Why not look to Norway? As a small, but highly developed nation, Norway is among the biggest in the world in several economic sectors. A wide range of opportunities, combined with a good economic framework and a stable political environment should make Norway an interesting long term investment case. This section contains a short summary of Norway’s position globally, an outline of Norway’s comparative advantages and a brief description of its key industries.
Summary
Despite being a relatively small nation of about 5 million people, Norway enjoys a top ten global ranking in various economic sectors (as of 2010):
As a signatory of the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement, Norway is an integrated part of the European Internal Market. In line with other European countries, Norway promotes free trade, is open to foreign investments and has also in this respect a business friendly framework.
As one of the richest countries in per capita terms and according to the United Nation’s Human Development Index, Norway has the best standard of living, education and life expectancy combined. A stable political environment and a respected judicial system ensure well-functioning markets and a top ten ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Ranking. Norwegian monetary policy successfully maintains a stable inflation and exchange rate. The use of the latest technologies and a focus on quality allows Norway to maintain its competitive edge.
All in all Norway presents a low-risk and long-term investment opportunity. Due to solid fundamentals, many analysts predict continuous economic growth in the years ahead.