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Norwegian figures: closed businesses are removed from Enhetsregisteret, so closures are only counted from 3 October 2026, when we started collecting. Until then, growth over time looks higher than it really is.

County

Telemark

Rank business types here →
Residents
177,923
2026
Population, 5 years
+2.5%
10 years: +3.2%
Active places of business
26,749
150 per 1,000 residents
Opened / closed (12 mo.)
2,360 / 0
3-yr change +33.0%

Population

165k170k175k180k201620182020202220242026Residents

Active businesses (all types)

5,00010k15k20k25k30k2014Q2 16Q3 18Q4 202023Q2 25Businesses

Who lives here

Statistics Norway · 2026
Children 0–15 16%
Young 16–24 10%
Adults 25–49 30%
Adults 50–66 23%
Seniors 67–79 15%
80 and older 6%

The line marks the average for Norway.

Average age44.1 yrs · Norway: 41.8
Median household income after taxNOK 646k · Norway: NOK 676k
Households with children22% · Norway: 23%
Higher education (age 16+)31% · Norway: 38%
Jobs located here78,857
Jobs per working resident0.94 · Norway: 1.00

Roughly as many jobs as working residents.

Deeper numbers

Survival, trouble signs, competition and people in Telemark.

Survival

Survival can't be calculated for Norway yet: closed businesses are removed from Enhetsregisteret, so we only know closures from the day we started collecting.

Trouble signs

Closed within 2 years of opening (last 12 months)0

Annual-report figures appear when companies here have filed accounts.

Competition

Run by chains (3+ places)9% · Norway: 8%
Share of the 3 largest operators1% · 24,878 owners
142 places
69 places
67 places
51 places
51 places

New and established

Openings per 1,000 residents (12 months)13.26 · Norway: 15.83
Average age of active businesses13.2 yrs · Norway: 12.0
Younger than 2 years17% · Norway: 20%
Older than 10 years41% · Norway: 37%

A typical mix of new and established businesses.

Moving in and out

Moved here (3 years)0 · 12 months: 0
Moved away (3 years)0 · 12 months: 0
Net0

A move is a place of business closing and the same company opening one in another area within 90 days. Chains are left out.

When businesses open and close

05001,0001,5002,000Opened Jan: 1,670Closed Jan: 0JanOpened Feb: 576Closed Feb: 0Opened Mar: 722Closed Mar: 0MarOpened Apr: 581Closed Apr: 0Opened May: 781Closed May: 0MayOpened Jun: 649Closed Jun: 0Opened Jul: 518Closed Jul: 0JulOpened Aug: 696Closed Aug: 0Opened Sep: 804Closed Sep: 0SepOpened Oct: 647Closed Oct: 0Opened Nov: 713Closed Nov: 0NovOpened Dec: 442Closed Dec: 0
OpenedClosed

Per calendar month, 2021–2025.

Growing here

Business types with the biggest 3-year increase (at least 5 businesses three years ago).

Marketing & advertising agency85 → 188+121%
Café, coffee bar or bar16 → 34+113%
Gifts, art & specialty shops34 → 66+94%
IT & software services248 → 469+89%
Beauty salon & spa107 → 193+80%
Design & photography181 → 323+78%
Cosmetics & perfume store34 → 60+76%
Courses & tutoring304 → 531+75%

Declining here

Business types shrinking the most over 3 years, with closures in the last 12 months.

No business type is shrinking noticeably.

Highest opportunity here

Travel agency

64

56 today · similar areas would have ~88

Real estate agent

59

29 today · similar areas would have ~35

Car rental

58

24 today · similar areas would have ~35

Butcher, fishmonger & deli

58

41 today · similar areas would have ~51

Law firm

58

73 today · similar areas would have ~84

Staffing & recruitment

58

86 today · similar areas would have ~138

All business types

Click a column to sort
Business typeGroupActivePer 10kSimilar areasOpened 3 yrsClosed 3 yrsChangeScore
Hotel Accommodation 68 3.8 3.1 10 0 +17% 49
B&B & holiday accommodation Accommodation 99 5.6 4.1 30 0 +43% 40
Campsite Accommodation 70 3.9 1.9 5 0 +8% 25
Car repair & service Automotive 281 15.8 12.2 78 0 +38% 41
Petrol station Automotive 89 5.0 3.6 4 0 +5% 30
Car dealer Automotive 266 15.0 9.7 68 0 +34% 35
Car parts & motorcycles Automotive 77 4.3 3.2 17 0 +28% 37
Car rental Automotive 24 1.3 2.0 10 0 +71% 58
Childcare Education 76 4.3 4.2 1 0 +1% 38
Driving school Education 69 3.9 2.7 8 0 +13% 33
Courses & tutoring Education 531 29.8 37.0 227 0 +75% 56
Café, coffee bar or bar Food & drink 34 1.9 1.5 18 0 +113% 52
Restaurant Food & drink 322 18.1 20.1 94 0 +41% 40
Pizzeria, grill or takeaway Food & drink 9 0.5 0.5 2 0 +29% 38
Catering & canteen Food & drink 88 4.9 7.6 28 0 +47% 48
Bakery Food & drink 63 3.5 4.0 21 0 +50% 43
Supermarket & convenience store Groceries 291 16.4 14.9 44 0 +18% 43
Butcher, fishmonger & deli Groceries 41 2.3 2.9 15 0 +58% 58
Kiosk, Wine & beverage shop Groceries 17 1.0 0.9 0 0 0% 38
Dentist Health 181 10.2 10.5 31 0 +21% 49
Doctor & medical clinic Health 421 23.7 29.9 105 0 +33% 50
Physio, chiro & therapy Health 690 38.8 41.8 136 0 +25% 39
Veterinarian Health 71 4.0 3.3 13 0 +22% 42
Home care Health 20 1.1 0.9 3 0 +18% 36
Gym & fitness centre Leisure 57 3.2 3.2 13 0 +30% 42
Sports facility & club Leisure 295 16.6 16.6 56 0 +23% 39
Cinema & entertainment Leisure 42 2.4 2.2 7 0 +20% 39
Travel agency Leisure 56 3.1 4.9 19 0 +51% 64
Hairdresser & barber Personal services 273 15.3 14.3 62 0 +29% 43
Beauty salon & spa Personal services 193 10.8 12.9 86 0 +80% 52
Laundry & dry cleaning Personal services 8 0.5 0.5 0 0 0% 41
Repairs (electronics, shoes, watches) Personal services 64 3.6 3.4 18 0 +39% 38
Funeral services Personal services 21 1.2 1.0 1 0 +5% 39
Accountant & bookkeeping Professional services 159 8.9 9.1 22 0 +16% 40
Law firm Professional services 73 4.1 4.7 18 0 +33% 58
Bank & insurance Professional services 39 2.2 2.0 2 0 +5% 35
Real estate agent Professional services 29 1.6 2.0 8 0 +38% 59
Architect Professional services 65 3.7 5.5 14 0 +27% 45
Engineering consultancy Professional services 615 34.6 36.3 206 0 +50% 48
IT & software services Professional services 469 26.4 44.2 221 0 +89% 53
Marketing & advertising agency Professional services 188 10.6 14.4 103 0 +121% 53
Design & photography Professional services 323 18.2 27.9 142 0 +78% 55
Staffing & recruitment Professional services 86 4.8 7.7 23 0 +37% 58
Clothing store Retail 179 10.1 10.9 57 0 +47% 53
Shoe & leather goods store Retail 24 1.3 1.3 3 0 +14% 49
Pharmacy & health store Retail 40 2.2 2.0 2 0 +5% 40
Cosmetics & perfume store Retail 60 3.4 3.4 26 0 +76% 53
Florist, garden & pet shop Retail 78 4.4 3.4 19 0 +32% 48
Jewellery & watches Retail 31 1.7 1.6 5 0 +19% 41
Optician Retail 32 1.8 1.6 4 0 +14% 49
Furniture & interior store Retail 92 5.2 5.4 26 0 +39% 51
Electronics & phone store Retail 54 3.0 2.3 8 0 +17% 35
Hardware & DIY store Retail 92 5.2 3.6 11 0 +14% 38
Books & stationery Retail 25 1.4 1.1 3 0 +14% 44
Sports & bike shop Retail 96 5.4 4.3 24 0 +33% 47
Toy & hobby shop Retail 108 6.1 5.4 39 0 +57% 51
Gifts, art & specialty shops Retail 66 3.7 3.2 32 0 +94% 53
Second-hand & antiques Retail 55 3.1 2.0 21 0 +62% 30
Online store Retail 46 2.6 2.4 13 0 +39% 49
Electrician Trades 170 9.6 8.7 44 0 +35% 53
Plumber & heating Trades 219 12.3 11.2 50 0 +30% 41
Carpenter & joiner Trades 414 23.3 19.3 121 0 +41% 38
Painter & decorator Trades 131 7.4 7.5 40 0 +44% 46
Bricklayer & mason Trades 158 8.9 6.5 29 0 +22% 31
Flooring Trades 30 1.7 2.3 11 0 +58% 55
Building contractor Trades 1,803 101.3 72.7 377 0 +26% 33
Gardener & landscaping Trades 77 4.3 3.1 27 0 +54% 45
Cleaning services Trades 240 13.5 13.2 79 0 +49% 41
Taxi Transport 181 10.2 16.3 38 0 +27% 50
Removals & haulage Transport 288 16.2 18.5 65 0 +29% 42

Areas in Telemark

AreaTypeResidentsPop. 5 yrsBusinessesBusinesses 3 yrsClosed 12 mo.
Skien kommuneMunicipality 56,906+3.2%7,014 +38% 0
Porsgrunn kommuneMunicipality 37,435+2.5%5,043 +34% 0
Bamble kommuneMunicipality 14,267+1.8%1,819 +37% 0
Notodden kommuneMunicipality 13,389+3.0%1,956 +31% 0
Midt-Telemark kommuneMunicipality 11,157+6.7%1,940 +30% 0
Kragerø kommuneMunicipality 10,378-0.4%1,836 +31% 0
Nome kommuneMunicipality 6,529+0.6%942 +31% 0
Tinn kommuneMunicipality 5,515-1.6%1,083 +26% 0
Drangedal kommuneMunicipality 4,056-0.4%743 +28% 0
Vinje kommuneMunicipality 3,829+1.9%990 +28% 0
Seljord kommuneMunicipality 2,959+2.0%728 +30% 0
Kviteseid kommuneMunicipality 2,463+1.4%630 +34% 0
Siljan kommuneMunicipality 2,377+1.3%320 +38% 0
Tokke kommuneMunicipality 2,242+3.6%538 +28% 0
Hjartdal kommuneMunicipality 1,638+4.9%415 +17% 0
Nissedal kommuneMunicipality 1,509+5.5%401 +24% 0
Fyresdal kommuneMunicipality 1,274+3.8%351 +25% 0