Porsgrunn: population and statistics
Porsgrunn has a population of 37,435 (2026) across 161.0 km², or 232 people per km². It ranks 29 of 357 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +4.1% between 2016 and 2026.
- 37,435 residents
- 161.0 km²
- 232 people/km²
- 10 m
Key points
Among the 17 municipalities in Telemark, Porsgrunn ranks No. 2 by population.
Share of dwellings in detached, semi-detached and terraced houses: 73.0% in Porsgrunn, compared with an average of 80.1% in Telemark and 67.9% nationally.
Largest business sector: Real estate, with 13.8% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 45° generates about 1,029 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Telemark for “Population density”.
- Number 1 in Telemark for “Registered unemployed as a share of the population aged 15–74”.
- “Share of dwellings in detached, semi-detached and terraced houses”: lower than in 93% of municipalities.
- “Establishments”: higher than in 91% of municipalities.
- “Life expectancy at birth (average of women and men)”: lower than in 91% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 22,549 football pitches.
- Its population density is 12.6 times the national average.
Porsgrunn in numbers
All indicators for Porsgrunn
Value for the municipality, then the regional average and the national median (for counts: regional and national totals). The gauge places the municipality between the lowest and highest value in the country.
Population
| Indicator | Porsgrunn | Telemark | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 4.8 per 1,000 inh. | 2.3 per 1,000 inh. | 4.1 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 154 of 351 | |
| Share of inhabitants aged 65 and over (2026) | 21.7% | 23.0% | 23.7% | ranked 240 of 351 | |
| Share of inhabitants under 18 (2026) | 18.5% | 18.5% | 18.7% | ranked 187 of 351 |
Housing
| Indicator | Porsgrunn | Telemark | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (occupied and unoccupied) (2026) | 18,471 | 92,912 | 2,760,619 | ranked 28 of 357 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1946 (2026) | 17.4% | 21.2% | 16.4% | ranked 154 of 351 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2026) | 20.5% | 19.0% | 21.8% | ranked 189 of 351 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached, semi-detached and terraced houses (2026) | 73.0% | 80.1% | 89.9% | ranked 327 of 351 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2026) | 19.4% | 13.5% | 4.4% | ranked 34 of 351 | |
| Cabins and holiday homes per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 36.9 per 1,000 inh. | 185.4 per 1,000 inh. | 153.1 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 298 of 351 |
Economy
| Indicator | Porsgrunn | Telemark | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments (2026) | 3,627 | 20,968 | 656,492 | ranked 32 of 357 | |
| Establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 96.9 per 1,000 inh. | 117.8 per 1,000 inh. | 129.8 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 312 of 351 | |
| Median income before tax (gross income) (2024) | 510,200 NOK | – | 500,900 NOK | ranked 140 of 351 | |
| Active businesses in the Central Coordinating Register (2026) | 4,877 per 1,000 inh. | 28,285 per 1,000 inh. | 915,761 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 32 of 357 | |
| Active businesses in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 130.3 per 1,000 inh. | 159.0 per 1,000 inh. | 167.1 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 302 of 351 | |
| Businesses registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 11.0 per 1,000 inh. | 11.5 per 1,000 inh. | 11.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 217 of 351 |
Employment
| Indicator | Porsgrunn | Telemark | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employed persons as a percentage of the population aged 15–74 (2025) | 64.1% | 64.3% | 67.5% | ranked 279 of 351 | |
| Registered unemployed as a share of the population aged 15–74 (2025) | 1.4% | 1.2% | 0.9% | ranked 37 of 351 |
Transport
| Indicator | Porsgrunn | Telemark | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars in own-account transport per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 545 per 1,000 inh. | 567 per 1,000 inh. | 591 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 277 of 351 | |
| Share of electric cars among passenger cars in own-account transport (2025) | 33.6% | 27.0% | 19.7% | ranked 41 of 351 |
Society
| Indicator | Porsgrunn | Telemark | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of population with immigrant background (2025) | 17.8% | 17.7% | 15.2% | ranked 110 of 351 |
Health
| Indicator | Porsgrunn | Telemark | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth (average of women and men) (2025) | 82.2 years | 82.2 | 82.8 | ranked 259 of 351 |
Education
| Indicator | Porsgrunn | Telemark | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share with university or university college education (2025) | 33.3% | 31.0% | 27.5% | ranked 63 of 351 |
Population of Porsgrunn over time
Porsgrunn had 35,955 residents in 2016 and 37,435 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 36,526 |
| 2022 | 36,624 |
| 2023 | 37,056 |
| 2024 | 37,193 |
| 2025 | 37,289 |
| 2026 | 37,435 |
Where is Porsgrunn?
Business sectors: Porsgrunn
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Real estate13.8% ×1.3
- Wholesale and retail trade12.9% ×1.2
- Health and social work12.9% ×1.3
- Professional, scientific and technical12.2% ×1.0
- Construction11.2% ×1.0
- Other service activities5.0% ×1.3
- Administrative and support services4.5% ×1.0
- Arts, entertainment and recreation4.4% ×0.8
Sunshine and temperatures: Porsgrunn
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Porsgrunn?
Porsgrunn has 37,435 residents (2026), ranking 29 of 357 municipalities.
How big is Porsgrunn?
Porsgrunn covers 161.0 km², with a density of 232 people per km².
Is the population of Porsgrunn growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Porsgrunn went from 35,955 to 37,435, a change of +4.1%.
Where is Porsgrunn?
Porsgrunn is in Telemark. Latitude 59.142, longitude 9.657.
Share of dwellings in detached, semi-detached and terraced houses: what is the figure for Porsgrunn?
In Porsgrunn, “Share of dwellings in detached, semi-detached and terraced houses” stands at 73.0% (2026), ranking 327 of 351 municipalities; the national median is 89.9%.
Establishments: what is the figure for Porsgrunn?
In Porsgrunn, “Establishments” stands at 3,627 (2026), ranking 32 of 357 municipalities; the national median is 709.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Porsgrunn?
In Porsgrunn, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 45° produces about 1,029 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Porsgrunn?
The nearest to Porsgrunn are Skien (9.4 km), Bamble (15 km), Siljan (18 km), Larvik (24 km), Sandefjord (32 km).