

Telemark: municipalities in numbers
Telemark (county) has 17 municipalities and 177,923 residents across 13,832 km², or 13 people per km². Population: +3.1% between 2016 and 2026.
- 177,923 residents
- 17 municipalities
- 13,832 km²
- 13 people/km²
Map and records: Telemark
Population change over 10 years
All municipalities in Telemark
Click a column heading to sort the table.
| Municipality | Population | Population change over 10 years | Population density | Area | Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants | Share of inhabitants aged 65 and over |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skien | 56,906 | +5.5% | 79.1 people/km² | 719.0 km² | 2.0 per 1,000 inh. | 21.6% |
| Porsgrunn | 37,435 | +4.1% | 232.5 people/km² | 161.0 km² | 4.8 per 1,000 inh. | 21.7% |
| Bamble | 14,267 | +1.3% | 50.6 people/km² | 282.0 km² | 0.4 per 1,000 inh. | 24.5% |
| Notodden | 13,389 | +5.3% | 14.7 people/km² | 912.0 km² | 5.2 per 1,000 inh. | 23.6% |
| Midt-Telemark | 11,157 | +6.9% | 22.9 people/km² | 487.0 km² | 1.6 per 1,000 inh. | 21.3% |
| Kragerø | 10,378 | −2.2% | 35.9 people/km² | 289.0 km² | −2.8 per 1,000 inh. | 27.7% |
| Nome | 6,529 | −0.1% | 17.0 people/km² | 385.0 km² | 0.0 per 1,000 inh. | 24.2% |
| Tinn | 5,515 | −7.2% | 3.0 people/km² | 1,848 km² | 3.1 per 1,000 inh. | 27.0% |
| Drangedal | 4,056 | −1.9% | 4.1 people/km² | 995.0 km² | 3.5 per 1,000 inh. | 24.0% |
| Vinje | 3,829 | +2.7% | 1.4 people/km² | 2,725 km² | −7.3 per 1,000 inh. | 24.2% |
| Seljord | 2,959 | −1.1% | 4.4 people/km² | 669.0 km² | −4.1 per 1,000 inh. | 25.9% |
| Kviteseid | 2,463 | +0.6% | 4.0 people/km² | 623.0 km² | 1.6 per 1,000 inh. | 25.9% |
| Siljan | 2,377 | +1.8% | 11.8 people/km² | 202.0 km² | −5.9 per 1,000 inh. | 24.0% |
| Tokke | 2,242 | −0.2% | 2.5 people/km² | 905.0 km² | 5.8 per 1,000 inh. | 25.2% |
| Hjartdal | 1,638 | +1.5% | 2.2 people/km² | 737.0 km² | −0.6 per 1,000 inh. | 26.5% |
| Nissedal | 1,509 | +4.6% | 1.9 people/km² | 786.0 km² | 19.9 per 1,000 inh. | 27.6% |
| Fyresdal | 1,274 | −3.7% | 1.2 people/km² | 1,107 km² | 22.8 per 1,000 inh. | 25.3% |
Telemark compared with the national figures
Population-weighted averages for rates; totals for counts.
| Indicator | Telemark | Norway |
|---|---|---|
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants | 2.3 per 1,000 inh. | 4.0 per 1,000 inh. |
| Share of inhabitants aged 65 and over | 23.0% | 19.2% |
| Share of inhabitants under 18 | 18.5% | 19.6% |
| Share of population with immigrant background | 17.7% | 21.8% |
| Total dwellings (occupied and unoccupied) | 92,912 | 2,760,619 |
| Share of dwellings built before 1946 | 21.2% | 15.9% |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 | 19.0% | 27.0% |
| Share of dwellings in detached, semi-detached and terraced houses | 80.1% | 67.9% |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats | 13.5% | 26.7% |
| Cabins and holiday homes per 1,000 inhabitants | 185.4 per 1,000 inh. | 80.4 per 1,000 inh. |
| Establishments | 20,968 | 656,492 |
| Establishments per 1,000 inhabitants | 117.8 per 1,000 inh. | 116.7 per 1,000 inh. |
| Employed persons as a percentage of the population aged 15–74 | 64.3% | 68.2% |
| Registered unemployed as a share of the population aged 15–74 | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Passenger cars in own-account transport per 1,000 inhabitants | 567 per 1,000 inh. | 505 per 1,000 inh. |
| Share of electric cars among passenger cars in own-account transport | 27.0% | 32.8% |
| Share with university or university college education | 31.0% | 38.3% |
| Life expectancy at birth (average of women and men) | 82.2 years | 83.1 years |
Frequently asked questions
How many municipalities are there in Telemark?
Telemark has 17 municipalities. The most populous is Skien, with 56,906 residents.
What is the population of Telemark?
Telemark has 177,923 residents (2026), or 13 people per km².
Which municipality in Telemark is growing fastest?
Midt-Telemark has the fastest growth in Telemark over 10 years: +6.9%.
Other regions
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