Special Report: Norway: The Cost of Safety

The good life and a struggle against red tape

On late summer afternoons, fleets of private boats jam the Oslofjord; in winter, thousands of Norwegians spend their weekends on the country's ski slopes or on quick trips to resorts in balmy Spain. About 75% of all Norwegian families own their homes and close to half also have vacation retreats—a cottage on the coast or a cabin in the mountains. The humble Volkswagen has been dethroned as king of the road, replaced as Norway's best-selling car by the more luxurious Volvo.

With a per capita G.N.P....

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