This paper presents key findings of Norway’s Financial System Stability Assessment, including Reports on the Observance of Standards and Codes on Banking Supervision, Insurance Regulation, and Payment Systems. Norway’s financial system appears sound and well managed. Short-term...

This 2005 Article IV Consultation highlights that Norway’s real mainland GDP growth rebounded strongly in 2004, after a slowdown that began in late 2002. Very supportive monetary conditions, high oil prices, rising housing prices, strengthening consumer and business confidence, and an improved...

In this paper, we derive two new measures of international relative prices for Norway. Developments in these new measures follow rather closely movements in the CPI-based real effective exchange rate through the 1990s, but diverge after 2000—suggesting that the costs of living in Norway...

The paper investigates the determinants of wages in the tradables and service sectors in Norway and Sweden. Tradables wages are determined by their own productivity growth whereas service sector wages are influenced by wage growth in the tradables sector. The traditional strong sensitivity of...

This paper describes the institutional changes that have induced a decline in the vertical fiscal imbalance (VFI) - defined as the share of sub-national own spending not financed through own revenues - in four European countries: Belgium, Italy, Norway, and Spain. The decline in VFI was achieved...

Norway’s near-term macroeconomic priority is to reduce risks arising from high-household debt by tightening macroprudential standards for mortgage lending while undertaking tax reforms to gradually reduce incentives for excessive leverage. Creating a stronger institutional framework for...

This paper examines the development of general government finances in Norway during 1988–96. The paper looks at general government revenue and expenditure in detail, examines the importance of revenue from the petroleum sector for general government finances, and reviews developments in the...

This paper reviews economic developments in Norway during the 1990s, with an emphasis on developments in 1993 and 1994. The paper covers developments in the real economy, in the public finances, and in the monetary and exchange rate area. The private consumption in Norway remained weak through...

This Background Paper examines the medium-term economic outlook (1997–99) for Norway. The central feature of Norges Bank’s reference case projection for the medium term is that the expansion of mainland output will slow from 3.3 percent in 1995 and 2.8 percent in 1996 to an annual average of...

This paper presents the staff report for Norway’s 2009 Article IV Consultation on economic developments and policies. Unemployment remains low, and key short-term indicators point to a continued recovery. Norway’s resilience has been underpinned by substantial macroeconomic stimulus, buoyant...