Norway's information and communications sector recorded 97% more new business registrations in the reported second quarter than in the same period a year earlier, according to Statistics Norway data reported by Shifter. The sector saw the strongest growth in new company registrations among Norwegian industries.
Across the economy, Statistics Norway counted 17,052 newly registered businesses during the quarter, up 21% year on year. The total included 7,327 limited companies, 9,604 sole proprietorships and 121 businesses in other legal forms. These are registrations of all kinds of firms, not a count of venture-backed startups.
Statistics Norway section head Erik Fjærli said the change is clear but cautioned that it remains to be seen whether the growth is durable. He noted that new business formation is above the level before the pandemic even after accounting for population growth. The figures establish a rise in registrations, not the later survival or investment prospects of those businesses.