8 The Way Forward – The Government’s Plan for Norway

The Government’s Plan for Norway outlines how the Government will create security for the future with expanding opportunities, drawing on Norway’s core strengths: low social inequalities, high levels of trust, and strong local communities. It identifies priority reforms for the current parliamentary term (2025–2029) and will be revised annually. The plan is structured around five overarching national policy objectives, with concrete priorities closely aligned with the SDGs.

Security for the Economy

The plan emphasises responsible economic governance to support rising living standards and ensure long-term welfare sustainability. While the Norwegian economy is fundamentally strong, many households have faced increased pressure from inflation, higher interest rates, and rising living costs.

Key priorities include:

• Strengthening purchasing power and reducing household costs.
• Increasing employment, with more pathways into education, skills development, and work.
• Improving integration of immigrants into the labour market.
• Enabling the construction of 130,000 new homes by 2030.
• Modernising and improving the efficiency and quality of the public sector.

Relevant SDGs: 1, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 17.

Security for Working Life and Business

The plan aims to make Norway one of the best countries in the world to start businesses, create jobs, and develop new industries, while safeguarding Norwegian labour standards.

Key priorities include:

• Strengthening competitiveness.
• Advancing the transition towards a low-emission society, combining emission cuts with job creation and competitiveness.
• A rulesbased trading system and securing market access for Norwegian companies.
• A fair and forward-looking tax system, including a new tax commission to strengthen long-term competitiveness and equity.
• Maintaining strong and well-organised labour market with higher unionisation, more full-time employment, and stricter measures against social dumping and labour-related crime.
• Responsible and secure deployment of artificial intelligence.

Relevant SDGs: 8, 9, 7, 13 and 17.

Security for Children and Young People

The plan prioritises equal opportunities, inclusion, and the prevention of long-term exclusion among children and young people.

Key priorities include:

• Improving learning outcomes in schools, especially reading, writing, and numeracy, while reducing excessive screen use. Launching a national Reading Initiative and strengthening libraries and reading culture.
• Reducing the number of young people not in education or work.
• Faster and more effective responses to youth crime, combined with strengthened preventive services and follow-up.
• Safeguarding a secure digital upbringing for children, including age limits on social media and stronger regulation of tech platforms.
• Ensuring access to culture, sports, volunteering, and community life throughout the country

Relevant SDGs: 1, 3, 4, 10 and 16.

Security for Health

Health policy under the plan is centred on accessible, high-quality services, stronger prevention, and long-term sustainability in the health system.

Key priorities include:

• Promoting a healthier population, by ensuring equal access to health services throughout the country and strengthening mental health services.
• Reducing waiting times and further strengthening the General Practitioner scheme.
• Preparing the health system for an ageing population.
• Implementing a comprehensive health reform to secure world-class services in the future.

Relevant SDGs: 3, 10 and 8.

Security for the Country

The plan adopts a broad understanding of national security, combining defence, preparedness, economic security, democratic resilience, and international cooperation.

Key priorities include:

• Rapidly strengthening defence capabilities and moving towards NATO’s long-term defence spending targets.
• Enhancing civil preparedness and resilience of communities and critical infrastructure.
• Improving economic security, including control of strategic investments and closer cooperation with the EU.
• Upholding international law, human rights and a strong UN. Maintain a high level of international aid.
• Combating organised crime and criminal networks through strengthened policing and legal provisions.
• Maintaining a controlled, fair, and sustainable immigration policy.

Relevant SDGs: 16 and 17.