Poverty and inequality

Low income, measured as 60 per cent of median income, is a widely used measure of poverty and also the EU's measure of low income. Similarly, the Gini coefficient is used to measure income inequality in the population

The figures show the development in low income and income inequality in the period 2010-2019 for the population in the northern Norwegian counties and municipalities, and for the national average. In addition, the figures provide an overview of developments in the Sami municipalities.

The proportion of low-income families and households has increased gradually from year to year. In 2019, 10 percent of the population in northern Norway had an income, which was less than 60 percent of the median income. It was one percentage point below the national average.

Well over half of the municipalities in northern Norway have a larger share of the population with low income than the national average.

Income inequality has also increased in the period 2010-2019, but where there are smaller differences in the population in northern Norway than when we see the country as a whole.

Although the average for Northern Norway is below the national average for poverty and inequality, the development is going in the wrong direction here as well. Many of those who grow up in low-income families are also children.

Studies show that children who grow up in low-income families are more likely to end up in the lowest income classes as adults. In addition, studies show that growing up in low income leads to impaired health in the long term.