On this page

1. Main trends in the health conditions of young people

2. Main concepts

Main trends in the health conditions of young people

Ungdata, a cross national collection scheme designed to conduct young people surveys at the municipal level, and which is financed through the national budget, is regarded as the most comprehensive source of information on adolescent health and well-being at the municipal and national levels. Data is used in municipal planning and developmental work related to public health and preventive measures aimed at young people.

Ungdata covers various aspects of young people's lives such as relationship with parents and friends, leisure activities, health issues, local environment, well-being, and school issues. The surveys also include questions about tobacco and drug use, and participation in various forms of antisocial behaviour such as violence and bullying. The latest report (2025) is based on responses from 276,397 students
from 8th grade to senior high school, who participated in Ungdata from 2023
to 2025.

When young people are asked how they are doing, the main picture is that the vast majority are doing well. Nine out of ten believe that they have a good life, and just as many feel that they have close and trusted friends. Almost everyone has someone to be with both at school and in their free time. Most are satisfied with their parents, the school they attend, their teachers and the local environment they live in. Most young people have an active free time with social media and gaming, exercise, organised extracurricular activities, schoolwork and spending time with friends and family. The majority report good physical and mental health and optimism about the future. All in all, the figures show that most Norwegian young people have good upbringing conditions and a high quality of life. After a period in the 2010s, when the extent of self-reported mental health problems increased somewhat, there is no longer an increasing trend. In recent years, the development has stabilised, and this year's results show that there has been a decrease in the proportion of girls reporting mental health problems. The numbers for loneliness have also decreased, especially among girls. This does not mean that everyone is doing equally well. Many report challenges in everyday life, whether it is physical ailments, stress and pressure, lack of enjoyment of school or dissatisfaction with their own health. There is also a good number who are exposed to violence, bullying and sexual abuse. This year's bullying figures, together with last year's, are the highest since Ungdata began mapping this well over ten years ago.

The national survey on child abuse and neglect among a representative sample of Norwegian 12-16-year-olds was completed in 2019. The Norwegian Ministry of Child and Family Affairs gave the Norwegian Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies (NKVTS) the task to carry out the survey. The study had a cross-sectional design and participants were recruited from schools. A total of 9240 adolescents participated in the study. The results indicate that children and adolescents are still not sufficiently protected against child abuse and neglect, and that some groups of children and adolescents are more at risk than others. Most of the youth who had been subjected to one type of violence or abuse had also experienced other forms of violence or abuse. Girls had more often been exposed to several types of violence, than boys. Only a minority of youth who were subjected to violence and abuse say that they have been in contact with health care services after the abuse had ended. 

The Norwegian Centre for Traumatic Stress Studies (NKVTS) published a report in 2023 that looked at the extent of violence and abuse in the Norwegian population. The report shows that violence and abuse is still a serious social problem in Norway. Women are particularly exposed to serious violence in close relationships and sexual violence, and it appears that such violence is increasing. Men are more exposed to physical violence than women. Victims often reported that they had experienced several types of violence and abuse, and there was a connection between being exposed in childhood and experiencing violence and abuse in adulthood.

Main concepts

The Norwegian government employs a broad definition of public health to include factors that directly or indirectly promote the health and well-being of the population, prevent mental and somatic illness, injury or suffering, or protect against health threats, and work for a more even distribution of factors that directly or indirectly affect health. Targeting young people’s health and well-being often fall under overall public health measures, but the current government health strategy #Young people health – the Norwegian Government’s strategy for young people health 2016 – 2021 [#Ungdomshelse – regjeringens strategi for ungdomshelse 2016-2021], focused specifically on:

• Health and poverty
• Sports and volunteering
• Bullying, prejudice and discrimination
• Violence and abuse
• Drugs tobacco and alcohol
• Sexual health
• Mental health
• Young people health services, and the utility of digital platforms and services for young people

The government has not launched a direct successor with the same title, but is continuing the initiative through the Escalation Plan for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (2019–2024).