This is a descriptive article. For a list, see List of heads of government of Norway.

The Prime Minister of Norway (statsminister) is the political leader of Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

 and the Head of His Majesty's Government

Head of government

Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...

. The Prime Minister and Cabinet

Cabinet (government)

A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...

 (consisting of all the most senior government department heads) are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Stortinget (Parliament), to their political party, and ultimately the electorate.

Norway has a constitution

Constitution

A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...

, which was adopted on 17 May 1814. The position of Prime Minister is the result of legislation. Modern Prime Ministers have few statutory powers but, provided they can command the support of their parliamentary party, they can control both the legislature and the executive (the Cabinet) and hence wield considerable de facto powers. As of 2009, the Prime Minister of Norway is Jens Stoltenberg

Jens Stoltenberg

is a Norwegian politician, leader of the Norwegian Labour Party and the current Prime Minister of Norway. Having assumed office on 17 October 2005, Stoltenberg previously served as Prime Minister from 2000 to 2001....

, of the Norwegian Labour Party

Norwegian Labour Party

The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....

.

Longest-sitting prime ministers

Nr.	Prime Minister	Party	Days	Years, months, days
1.	Einar Gerhardsen Einar Gerhardsen was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party of Norway. He was Prime Minister for three periods, 1945–1951, 1955–1963 and 1963–1965. With 17 years in office, he is the longest serving Prime Minister in Norway since the introduction of parliamentarism...	Labour Party Norwegian Labour Party The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....	6226	17 years and 17 days
2.	Johan Nygaardsvold Johan Nygaardsvold Johan Nygaardsvold was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 1935 to 1945 , as head of the cabinet Nygaardsvold.-Political career:...	Labour Party Norwegian Labour Party The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....	3750	10 years, 3 months and 5 days
3.	Gro Harlem Brundtland Gro Harlem Brundtland Gro Harlem Brundtland is a Norwegian Social democratic politician, diplomat, and physician, and an international leader in sustainable development and public health. She served three terms as Prime Minister of Norway , and has served as the Director General of the World Health Organization...	Labour Party Norwegian Labour Party The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....	3691	10 years, 1 month and 9 days
4.	Gunnar Knudsen Gunnar Knudsen Gunnar Knudsen , born Aanon Gunerius Knudsen, was a Norwegian politician from the Liberal Party who had two spells as Prime Minister of Norway from 1908 to 1910 and from 1913 to 1920...	Liberal Party Venstre (Norway) The Liberal Party is a centrist liberal political party in Norway. The party is the oldest in the country, and has enacted reforms such as parliamentarism, freedom of religion, universal suffrage and free education. Since 2010, the leader of the party is Trine Skei Grande...	3383	9 years, 3 months and 4 days
5.	Jens Stoltenberg Jens Stoltenberg is a Norwegian politician, leader of the Norwegian Labour Party and the current Prime Minister of Norway. Having assumed office on 17 October 2005, Stoltenberg previously served as Prime Minister from 2000 to 2001....  (incumbent)	Labour Party Norwegian Labour Party The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
6.	Johan Ludwig Mowinckel Johan Ludwig Mowinckel Johan Ludwig Mowinckel was a Norwegian political figure representing Venstre, the social liberal party. He served as Prime Minister of Norway between 1924 and 1926, again from 1928 until 1931, and finally between 1933 and 1935.Born in Bergen, he founded the shipping company A/S J. Ludwig...	Liberal Party Venstre (Norway) The Liberal Party is a centrist liberal political party in Norway. The party is the oldest in the country, and has enacted reforms such as parliamentarism, freedom of religion, universal suffrage and free education. Since 2010, the leader of the party is Trine Skei Grande...	2517	6 years, 10 months and 21 days
7.	Kjell Magne Bondevik Kjell Magne Bondevik Kjell Magne Bondevik is a Norwegian Lutheran minister and politician . He served as Prime Minister of Norway from 1997 to 2000, and from 2001 to 2005, making him Norway's longest serving non-Labour Party Prime Minister since World War II...	Christian Democratic Party Christian Democratic Party Christian democratic parties are those political parties that seek to apply Christian principles to public policy. The underlying Christian democracy movement emerged in 19th-century Europe, largely under the influence of Catholic social teaching, and it continues to be influential in Europe and...	2341	6 years, 4 months and 29 days
8.	Johannes Steen Johannes Steen Johannes Wilhelm Christian Steen was a Norwegian politician, Prime Minister of Norway from 1891 to 1893 and from 1898 to 1902....	Liberal Party Venstre (Norway) The Liberal Party is a centrist liberal political party in Norway. The party is the oldest in the country, and has enacted reforms such as parliamentarism, freedom of religion, universal suffrage and free education. Since 2010, the leader of the party is Trine Skei Grande...	2311	6 years, 3 months and 30 days
9.	Per Borten Per Borten was a Norwegian politician from the Centre Party and Prime Minister of Norway from 1965 to 1971. Per Borten is credited for leading the modernization of what was then named Bondepartiet into today's Centre Party...	Centre Party Centre Party (Norway) The Centre Party is a centrist and agrarian political party in Norway, founded in 1920. The Centre Party's policy is not based on any of the major ideologies of the 19th and 20th century, but has a focus on maintaining decentralised economic development and political decision-making.From its...	1982	5 years, 5 months and 5 days
10.	Odvar Nordli Odvar Nordli is a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 1976 to 1981.Nordli grew up in Tangen in Stange, Hedmark. After World War II he served in the Independent Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany, part of the Allied forces occupying post-war Germany...	Labour Party Norwegian Labour Party The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....	1847	5 years and 20 days

Former Prime Ministers

As of 2011 five former Prime Ministers are alive:

• Odvar Nordli
  Odvar Nordli
  is a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 1976 to 1981.Nordli grew up in Tangen in Stange, Hedmark. After World War II he served in the Independent Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany, part of the Allied forces occupying post-war Germany...
  
   (1927), served 1976–1981.
• Kåre Willoch
  Kåre Willoch
  Kåre Isaachsen Willoch is a Norwegian politician from the Conservative Party. He served as Minister of Trade and Shipping in 1963 and 1965–1970, and as Prime Minister of Norway from 1981 to 1986...
  
   (1928), served 1981–1986
• Gro Harlem Brundtland
  Gro Harlem Brundtland
  Gro Harlem Brundtland is a Norwegian Social democratic politician, diplomat, and physician, and an international leader in sustainable development and public health. She served three terms as Prime Minister of Norway , and has served as the Director General of the World Health Organization...
  
   (1939), served 1981, 1986–1989 and 1990–1995.
• Kjell Magne Bondevik
  Kjell Magne Bondevik
  Kjell Magne Bondevik is a Norwegian Lutheran minister and politician . He served as Prime Minister of Norway from 1997 to 2000, and from 2001 to 2005, making him Norway's longest serving non-Labour Party Prime Minister since World War II...
  
   (1947), served 1997–2000 and 2001–2005
• Thorbjørn Jagland
  Thorbjørn Jagland
  is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party, currently serving as the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe...
  
  (1950), served 1996–1997