Norwegians go to the polls on Sunday and Monday in a tight race to decide whether to continue with a Labour-led government or turn to the centre-right.

There are only four million voters in this founding member of Nato, which shares an Arctic border with Russia and is part of the EU's single market but not a member state.

Despite its small population, Norway has long punched above its weight on the international stage, and the wars in Gaza and Ukraine - as well as US trade tariffs - have played a significant part in the election campaign.

Nevertheless, in the final stretch of the race, the focus has switched to the increasing cost of living and inequality.

Public spending, school and infrastructure, railway infrastructure and road construction, those kinds of things, says Andreas, a father, about what he considers the key issues.

This domestic focus became clear during Norway's summer politics fest in the small town of Arendal last month.

Every year, the political class meets with company bosses, unions, and the public for an array of discussions. This time, it opened with a nationally televised election debate featuring all the main political leaders.

Among them is Labour Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, 65, who is aiming for a second term in office after eight years of conservative rule ended in 2021. He faces off against a conservative bloc led by two parties: the right-wing populist Progress Party and the Høyre party of former Prime Minister Erna Solberg.

One of the hot-button issues is the future of a 1% wealth tax that affects individuals with assets over 1.76 million Norwegian kroner. Some wealthy Norwegians have relocated to Switzerland due to tax concerns.

Sylvi Listhaug has called for abolishing the wealth tax while Labour has promised a review of taxation led by former Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg.

Opinion polls suggest Labour leads ahead of the Progress party and the conservatives. However, if the centre right wins, a major question is who would lead as prime minister, with Solberg expressing hesitation over sharing power with Listhaug.

Foreign policy remains a backdrop to the election, particularly following moves by Norway’s sovereign wealth fund to divest from certain companies due to ethical guidelines related to the Gaza conflict.

Most importantly, this election might not yield a clear majority, continuing the trend of minority governments in Norway's political landscape.