Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Department for health-, care- and social statistics
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
borgny.vold@ssb.no
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
7 March 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
7 March 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
7 March 2025
3.1. Data description
Statistics on healthcare non-expenditure provide information on healthcare human resources, healthcare facilities, and healthcare utilisation.
The people active in the healthcare sector (doctors, dentists, nurses, etc.) and their status (graduates, practising, migration of doctors and nurses, etc.);
The available healthcare technical resources and facilities (hospital beds, beds in residential care facilities, medical technology, etc.);
The health activities or patient contacts undertaken (hospital discharges, surgical procedures, ambulatory care data, etc.).
Annual national and regional data are provided in absolute numbers or as a rate of a relevant population.
Data are based mainly on administrative records (see section 18.1 ‘Source data’ for more information).
3.2. Classification system
For the collection of data on healthcare non- expenditure, the classifications used in the System of Health Accounts (SHA) and its related set of International Classification for the Health Accounts are applied.
For Health Employment, the Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications apply.
Definitions of mandatory variables are laid down in Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/2294.
Where possible, the statistics are separated by sex (male/female), age group and NUTS2 region.
National deviations: see Annex at the bottom of the page.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Public health.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
The healthcare non-expenditure statistics describe the public health sector from a non-monetary perspective. The statistics explain the number or rate of different healthcare resources, facilities and utilisations. A wide range of indicators are collected from a multitude of sources and therefore, details pertaining to individual variables are given in the Annex.
Definitions of mandatory variables are laid down in Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/2294.
The Eurostat manual on healthcare non-expenditure statistics (link) provides an overview of the classifications, both for mandatory variables and variables provided on voluntary basis.
National changes of statistical concepts and national definitions deviating from Regulation (EU) 2022/2294: see Annex at the bottom of the page.
3.5. Statistical unit
Registered health professionals or health care facility categories.
3.6. Statistical population
All health care staff.
All available beds or equipment in hospitals or in nursing and residential care facilities.
All discharges or procedures performed in all hospitals.
3.7. Reference area
Complete national territory
3.8. Coverage - Time
Time coverage varies for different variables, see annex for more information.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable
Absolute numbers at end of reference period/average number during reference period.
Rate of phenomenon per reference population (e.g., per 100 000 inhabitants).
Calendar year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Joint Questionnaire on Non-Monetary Health Care Statistics, which is carried by Eurostat, OECD and WHO-Europe.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Norwegian Statistics Act of 21 June 2019
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Aggregates are not provided when risk of identifying persons or private businesses.
For Hospital Discharge data - divided by gender, age, region and diagnosis - give confidentiality issues. Due to this, when less than 10 treatments, data are not provided (cell suppression).
8.1. Release calendar
Official statistics are realeased according to release calendars: Statistics Norway.
Statistics Norway: No external users have access to the statistics and analyses before they are published and accessible simultaneously for all users on Statistics Norway at 8 am. Prior to this, a minimum of three months' advance notice is given in the release calendar.
Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH): Statistics produced according to Norwegian Statistical Act, and therefor publishes and accessible simultaneously for all users. Update of realease calendar: at least one month before publication. Updates normally at 7 am.
Data that are not published as National Statistics can be aquired by request.
Most statistics are published yearly.
Patient statistics (patients in general and psychiatric hospitals) are disseminatied quarterly by Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH).
No national quality document exists. Quality documents are available from Eurostat.
The Single Integrated Metadata Structure (SIMS) is the standard for quality reporting, and is published in the Eurostat Database for every variable pertaining to the Joint, non-Monetary Health Care questionnaire, as from reference year 2021.
11.1. Quality assurance
Controls are based on established statistical methods and European Statistics Code of Practice.
Data from electronic forms (only relevant for number of beds): Logical controls integrated in the form filling.
Register data: a) Automatic checks and actions; b) Reports (monitoring); c) Manual checks.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Section 6 of the Act relating to official statistics and Statistics Norway (The Statistics Act) of 2019 states that Statistics Norway shall prepare an annual report for the Ministry of Finance on the quality of official statistics. See
Ministry of Health and Care Services, the Directorate of Health, different national organizations, researchers, students and more.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Ongoing work to systematize views and opinions of the users on national level. User satisfication surveys are not conducted for health statistics in particular.
12.3. Completeness
Data completeness vary by different indicators. See specifications in annex.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The statistic outputs do not have known random and systematic errors.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not applicable.
14.1. Timeliness
National statistics are published no more than six months after the statistical year.
14.2. Punctuality
National statistics are released punctual, according to release calendars.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Statistic outputs are published on different geographical areas, according to type of services. Municipalities, counties and health regions are most common. Due to regional reforms in Norway, time series for municipalities and counties can be challenging.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Health personnel: The main source for information about wage earners in the statistics Health care personnel, is the register-based employment statistics. From the year 2015, these statistics are based on a new data source for employees. Until the end of 2014, the main data source was The Central Register on Employers and Employees (EE register), produced by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Organisation (NAV). In 2015, this reporting to NAV was coordinated with the reporting of earnings and personnel data to the Tax Administration and Statistics Norway. This common reporting system is called “a-ordningen”. “A-ordningen” provides a better data basis compared to the EE register, as it is more accurate on the individual level in addition to covering a greater number of employees.
Hospital beds and hospital activity: The "hospital reform" introduced in 2002 and imposes limitations on comparability over time. Prior to the reform, the counties were responsibile for the hospital sector, afterwards Norway was divided ingo health regions and health enterprises. From 2004 substance abuse treatment was transferred to the state via the regional health enterprises.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
No cross-domain coherence issues.
15.4. Coherence - internal
No internal coherence issues.
To estimate cost and burden for the figures reported to Eurostat, is not possible - as variables reported are integrated in the national statistical system.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Official statistics produced by Statistics Norway and Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) follow general Eurostat revision policy.
Data revisions are normally not performed. The exception is when administrative sources are changed. In these cases, general Eurostat revision policy is followed.
Source data for the different variables are given in the Annex at the bottom of the page.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual.
18.3. Data collection
Health activity:
Norwegian patient registry: Data extracted from electronic patient records and reportet monthly, tertiary and annual
Immunisation: Survey conducted by Statistics Norway for Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Health employment:
Register of Health Care Personnel administered by the Norwegian Directorate of Health: Gives an overview of all health care personnel given license to practise their profession. Statistics Norway receives status per November for all with a license to practise.
Norwegian Database of education (NUDB). Statistics Norway's own register of education is a supplement to the Register of Health Care Personnel. This register gives an overview of all education accomplished for all individuals settled in Norway by October 1st.
The Central Register of Establishments and Enterprises: Variables concerning enterprises, such as the municipal location of workplace and industry are collected from the Central Register of Establishments and Enterprises, managed by Statistics Norway.
A-ordningen: Statistics Norway receive monthly data from the Tax Administration Shared Services Agency (Etatens fellesforvaltning, EFF), a management entity of the Tax Administration, which administers a-ordningen on behalf of the three owner agencies; the Tax Administration, the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Organization and Statistics Norway.
Physical resources:
Beds in hospitals are collected once a year in electronic schemes by Statistics Norway. Schemes are reported by both publicly owned health enterprises and private hospitals and institutions. Beds at the end of the year (November) and annual average is collected. The deadline for reporting is February 20th.
Beds in residential long-term care facilities are collected once a year in electronic schemes by Statistics Norway. Schemes are reported by both municipalities and private institutions. Beds at the end of the year (21.12.) is collected. The deadline for reporting is January 15th.
Medical technology: Undertakings that expect to acquire, lease, use or handle radiation sources that are subject to registration shall register their activities and each radiation source to DSA via DSA’s radiation source registration system. Equipment that is no longer in use is also reported through the same registration system.
Workforce migration:
Data on "stock" are extracted from Health Care personnel statistics in Statistics Norway.
Data on "annual inflows" are extracted from Register of Health Care Personnel administered by the Norwegian Directorate of Health
18.4. Data validation
Validation checks are embedded into the excel questionaires and validation checks are also done in EDAMIS.
18.5. Data compilation
Data is based on administrative sources and no imputation or design weights are used.
Statistics on healthcare non-expenditure provide information on healthcare human resources, healthcare facilities, and healthcare utilisation.
The people active in the healthcare sector (doctors, dentists, nurses, etc.) and their status (graduates, practising, migration of doctors and nurses, etc.);
The available healthcare technical resources and facilities (hospital beds, beds in residential care facilities, medical technology, etc.);
The health activities or patient contacts undertaken (hospital discharges, surgical procedures, ambulatory care data, etc.).
Annual national and regional data are provided in absolute numbers or as a rate of a relevant population.
Data are based mainly on administrative records (see section 18.1 ‘Source data’ for more information).
7 March 2025
The healthcare non-expenditure statistics describe the public health sector from a non-monetary perspective. The statistics explain the number or rate of different healthcare resources, facilities and utilisations. A wide range of indicators are collected from a multitude of sources and therefore, details pertaining to individual variables are given in the Annex.
Definitions of mandatory variables are laid down in Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/2294.
The Eurostat manual on healthcare non-expenditure statistics (link) provides an overview of the classifications, both for mandatory variables and variables provided on voluntary basis.
National changes of statistical concepts and national definitions deviating from Regulation (EU) 2022/2294: see Annex at the bottom of the page.
Registered health professionals or health care facility categories.
All health care staff.
All available beds or equipment in hospitals or in nursing and residential care facilities.
All discharges or procedures performed in all hospitals.
Complete national territory
Calendar year.
The statistic outputs do not have known random and systematic errors.
Absolute numbers at end of reference period/average number during reference period.
Rate of phenomenon per reference population (e.g., per 100 000 inhabitants).
Data is based on administrative sources and no imputation or design weights are used.
Source data for the different variables are given in the Annex at the bottom of the page.
Most statistics are published yearly.
Patient statistics (patients in general and psychiatric hospitals) are disseminatied quarterly by Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH).
National statistics are published no more than six months after the statistical year.
Statistic outputs are published on different geographical areas, according to type of services. Municipalities, counties and health regions are most common. Due to regional reforms in Norway, time series for municipalities and counties can be challenging.
Health personnel: The main source for information about wage earners in the statistics Health care personnel, is the register-based employment statistics. From the year 2015, these statistics are based on a new data source for employees. Until the end of 2014, the main data source was The Central Register on Employers and Employees (EE register), produced by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Organisation (NAV). In 2015, this reporting to NAV was coordinated with the reporting of earnings and personnel data to the Tax Administration and Statistics Norway. This common reporting system is called “a-ordningen”. “A-ordningen” provides a better data basis compared to the EE register, as it is more accurate on the individual level in addition to covering a greater number of employees.
Hospital beds and hospital activity: The "hospital reform" introduced in 2002 and imposes limitations on comparability over time. Prior to the reform, the counties were responsibile for the hospital sector, afterwards Norway was divided ingo health regions and health enterprises. From 2004 substance abuse treatment was transferred to the state via the regional health enterprises.
