Let’s just start by saying that this is one of the most beautiful countries I’ve ever seen. Period. It’s clean, and that’s almost certainly because there aren’t a lot of people. They don’t make all that many babies in Norway. This is the heart of Viking Country. Historically, only the strong survive here. North of Norway, there’s pretty much nothing but the top of the planet. That anyone could survive this far north has always fascinated me. But the Vikings didn’t just survive here. They thrived. And not because there were great hoards of them waiting to pounce on their enemies. Quite the opposite…it’s because they figured out how to live in harmony with their surroundings. The secret: Population control. Food is precious this far north, and there was a lot of competition for it. So they didn’t complicate things by creating a lot of mouths to feed. They still don’t. 

Statistically, there are only 30 babies born in Norway every day, while about 23 people die every day. Now why is that? The Arctic cold? No, not anymore. It’s money. Norwegians live really well because they are experts at living within their means. If you look at their architecture and their interior design, it can appear spartan at first glance. But look closer, and you can’t help but notice that while their design is economical and efficient, it’s also extremely elegant. That doesn’t mean that they don’t have luxuries. They just know how to take a little and make a lot. Think IKEA. Scandinavian design is exactly that…efficient but ridiculously elegant. As a nation, they live a very comfortable lifestyle. But don’t even think about moving there unless you’ve got money. It cost an awful lot to live in Norway. In fact, next to Japan, they have the highest cost of living on Earth. It’s expensive to even breathe in Norway. But even so, they manage to maintain one of the highest standards of living on the planet. Think $15 for a single bottle of water, and you’ve got the idea. As long as you buy Norwegian, you’re okay. Local goods are reasonable. But imports…forget it. You’re gonna pay.

Given the high cost of living, it’s easy to understand why they don’t have a lot of babies. Babies cost money. People there live well because they know how to take a little and make a lot. And they’ve got good collective impulse control. They don’t need a whole lot to be happy. There aren’t many (or really any) slums in Norway. They’ve got their poor like every country. But there’s no real abject poverty. You may not have much, but you have enough to get by. By keeping the population growth under control, they can afford to take care of their own. Their growth is due primarily to immigration. Immigration helps to account for the country’s impressive level of diversity for its size, not to mention its impressive wealth. But make no mistake…Norway is not the kind of place where you want to slip through the cracks. Homelessness is really not an option here. It’s so incredibly cold during the winter that they can’t have people sleeping on the streets. It’s the Arctic. That’s would be a death sentence.