# Norwegian: Overføringer



## A Gargantua

Hi

So I have come across a sentence that says "A lot of the underlying growth in public sector consumption relates to trygder, overføringer og helsesektoren". If I am not mistaken, the first is social security payments, and the third item is the healthcare sector, but I don't know what the third item refers to? All I know is that it is something that costs the Norwegian state money?

Any assistance gratefully received

A Gargantua.


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## myšlenka

Hi!
I think it can be translated as "(general) allocations", though there may be a more specific term.


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## A Gargantua

Hi myslenka and thanks for that. I will go with 'allocations' - it sounds reasonable.
Thanks again
A Gargantua


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## raumar

I am not sure what the best translation is - but let me try to describe what "overføringer" refers to. If I understand this concept correctly, it refers to all kinds of cash benefits and subsidies. In other words, it is money that the state transfers to individuals and companies, rather than spending it itself (e.g. on service production). 

If I understand this term correctly, "trygd" is a sub-category of "overføringer". "Trygder og andre overføringer" would make more sense. 

"Social insurance" may be a better translation of "trygd" (or maybe the terminology varies between different English-speaking countries?)


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## A Gargantua

Hi Raumar

Many thanks for your post - it is very helpful to know overføringer means money not spent by the state but by others. As I think you suspect, my understanding of trygd possibly needs refining in view of this - does this term include out-of-work/unemployment benefit, benefits for people too ill to work, etc, or just one such type?

Thank you!
A Gargantua


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## raumar

Yes, "_trygd_" includes all the benefits that you mention, but old-age pension is the largest part of the "_trygd_" costs. 

If you need more information, see, for example, folketrygden – Store norske leksikon


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## Ben Jamin

The sentence is a classic example of "category confusion", a common logical error in publications. These categories should never been listed each alongside another. The Norwegian name is "hummer og kanari".
The word "overføring" itself means "transfer", but I would translate "overføringer" as "state subsidies" in this sentence.


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## raumar

Ben Jamin said:


> The word "overføring" itself means "transfer", but I would translate "overføringer" as "state subsidies" in this sentence.



That is one option, but "transfers" or "transfer payments" is used by economists, as one category of public spending (in addition to government consumption and investment):
Government spending - Wikipedia


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## A Gargantua

Ben Jamin and Raumar - many thanks for your contributions. I think 'transfer payments' is what I will go with, but it does seem to me to be a slightly questionable sentence in the original, in view of the fact that 'transfer payments' seems to include social security payments.
Thanks!
A Gargantua


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## Ben Jamin

A Gargantua said:


> Ben Jamin and Raumar - many thanks for your contributions. I think 'transfer payments' is what I will go with, but it does seem to me to be a slightly questionable sentence in the original, in view of the fact that 'transfer payments' seems to include social security payments.
> Thanks!
> A Gargantua


The sentence itself contains elements that include each other:
trygder: social benefits like age pensions, invalid pensions, unemployment dole - all of them are based on transfer of money from the state to individuals
overføringer (here): any transfer of money from the the state to local authorities who in turn transfer them to individuals or local institutions
helsesektoren: health service generally, depending in 95% on transfer from the state


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