At least 62 per cent of the first cohort of Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK) members affected by Norway's public-sector pension rule changes have combined work with pension payments, according to SPK analysis.

The figures also showed that only 16 per cent of this 12,000-strong cohort, who were born in 1963, have withdrawn their pension so far, suggesting that the first group affected by the reform is largely continuing to work and postponing pension withdrawals.

In addition to this, SPK compared two cohorts of approximately equal size: the 1962 cohort, which followed old regulations, and the 1963 cohort, and found a 6 per cent increase in those continuing to work at age 62 in the latter cohort.

However, this increase was slightly higher in the municipal sector, at 7 per cent, compared with 5 per cent in the state sector.

Norway’s Minister of Labor and Inclusion, Kjersti Stenseng, said: “When more people choose to stay in work longer, it means higher income for the individual, and more labour for society. It's good for everyone.

“The most important asset Norway has is our people and the work they do. It is important that more people are in work and that more people work longer to maintain and develop our welfare system in the future.”

Earlier this week (1 February) marked the first year of the new public sector pension scheme in Norway, when the first public sector employees who turned 62 in January 2025 were able to start drawing their pensions.

One year after its introduction, the figures highlighted that fewer women are retiring at 62 compared to previous cohorts, both in the state and municipal sectors.

Most men have also continued to work after age 62, but the difference between the 1962 and 1963 cohorts is smaller than among women.

Commenting on this, SPK CEO, Tomas Berg, said: “The new pension regulations offer more choices, and we see that many people are actively looking into how different choices affect their pension.”

He added that SPK has aimed to make it easier to understand the new regulations, what it means to combine work and pension, and how a pension increases the longer someone works, through simple and user-friendly digital solutions.

In particular, he noted that the use of the pension calculator shows that many people are exploring different options, suggesting that the flexibility in the regulations is being understood and used in practice.

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