What is life like for poor people in Norway?

I think my family was considered very poor when we moved to Norway(from Finland, and as I remember we were equally poor there). Both parents without work, and with 9 children. Social and Child benefits made it work I guess - and a lot of creativity. We lived all in a pretty small house in a medium norwegian city. Typically 2-4 people in each bedroom, in total of 100-150 square meters(we moved a few times around, as we leased the house). My dad bought used computers, toys and books for us to play with, and we were often comfortable or acustomed having less than other people. My mom became an expert in creative an cheap meals for many people. My dad struck deals with local bakeries for cheap one day old bread. We often got used clothes from some friends for free before they went to the flee market. As a child you really don't care much anyway, but when you get older you start to care more being poor. Luckily for us we did not have drinking or smoking parents. Free school and free healthcare helped in the sense that it gave us the same chances for education and health as the rest (rich people also get free school & health care). Having less makes you value the stuff you have, but it is still a lot up to the you how you choose to live and grow (the state gives us the chance, but we still have to work for it). Now we are all grown up, most children are educated and we are all pretty well off - partly thanks to the norwegian system making it possible. Of course it is not all good, but it gives all the poor people equal chances to grow up and get an education so that they can mange themselves.

I agree very much with the answers already given, but they only talk about the poor people that are actually norwegian citizens. Since the question is about "poor people in Norway" and not necessarily just "poor norwegians in Norway", I'd like to add that illegal immigrants is considerably worse off than norwegian citizens. For instance we have a lot of Romani people here in Oslo where I live. They live on the street as beggars (possibly organized by traffickers, I'm not sure) and are chased around the city by the police as nobody wants them to set up camp near their home. They do get some help from humanitarian organizations, but they do not get proper medical attention, except of course emergency treatment. They do not get a pension, they do not get an education and they do not receive help to get a job. And of course there are many other groups of immigrants as well. Many work illegally and it's very common to pay immigrants to help you renovate or clean your home. Legal craftsmen (carpenters etc.) don't get enough work and many go bankrupt since there's so much illegal work going on. It's sometimes talked about as "slave-like labour". I think this is a problem across Europe though and not just Norway, as a recent report said that 880,000 people are working as slaves across Europe[1]. [1] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/traffickers-using-880000-people-as-slave-labour-in-eu-8882190.html

As others point out, being poor in Norway doesn't mean that you don't have a house or enough money to buy you some food as this is taken care of by government support. But I think it is important to point out that the social stigma of being poor is huge. The major population of Norway is in fact among the most wealthiest people in the world. If you meet a Norwegian you probably will hear them justify their huge income with high taxation, high real estate prices and expensive food. At the same time the major population have the ability to travel, eat wealthy food, do sports, go to the cinemas or concerts, etc. The fact that the major part of the population have a high income, makes all these activities very expensive for the poor 5-10% of the population. To be considered poor in Norway the total income of your household per year have to bee under 196 000 NOK. The average salary in Norway per person per year is 453 000 NOK. With 453 000 NOK per person in a household of two in Norway you live a good life with the possibility to have own a house, a car, a cabin in the woods when you get older and do all the activities mentioned above without a problem. If you are a single parent with one or two kids, having an income of 196 000 NOK you can forget about sending your kids to learn have to play drums or play soccer. You can't participate in the same activities as 90-95% of the population. As Eivind points out, this makes the poor isolated and unable to participate in the day to day life in Norway.

I'm born and raised in Norway, but I've been living and working in New York City for almost 4 years so I might provide an interesting perspective on this. First, it's worth mentioning that the social democracy in Norway is based in part on the principles of equal opportunity and social mobility. Our government tries to distribute wealth and services so that no one is left behind. Simply put, how much money you (or your parents) have (or make) is not supposed to be the deciding factor in what kind of life you can achieve for yourself. For example, people in America (especially poor people) have three big concerns in life: health care, education and retirement. In Norway, all of those concerns are basically eliminated. Education is free, retirement is paid by — but not limited to — our government pension fund and health care is, as mentioned before, free. So when we talk about poor people in Norway we talk about people with all the basics accounted for, but perhaps with limited financial freedom to go on expensive vacations, buy fancy clothing, buying a car, dining out etc. Let me give you an example from my own life: I was born in a town of about 50,000 people. My parents had me when they were 19. I was definitively not planned, and neither my mom or my dad had a university level education and were working part-time jobs. They were very young so it didn't work out and they split up when I was 3 (I have no recollection of them being together). My mom then decided to study to become a teacher, while living in government-funded student housing and supporting me at the same time. Financially it was VERY tight, but it all worked out and one of my earliest memories are of me and my mom celebrating her degree (I even got a pair of Converse shoes.) I was lucky to have loving parents and a stable, safe childhood. By the time I was 10, my mom was financially secure, had bought a house and she could even afford to take us on inexpensive charter vacations to countries like Bulgaria or Turkey, every other year or so. By the time I was 20, both my parents were what you would consider middle-class, and I had a pretty good education which lead me to studies abroad (and a total debt of $10,000 for living expenses), followed by a job offer in the US where I currently reside with my American wife :) I would dare to say that stories like mine happen in Norway all the time. I grew up with a lot of decidedly "poor" kids who are now living and working all over the world doing all sorts of interesting things. I don't think this kind of social mobility would be possible if it wasn't for the norwegian government and the support system it provides for the people.

I am a Norwegian living in the capital, Oslo. First of all: Being poor in Norway is unusual. Jobs that does not require a long  and hard education, are often almost as good paid as the ones that does require it. The differences in Norway are small, mostly because the state is sharing all the goods, and bads. Free school, free education (even Universities abroad are partly paid, based on your own/parents income). Lately there has been a big discussion about the Romanian beggars, whetever or not they are allowed to beg and live on the streets. Some say they should get shelter, and other say they should be sent out of the country. I would say the Romanian beggars are in the lowest "class" in Norway, because they are not welcomed anywhere and they don't live very well. In Norway, you can't actually be really poor, as the state will get you a job or pay you unemployment salary. If you are rich in Norway, you can't really do/express as much of your wealthiness as in (f.ex) the US, because of many limits (high bills, high taxes, many laws prohibits you from doing stuff). So, being poor in Norway is no way near being poor in USA, UK etc.

Like the other replies say, in most cases of citizenship, your basic needs are met. You will have a roof over your head and not risk staving to death. However, getting anywhere might be impossible because collective transportation are only avaliable in cities, and you may not be able to afford a car.  For instance, I used to live in a place where the bus only passed once per day - in one direction - and the nearest grocery store was a 30 minute-drive away. Also, if you are lucky enough to own your house, things may rot on core because you can not afford to fix it. If you rent, you risk being kicked out if you complain about something not working properly (yes, this actually happened to someone I know). While there are many social security efforts to "catch you if you fall",  sometimes you fall outside of those, and then the whole "scandinavian  role model"-thing falls apart. For instance, students who get sick will fall into this trap, as the system is designed for working people. This puts you at risk for months without income, and if you ask people for help (like friends and family), they will not believe you because they believe the system is fool-proof. This creates stigma and suspicion wich is socially isolating in itself, but what's worse is that people who are already at "social risk" (having little to none family/friends to rely on for temporary housing and food), will end up in a situation where they are literally homeless. This creates a despair, wich of course may cause acts of desperation. It's important to note that unlike the foreigners who have no rights, these people do get help eventually! But there can still be devastating effects of going without income for some time, especially related to health. Although hospital stays etc are free, there are fees on medical appointments, and medicines are expensive. So if you do have a condition that requires regular care, but not serious enough for a hospital admission you are in a rough spot.

It may not be as bad as being poor in other countries, but it’s not the whole “I can only afford ONE flat screen TV”-business.First off, there are times you don’t have money for food at the end of the month.Secondly, if you grow up in a poor family, you could end up being a bit isolated. Everybody knows how tech works and all that, because they got their first cell phone at the age of eight, but you yourself don’t know how Word works.Third, thrift shops become your best friend. All your furniture is bought from thrift shops.Fourth, walking two miles to get to the cheapest store.Fifth, Coop is your best friend.

If elegible for national unemployment-funds, not that bad, if not elegible, then life is hard and similar to other well-developed countries in europe

Hello I am astonished by seeing the above answers.  I need few suggestions from you guys.  I am an Indian and working in a good MNC with an average salary according to India.  I love to do Higher studies but i am not affortable for it.  I approached for few educational loans and got confirmed that they help me with few amounts in which i can cover my living expense in Norway. My Question is? Since i am taking a huge loan and coming for studies.  Is that worth in Norway?  How is the job perspective.  I need to work atleast for 10 years in Norway for good international exposure and to clean up my educational loans. Kindly give your thoughts...