Cervical cancer screening (Indicator 25)

Last update 20.02.2025

The indicator describes the following: The proportion of women aged 25-69 who have been screened for cervical cancer in the national screening programme at least once, or more often.

This indicator is part of Target (9): Essential medicines and basic technologies for the treatment of serious non-communicable diseases.

From July 1, 2023, it is recommended that women be screened with an HPV test for cervical cancer precursors every 5 years for those aged 25-69. Previously, national recommendations were for cytology screening every three years for the entire target group, and there has been a gradual transition to HPV screening from 2015 to 2023.

The gradual transition to HPV screening has presented challenges in calculating coverage during a transitional period as women have been recommended screening intervals of both 3 and 5 years depending on the analysis method of the last screening test. Figure 1 shows the proportion of women who have taken at least one test within the recommended interval for women in different age groups. The recommended screening interval is here based on the primary screening method recorded on the test result.

Breast cancer screening is not defined as one the NCD indicators.

Results

In the target group for the Norwegian Cervical Cancer Screening Program, women aged 25-69 years, participation in the screening program was 73 per cent in 2023.
A weak declining trend was observed from 2004 to 2014, but from 2015 there has been a weak increasing trend, particularly among the youngest women.

Figure over participation in the Norwegian Cervical Cancer Screening Program — Figure 1. Participation in the Norwegian Cervical Cancer Screening Program, in different age groups, in percent. Source: The National Population Register and the Cytology/HPV Registers at the Cancer Registry of Norway

Table accompanying Figure 1
	Ages 25–33	Ages 34–54	Ages 55–69	Ages 25–69
1994	81	72	47	68
1995	83	76	53	72
1996	83	77	58	74
1997	82	77	61	75
1998	81	78	65	75
1999	81	78	67	76
2000	79	77	67	75
2001	78	77	68	75
2002	78	78	71	77
2003	77	79	73	77
2004	77	79	74	77
2005	75	78	73	76
2006	73	77	72	75
2007	72	76	72	74
2008	70	76	71	73
2009	68	75	71	72
2010	66	74	70	71
2011	65	73	70	71
2012	63	72	69	69
2013	63	71	68	69
2014	63	71	68	68
2015	65	72	68	69
2016	66	72	68	70
2017	69	73	69	71
2018	70	74	70	72
2019	69	74	70	72
2020	68	73	69	71
2021	70	74	69	72
2022	70	75	70	72
2023	70	75	70	73

Data source: The Cancer Registry of Norway

The data source for this indicator is the annual report by the Norwegian Cervical Cancer Screening Program. Below is a description and definitions.

Description

The Cancer Registry of Norway manages the national screening program in which all women between 25 and 69 years of age receive letters reminding them to take a cervical sample with a doctor or midwife two months before the recommended time for a new test, i.e., 2 years and 10 months or 4 years and 10 months after the last normal cervical sample. The Norwegian Cervical Cancer Screening Program has been nationwide since 1995 and an annual report is published.

Effect measure

Participation in percent. This describes the proportion of women who have taken at least one test in the last 3.5 years or 5.5 years, depending on the analysis method of the last cervical sample.

Participation is calculated based on the population, minus those who have reserved against receiving letters from the Cervical Cancer Screening Program, those who have had gynecological cancer, or those who have had their cervix removed for other reasons. The structure of the Cervical Cancer Screening Program requires that women themselves book an appointment with a doctor and that annual reminders are sent if no new cervical sample has been registered.

Global indicator definition

Indicator 25. Proportion of women between the ages of 30 and 49 screened for cervical cancer at least once, or more often, and for lower or higher age groups according to national programmes or policies.

National adaptation

In Norway, all women between 25 and 69 years of age are screened. This is a wider age range than in WHO’s indicator definition.