How much does the Norwegian royal family cost? The government has revealed the figures

Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg presented the draft state budget for 2027 on Wednesday, 7 October. NOK 288.2 million has been earmarked for the operations of the Royal Court, which is NOK 10.248 million more than in 2026. At that time, the operating budget amounted to NOK 277.9 million. The increase is nominal.

The operating budget is only part of the expenditure. In addition to NOK 288.2 million, the government has allocated NOK 30.9 million in civil list payments, while further funds are to finance other tasks related to the monarchy. A total of NOK 90 million has been earmarked for the operation, maintenance and purchase of equipment for royal properties. Official foreign trips by the royal family are a separate item.

NOK 9.1 million from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UD) budget is to be allocated for this purpose. Another NOK 65 million has been set aside for the operation of the royal yacht Norge, and NOK 4.9 million for the adjutant staff. The list also includes NOK 35 million for government representation. Once the specified items are added up, expenditure related to the Royal Court is expected to amount to NOK 523.7 million.

This amount does not include the costs of protection provided by the police and the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST). The exact security expenditure is classified and does not appear in the state budget. The proposal also does not provide funds under item 51, intended for special Royal Court projects. The 2025 budget included NOK 20 million under this item, which, according to the Palace, was used for the sarcophagus of King Harald and Queen Sonja.

Funds under item 50 cover salaries and operating costs for all Royal Court employees. They also finance the management, operation, internal maintenance and development of state-owned royal properties, including the Royal Palace, Oscarshall and the royal estate at Bygdø. The Royal Court also retains the right to use unspent funds in subsequent periods. At the end of the last financial year, the accumulated operating reserve amounted to NOK 48 million.

In the previous financial year, operations ended with a deficit of approximately NOK 710,000, which was covered from reserves. The Royal Court also ran a three-year savings project, Balanseprosjektet, aimed at reducing costs by NOK 15 million. Despite a reduction in the number of permanent positions, the costs of external advisers, consultants, and rented IT and HR systems increased by more than NOK 25 million during this period.