The Minister of Local Government and Modernisation (Norwegian: Kommunal- og moderniseringsministeren) is a Councillor of State and Chief of the Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development. Currently, Bjørnar Skjæran of the Labour Party has held the post since September 2025. The ministry is responsible for local administration, including municipalities and county municipalities, rural and regional policy, information technology, elections and government administration, including management of state real estate and government employment. Major subordinate agencies include the Government Administration Services, Statsbygg, the Competition Authority, the National Office of Building Technology and Administration, the State Housing Bank and the Data Protection Authority.

The position was created in 1948 as a successor of the Minister of Labour, originally named the Minister of Local Government and Labour. The title changed to the Minister of Local Government. Labour issues were moved to the Minister of Government Administration and Labour in 1998 and the title was changed to the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development until 2013. During the government of Erna Solberg, the post was renamed into Minister of Local Government and Modernisation when the position took over part of the portfolio of the Minister of Public Administration from 2014 until 2021. In January 2022, the current name was reverted into the 1998 one.

Key

The following lists the minister, their party, date of assuming and leaving office, their tenure in years and days, and the cabinet they served in.

Centre Party Conservative Party Christian Democratic Party Labour Party Liberal Party

Ministers

PhotoNamePartyTook officeLeft officeTenureCabinetRef
Ulrik OlsenLabour20 December 19481 September 19589 years, 255 daysGerhardsen II Torp Gerhardsen III
Andreas Zeier CappelenLabour1 September 19584 February 19634 years, 156 daysGerhardsen III
Oskar SkoglyLabour4 February 196328 August 1963205 days
Bjarne LyngstadLiberal28 August 196325 September 196328 daysLyng
Jens HauglandLabour25 September 196312 October 19652 years, 17 daysGerhardsen IV
Helge SeipLiberal12 October 196529 August 19704 years, 322 daysBorten
Helge RognlienLiberal29 August 197017 March 1971200 days
Odvar NordliLabour17 March 197118 October 19721 year, 215 daysBratteli I
Johan SkipnesChristian Democratic18 October 197216 October 1973363 daysKorvald
Leif Jørgen AuneLabour16 October 197311 January 19784 years, 88 daysBratteli II Nordli
Arne NilsenLabour11 January 19788 October 19791 year, 271 daysNordli
Inger Louise ValleLabour8 October 19793 October 1980361 days
Harriet AndreassenLabour3 October 198014 October 19811 year, 11 daysNordli Brundtland I
Arne RettedalConservative14 October 19819 May 19864 years, 207 daysWilloch I–II
Leif HaraldsethLabour9 May 198620 February 1987287 daysBrundtland II
William EngsethLabour20 February 198713 June 19881 year, 114 days
Kjell BorgenLabour13 June 198816 October 19891 year, 126 days
Johan J. JakobsenCentre16 October 19893 November 19901 year, 19 daysSyse
Kjell BorgenLabour3 November 19904 September 19921 year, 306 daysBrundtland III
Gunnar BergeLabour4 September 199225 October 19964 years, 51 days
Kjell OpsethLabour25 October 199617 October 1997357 daysJagland
Ragnhild Queseth HaarstadCentre17 October 199716 March 19991 year, 150 daysBondevik I
Odd Roger EnoksenCentre16 March 199917 March 20001 year, 1 day
Sylvia BrustadLabour17 March 200019 October 20011 year, 216 daysStoltenberg I
Erna SolbergConservative19 October 200117 October 20053 years, 364 daysBondevik II
Åslaug HagaCentre17 October 200521 September 20071 year, 339 daysStoltenberg II
Magnhild Meltveit KleppaCentre21 September 200720 October 20092 years, 29 days
Liv Signe NavarseteCentre20 October 200916 October 20133 years, 361 days
Jan Tore SannerConservative16 October 201317 January 20184 years, 93 daysSolberg
Monica MælandConservative17 January 201824 January 20202 years, 7 days
Nikolai AstrupConservative24 January 202014 October 20211 year, 263 days
Bjørn Arild GramCentre14 October 202112 April 2022180 daysStøre
Sigbjørn GjelsvikCentre12 April 202216 October 20231 year, 187 days
Erling SandeCentre16 October 20234 February 20251 year, 111 days
Kjersti StensengLabour4 February 202516 September 2025224 days
Bjørnar SkjæranLabour16 September 2025present215 days