The proportion of women among professors in Norway has risen steadily over the past two decades - from 12% in 2000 to 37.7% in 2024. While this remains slightly below the 40–60 distribution goal, projections suggest a 50–50 split could be reached around the mid-2030s (Lekve & Gunnes, 2022).
In contrast, other research positions have already achieved gender parity. Women now account for 51.8% of full-time equivalents in senior research roles below the professorial level, up from near-parity in 2020. Similarly, women make up 53.4% of those earning doctoral degrees in 2024.
At the student level, the gender gap is more prevalent, with women comprising 60% of the student population - a trend that has remained stable for years.
“The data underscores that while structural change at the professorial level takes time, broad gender disparities in academia have been largely evened out. The next challenge will be to ensure this balance is maintained across disciplines and career stages. This calls for continued mapping and targeted measures,” says PRIO’s Patrick Nyheim Schjølberg.
Sources Direktoratet for høyere utdanning og kompetanse. (2025a). Database for statistikk om høyere utdanning. Full-time equivalents above PhD excluding professors. Direktoratet for høyere utdanning og kompetanse. (2025b). Database for statistikk om høyere utdanning. Full-time equivalents professors Direktoratet for høyere utdanning og kompetanse. (2025c). Database for statistikk om høyere utdanning. Completed PhDs Lekve, K., & Gunnes, H. (2022). Gender Balance in Norwegian Academia: Present State and Future Scenarios. Frontiers in Education, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.809116
