Un paese può essere troppo ricco? La Norvegia sta scoprendo

*From Bloomberg News Reporters Kari Lundgren and Ott Ummelas*

In 1969, Phillips Petroleum was poised to abandon exploration of the Norwegian continental shelf when the company decided to drill one last oil well — and hit the jackpot. The discovery made Norway one of the world’s richest countries. Its sovereign wealth fund, established to invest the money, now manages about $2 trillion, equivalent to roughly $340,000 for every Norwegian.

For years, oil revenue and the wealth fund have helped this tiny nation to enjoy low unemployment, low government debt and a wide social security net guaranteeing a high standard of living.

But recently, cracks have been starting to show. Norwegians are taking much more sick leave than a decade ago, driving up costs for health services. Student test scores have worsened more than in other Scandinavian countries, and critics of the government say there are too many boondoggle tunnels and bridges to nowhere.

Amid creeping concerns that Norway is becoming bloated, unproductive and unhealthy, Norwegians have started to wonder: Can a country have too much money?

[Read the full story here.](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-25/can-a-country-be-too-rich-norway-is-finding-out-essay)