Market Research Companies in Norway

Key figures for researchers

Population

5.63 million (5,627,400 at the start of 2026)¹

Population growth

+33,100 people in 2025¹

Immigrants

987,120 people, 17.5% of the population (2026)²

Norwegian-born to immigrant parents

238,507 people, 4.2% of the population (2026)²

Counties

15 counties since 1 January 2024³

Largest urban areas

Oslo over 1.1 million (end of 2024); Trondheim over 200,000 (1 January 2025)⁴

Nynorsk pupils

11.1% of primary and lower secondary pupils have Nynorsk as their main written language (2025)⁵

Internet use

100% of people aged 16–79 used the internet in the last 3 months; 96% use online banking (2026)⁶

Mobile subscriptions

109 per 100 people (2024)⁷

Research guide

Research landscape

Norway is a small but advanced research market: connectivity is almost universal and online surveys are widely used for consumer and B2B studies. Full-service agencies work alongside specialist qualitative, B2B and healthcare firms, online panel providers and field suppliers. Oslo is the main business centre, with over 1.1 million people in its urban area at the end of 2024; other large cities include Bergen, Trondheim and Stavanger.

A common quality reference is the ICC/ESOMAR International Code, revised in 2025 (fifth edition) and endorsed by over 60 associations in more than 50 countries. Its principles include honesty and transparency, care for participants, and clear information on how personal data will be collected and used.

Languages and fieldwork

Norwegian is the fieldwork language for almost all studies. It has two written forms, Bokmål and Nynorsk: in 2025, 11.1% of primary and lower secondary pupils had Nynorsk as their main written language. Some public sector and regional studies offer a Nynorsk version of the questionnaire. Questionnaires should be translated and checked by native speakers.

Immigrants are a large group: 987,120 people (17.5% of the population) in 2026, plus 238,507 people born in Norway to immigrant parents (4.2%). Studies of migrant audiences may need translated questionnaires or bilingual interviewers. Since 1 January 2024 the country has 15 counties, and regional quotas and weighting matter for national samples.

Which methods work

Connectivity is very high: in 2026, 100% of people aged 16 to 79 had used the internet in the last three months and 96% used it for banking, and there are 109 mobile subscriptions per 100 people. Online surveys using access panels are widely used for consumer research, and mobile-friendly questionnaires are essential.

Telephone (CATI) interviews remain used for B2B decision makers, hard-to-reach groups and people over 79, who are outside the official internet statistics. In-person focus groups are usually held in the larger cities.

Timing

July is the main period to avoid. The fellesferie, the collective holiday when a large share of employees are off at the same time, is usually the last three full weeks of July, and the main holiday period runs from 1 June to 30 September, with a right to at least three continuous weeks off. Schools close for the summer in mid-June: in Oslo, the last school day is 18 June 2027.

Avoid Easter (Maundy Thursday 25 March to Easter Monday 29 March 2027; school Easter holiday 22–30 March in Oslo) and Christmas (school holiday 21 December 2026 to 1 January 2027 in Oslo). 17 May (Constitution Day) is a public holiday, and in 2027 it is also Whit Monday; Ascension Day falls on 6 May 2027. School breaks can differ between municipalities: the autumn holiday is 28 September–2 October 2026 in Oslo but week 41 in Trondheim.

Data protection

Personal data is governed by the GDPR, incorporated into Norwegian law by the Personal Data Act of 15 June 2018 (personopplysningsloven), in force since 20 July 2018. The supervisory authority is Datatilsynet (Norwegian Data Protection Authority), an independent administrative body. Children can consent to online services from the age of 13; in 2025 the ministry proposed raising this to 15. For research, the Act limits some data subject rights when exercising them would be disproportionate or seriously hinder the research.

The Reservasjonsregisteret, run by the Brønnøysund Register Centre, lets people opt out of direct marketing such as telephone sales: nearly 2.1 million Norwegians had done so in 2019. It does not apply to contact made for opinion and market research, as long as the call does not sell anything. Ask your agency which lawful basis it uses, how respondents are informed, how samples are drawn and where the data is hosted.

Working with a local agency

• Share a clear brief: objectives, target, sample size, counties, method, languages (Bokmål, Nynorsk, others) and deadline.
• Ask whether the agency follows the ICC/ESOMAR International Code, and which panels or fieldwork suppliers will be used.
• Ask how immigrants, older people and rural respondents will be reached, and how quotas and weighting are set.
• Check fieldwork dates against the July fellesferie, Easter, 17 May and the school holidays of the municipalities in your sample.
• Agree in writing who is controller and who is processor of the personal data, and the retention period.
• Compare several proposals: you can send one request to up to 5 companies from this page.