Norway | HCRW

Norway regularly reports hate crime data to ODIHR. In 2021, the Norway Police established a National Expertise Group on Hate Crime. The Group is part of the Oslo Police District and is a reinforcement of the Oslo Police District's Hate Crime Unit. The mandate of the Group is to build the capacities of the regional police districts through training and guidance and, if necessary, to provide assistance in specific cases.

The Attorney General's Annual Circular, which sets out goals and priorities for the year for police and prosecution services, has included hate crime as a priority area for over 20 years. This means that hate crime cases, whatever the severity, are given priority and cannot be dismissed due to capacity or other reasons within police districts.

SELECT YEAR

Download the 2014 hate crime report for Norway

OFFICIAL DATA REPORTED BY STATES

Year	Hate crimes recorded by police	Prosecuted	Sentenced
2023	1,090	310	250
2022	923	263	203
2021	959	54	17
2020	744	804	67
2019	761	70	37
2018	624	60	37
2017	549	Not available	Not available
2016	466	Not available	Not available
2015	347	Not available	Not available
2014	223	Not available	Not available
2013	238	Not available	Not available
2012	216	Not available	Not available
2011	218	Not available	Not available
2010	307	Not available	Not available
2009	236	Not available	Not available

About 2014 Data

The sum of disaggregated figures below add up to more than the total because crimes can be recorded under more than one bias motivation. Norway reported that the total figure includes 116 cases of violent crime.

Download official data

National developments

The Oslo Police Department will set up a specialized hate crime unit staffed with three agents. Police officers and civil society representatives have received training on hate crimes.

Authorities are working on implementating a new IT-based system to monitor and record hate crime. The new system will be put into operation in 2015, following the introduction of a new criminal code.

KEY OBSERVATION

ODIHR observes that Norway has not reported on hate crimes separately from cases of hate speech.

Incidents reported by civil society, international organizations and the Holy See

Download incident data

Reports

Disability hate crime

Stop Discrimination reported two physical assaults, including one in which a male wheelchair user was almost pushed into the sea, one incident of threats, two robberies and one theft.

Anti-LGBTI hate crime

ILGA-Europe and the Norwegian LGBT Organization (LLH) reported a physical assault against a gay man, carried out by a group, in which a bottle was used.

Developments

Anti-LGBTI hate crime

The Norwegian LGBT Organization (LLH) reported that the Oslo police set up a specialist hate crime team and began recording crimes based on bias against gender identity.

INTERNATIONAL REPORTS

Racist and xenophobic hate crime

The International Office for Migration (IOM) reported that the Oslo police established a specialist hate crime unit.

The UN High Commissioner on Human Rights noted the creation of a dedicated hate crime unit by the Oslo police in his annual report on intolerance.

Racist and xenophobic hate crime, Anti-Roma hate crime

The UN Human Rights Council, in its Universal Periodic Review (UPR), recommended improving the collection of data and addressing the under-reporting of hate crimes. It also recommended providing additional resources to the Office of the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombudsperson in order to combat discrimination and hate crime against migrant Roma.

Racist and xenophobic hate crime, Anti-LGBTI hate crime

It its fifth report on Norway, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) praised the Oslo police for creating a specialized hate crime unit, involving civil society organizations in police officer training and conducting regular dialogue with civil society. ECRI recommended the creation of an electronic system for recording and monitoring racist and homophobic/transphobic incidents and processing them through the judicial system.