1981 Norwegian parliamentary election

← 1977 13 and 14 September 1981 1985 →
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.^[1] 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.^[2]