1981 Norwegian parliamentary election

1981 Norwegian parliamentary election

13 and 14 September 1981
All 155 seats in the Norwegian Parliament 78 seats were needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader Gro Harlem Brundtland Jo Benkow Kåre Kristiansen Party Labour Conservative Christian Democratic Last election 76 seats, 42.3% 41 seats, 24.5% 22 seats, 9.7% Seats won 66 53 15 Seat change 10 12 7 Popular vote 914,749 780,372 219,179 Percentage 37.2% 31.7% 8.9%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Johan J. Jakobsen Berge Furre Carl I. Hagen Party Centre Socialist Left Progress Last election 12 seats, 8.0% 2 seats, 4.2% 0 seats, 1.9% Seats won 11 4 4 Seat change 1 2 4 Popular vote 103,753 121,561 109,564 Percentage 4.2% 4.9% 4.5%   Seventh party   Leader Hans Hammond Rossbach Party Liberal Last election 2 seats, 2.4% Seats won 2 Seat change 0 Popular vote 79,064 Percentage 3.2%
Prime Minister before election Gro Harlem Brundtland Labour Elected Prime Minister Kåre Willoch Conservative

Parliamentary elections were held in Norway on 13 and 14 September 1981. The Labour Party remained the largest party in the Storting, winning 66 of the 155 seats. The Conservative Party made the strongest gains and formed a government on its own. In 1983 a majority coalition government with the Christian People's Party and the Centre Party was established.

Results

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Labour Party	914,749	37.2	66	–10
Conservative Party	780,372	31.7	53	+12
Christian People's Party	219,179	8.9	15	–7
Socialist Left Party	121,561	4.9	4	+2
Progress Party	109,564	4.5	4	+4
Centre Party	103,753	4.2	11	–1
Non-socialist joint lists	88,969	3.6	[a]	–
Liberal Party	79,064	3.2	2	0
Red Electoral Alliance	17,844	0.7	0	0
Liberal People's Party	13,344	0.5	0	0
Communist Party	6,673	0.3	0	0
Plebiscite Party	1,145	0.0	0	New
Tom A. Schanke's Party	826	0.0	0	New
Freely Elected Representatives	801	0.0	0	0
Lapp People's List	594	0.0	0	0
Broad-Based Non-Partisan List	383	0.0	0	New
Invalid/blank votes	3,387	–	–	–
Total	2,462,142	100	155	0
Registered voters/turnout	3,003,093	82.0	–	–
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

^a Five seats were won by joint lists, all of which were taken by the Centre Party.