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Norway faces debate about gas and oil wealth

Graham Watson

2nd January 2023

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The Norwegians with a very Scandinavian problem: rising energy prices have seen the country benefit from increase oil and gas revenues, to the tune of around 133 billion euros, or around 20,000 euros per capita, and the Norwegians don't know what to do with it.

On the one hand, they feel guilty about profiting from the war, and yet in adding to their sovereign wealth fund, and the rules that surround it, they can't actually spend very much of it relieving the economy's ongoing cost of living crisis, and the falling standard of living of the poorest members of society.

In this short video we look at sovereign wealth funds and consider which of them are the largest in the world economy. SWFs are state-owned investment funds, commonly funded by budget surplus generated from the country’s natural resources or foreign currency reserves.

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Graham Watson

Graham Watson has taught Economics for over twenty years. He contributes to tutor2u, reads voraciously and is interested in all aspects of Teaching and Learning.