per 1,000 residents, yearly average for 2024–2025, 2024–2025 average: Bærum 51.7, Norway 59.9.
Sources – population: SSB · Crime: SSB · About the city: 5. By og tettsteder (Rik på historie) – Bærum kommune, Contact us – Telenor Group, How to find us in Norway – Equinor
Kristiansand
Agder · 119,720 residents on 1 July 2026.
Norway's sixth-largest municipality, seat of Agder County Council and home to the University of Agder (14,000 students on two campuses). The Port of Kristiansand, Norway's second-largest ferry terminal, has several daily departures to Hirtshals, Denmark.
Offences reported to the police per 1,000 residents, yearly average for 2024–2025, 2024–2025 average: Kristiansand 81.7, Norway 59.9.
Sources – population: SSB · Crime: SSB · About the city: Kontakt Agder fylkeskommune – Agder fylkeskommune, Om UiA – Universitetet i Agder, Ferry – Port of Kristiansand
Drammen
Buskerud · 106,368 residents on 1 July 2026.
The largest municipality in Buskerud and seat of Buskerud County Council, with a University of South-Eastern Norway campus in the city centre. Drammen Havn is Norway's largest car port: 7 of 10 cars arriving in Norway pass through Drammen.
Offences reported to the police per 1,000 residents, yearly average for 2024–2025, 2024–2025 average: Drammen 68.7, Norway 59.9.
Sources – population: SSB · Crime: SSB · About the city: Kontakt Buskerud fylkeskommune – Buskerud fylkeskommune, Campus Drammen – Universitetet i Sørøst-Norge, Drammen Havn – forside
Asker
Akershus · 101,921 residents on 1 July 2026.
Suburban municipality (Oslo region) formed on 1 January 2020 by merging Asker, Røyken and Hurum, and now Norway's eighth-largest municipality. In 2020 about 28,000 of its 48,000 employed residents worked outside the municipality, and the Airport Express Train stops at Asker.
Offences reported to the police per 1,000 residents, yearly average for 2024–2025, 2024–2025 average: Asker 45.0, Norway 59.9.
Sources – population: SSB · Crime: SSB · About the city: Da Hurum, Røyken og Asker ble én kommune – Asker kommune, Data om innbyggere, sysselsetting og næringsliv (vedlegg til næringsplan 2020–2032) – Asker kommune, Public transportation to/from Oslo Airport – Avinor
Sources and method
Population: Statistics Norway (SSB), StatBank table 01222: Befolkning og kvartalsvise endringar – population at the end of Q2 2026 (1 July 2026), published 19 August 2026. Crime: Statistics Norway (SSB), StatBank table 08487: Anmeldte lovbrudd, etter utvalgte lovbruddsgrupper og gjerningssted (K). Årlig gjennomsnitt. Antall og per 1 000 innbyggere (updated 10 June 2026). Where a figure was not published for a city, we say so rather than estimate it. Found an error? Write to editor@relocateineurope.com.