Voss: population and statistics
Voss has a population of 16,438 (2026) across 1,958.0 km², or 8.4 people per km². It ranks 77 of 357 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +7.1% between 2016 and 2026.
- 16,438 residents
- 1,958.0 km²
- 8 people/km²
- 730 m
Key points
Among the 43 municipalities in Vestland, Voss ranks No. 9 by population.
Largest business sector: Agriculture, forestry and fishing, with 22.3% of the area's business sites.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 45° generates about 783 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- Its area is roughly equal to 274,230 football pitches.
- Its population density is 2.2 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Modalen, 33.5 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Alver (30,285 residents), 59 km away.
- A 4 kWp rooftop solar system here would generate about 3,132 kWh a year, roughly what an average household uses.
Voss in numbers
All indicators for Voss
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 | Voss | Vestland | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net migration per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | −0.5 per 1,000 inh. | 2.6 per 1,000 inh. | 4.1 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 265 of 351 | |
| Share of inhabitants aged 65 and over (2026) | 23.3% | 19.3% | 23.7% | ranked 190 of 351 | |
| Share of inhabitants under 18 (2026) | 20.6% | 20.0% | 18.7% | ranked 81 of 351 |
Housing
| Indicator | Voss | Vestland | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (occupied and unoccupied) (2026) | 8,854 | 330,715 | 2,760,619 | ranked 67 of 357 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1946 (2026) | 19.2% | 16.7% | 16.4% | ranked 131 of 351 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2026) | 24.5% | 26.5% | 21.8% | ranked 132 of 351 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached, semi-detached and terraced houses (2026) | 81.2% | 70.1% | 89.9% | ranked 271 of 351 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2026) | 14.6% | 25.5% | 4.4% | ranked 63 of 351 | |
| Cabins and holiday homes per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 218.9 per 1,000 inh. | 65.4 per 1,000 inh. | 153.1 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 126 of 351 |
Economy
| Indicator | Voss | Vestland | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments (2026) | 2,504 | 73,282 | 656,492 | ranked 52 of 357 | |
| Establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 152.3 per 1,000 inh. | 111.3 per 1,000 inh. | 129.8 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 117 of 351 | |
| Median income before tax (gross income) (2024) | 520,100 NOK | – | 500,900 NOK | ranked 100 of 351 | |
| Active businesses in the Central Coordinating Register (2026) | 3,339 per 1,000 inh. | 101,284 per 1,000 inh. | 915,761 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 57 of 357 | |
| Active businesses in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 203.1 per 1,000 inh. | 153.8 per 1,000 inh. | 167.1 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 95 of 351 | |
| Businesses registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 14.5 per 1,000 inh. | 13.1 per 1,000 inh. | 11.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 59 of 351 |
Employment
| Indicator | Voss | Vestland | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employed persons as a percentage of the population aged 15–74 (2025) | 71.4% | 70.3% | 67.5% | ranked 50 of 351 | |
| Registered unemployed as a share of the population aged 15–74 (2025) | 1.0% | 1.0% | 0.9% | ranked 129 of 351 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Voss | Vestland | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overnight stays at hotels, campsites and cabin villages (2025) | 400,431 | – | 112,411 | ranked 14 of 103 |
Transport
| Indicator | Voss | Vestland | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars in own-account transport per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 534 per 1,000 inh. | 487 per 1,000 inh. | 591 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 292 of 351 | |
| Share of electric cars among passenger cars in own-account transport (2025) | 22.5% | 39.6% | 19.7% | ranked 131 of 351 |
Society
| Indicator | Voss | Vestland | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of population with immigrant background (2025) | 13.3% | 17.3% | 15.2% | ranked 244 of 351 |
Health
| Indicator | Voss | Vestland | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth (average of women and men) (2025) | 83.7 years | 83.7 | 82.8 | ranked 22 of 351 |
Education
| Indicator | Voss | Vestland | National | Position | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share with university or university college education (2025) | 33.5% | 37.7% | 27.5% | ranked 58 of 351 |
Population of Voss over time
Voss had 15,345 residents in 2016 and 16,438 in 2026.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 15,787 |
| 2022 | 15,875 |
| 2023 | 16,144 |
| 2024 | 16,471 |
| 2025 | 16,436 |
| 2026 | 16,438 |
Where is Voss?
Business sectors: Voss
Share of each sector in total business sites; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing22.3% ×2.2
- Construction13.2% ×1.2
- Real estate10.8% ×1.0
- Wholesale and retail trade8.6% ×0.8
- Health and social work7.5% ×0.8
- Professional, scientific and technical6.4% ×0.5
- Administrative and support services5.2% ×1.1
- Arts, entertainment and recreation4.1% ×0.8
Sunshine and temperatures: Voss
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Voss?
Voss has 16,438 residents (2026), ranking 77 of 357 municipalities.
How big is Voss?
Voss covers 1,958.0 km², with a density of 8 people per km².
Is the population of Voss growing?
Between 2016 and 2026, the population of Voss went from 15,345 to 16,438, a change of +7.1%.
Where is Voss?
Voss is in Vestland. Latitude 60.703, longitude 6.423.
Overnight stays at hotels, campsites and cabin villages: what is the figure for Voss?
In Voss, “Overnight stays at hotels, campsites and cabin villages” stands at 400,431 (2025), ranking 14 of 103 municipalities; the national median is 112,411.
Establishments: what is the figure for Voss?
In Voss, “Establishments” stands at 2,504 (2026), ranking 52 of 357 municipalities; the national median is 709.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Voss?
In Voss, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 45° produces about 783 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Voss?
The nearest to Voss are Modalen (33 km), Vaksdal (35 km), Ulvik (37 km), Kvam (40 km), Vik (40 km).