Parliamentary elections were held in Norway on 8 and 9 September 1985. The Labour Party remained the largest party in the Storting, winning 71 of the 157 seats. It was the first election since 1885 in which the Liberal Party failed to win a seat.
Contesting parties
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan=2 colspan=3 width=225px | Name
! rowspan=2 | Ideology
! rowspan=2 | Position
! rowspan=2 | Leader
! colspan=2 | 1981 result
|-
! Votes (%)
! Seats
|-
! style="background:; width:2px;"|
| align=center | Ap
| Labour Party<br /><small>Arbeiderpartiet</small>
| Social democracy
| Centre-left
| Gro Harlem Brundtland
| align=center | 37.2%
|
|-
! style="background:; width:2px;"|
| align=center | H
| Conservative Party<br /><small>Høyre</small>
| Conservatism
| Centre-right
| Erling Norvik
| align=center | 31.7%
|
|-
! style="background:; width:2px;" |
| align="center" | KrF
| Christian Democratic Party<br /><small>Kristelig Folkeparti</small>
| Christian democracy
| Centre to centre-right
| Kjell Magne Bondevik
| align="center" | 8.9%
|
|-
! style="background:; width:2px;" |
| align="center" | SV
| Socialist Left Party<br /><small>Sosialistisk Venstreparti</small>
| Democratic socialism
| Left-wing
|Theo Koritzinsky
| align="center" | 4.9%
|
|-
! style="background:; width:2px;" |
| align="center" | FrP
| Progress Party<br /><small>Fremskrittspartiet</small>
| Classical liberalism
| Right-wing
| Carl I. Hagen
| align="center" | 4.4%
|
|-
! style="background:; width:2px;" |
| align="center" | Sp
| Centre Party<br /><small>Senterpartiet</small>
| Agrarianism
| Centre
| Johan J. Jakobsen
| align="center" | 4.2%
|
|-
! style="background:; width:2px;" |
| align="center" | V
| Liberal Party<br /><small>Venstre</small>
| Social liberalism
| Centre
|Arne Fjørtoft
| align="center" | 3.2%
|
|}
Campaign
Slogans
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%; text-align:left"
! colspan="2" style="text-align:left;" | Party
! Original slogan
! English translation
|-
| style="background:"|
| Labour Party
|Ny vekst for Norge
|New growth for Norway
|-
| style="background:"|
| Conservative Party
|
|
|-
| style="background:" |
| Centre Party
|
|
|-
| style="background:" |
|Christian Democratic Party
|La livet leve
|Let life live
|-
| style="background:"|
| Liberal Party
|
|
|-
| style="background:" |
| Progress Party
|Vi vil gjøre noe med det!
|We will do something about it!
|-
| colspan="4" | Sources:
|}
Debates
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:85%; line-height:15px; text-align:center;"
! colspan="14" | 1985 Norwegian general election debates
|-
! rowspan="3" | Date
! rowspan="3" | Organizers
! colspan="11" | Present Invitee Non-invitee
|-
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" |Ap
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" |H
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" |KrF
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" |Sv
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" |Frp
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" |Sp
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" |V
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" |Rv
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" |Dlp
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" |NKP
! rowspan="2" |Refs
|-
! style="background:" |
! style="background:" |
! style="background:" |
! style="background:" |
! style="background:" |
! style="background:" |
! style="background:" |
! style="background:" |
! style="background:" |
! style="background:" |
|-
| 9 October 1984
| NRK
| style="background:#90FF90" |P<br />Gro Harlem Brundtland
| style="background:#90FF90" |P<br />Kåre Willoch
| style="background:#FFD0D0" |N<br />Kjell Magne Bondevik
| style="background:#FFD0D0" |N<br />Hanna Kvanmo
| style="background:#FFD0D0" |N<br />Carl I. Hagen
| style="background:#FFD0D0" |N<br />Johan J. Jakobsen
| style="background:#FFD0D0" |N<br />Odd Einar Dørum
| style="background:#FFD0D0" |N<br />Jorunn Gulbrandsen
| style="background:#FFD0D0" |N<br />Halfdan Hegtun
| style="background:#FFD0D0" |N<br />Hans Ingemann Kleven
|
|-
|
| NRK
| style="background:#90FF90" |P<br />Einar Førde, Gro Harlem Brundtland
| style="background:#90FF90" |P<br />Kåre Willoch, Kaci Kullmann Five
| style="background:#90FF90" |P<br />Kjell Magne Bondevik
| style="background:#90FF90" |P<br />Hanna Kvanmo
| style="background:#90FF90" |P<br />Carl I. Hagen
| style="background:#90FF90" |P<br />Johan J. Jakobsen
| style="background:#90FF90" |P<br />Odd Einar Dørum
| style="background:#90FF90" |P<br />Jorunn Gulbrandsen
| style="background:#90FF90" |P<br />Halfdan Hegtun
| style="background:#90FF90" |P<br />Hans Ingemann Kleven
|
|}
Results
Voter demographics
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; font-size:95%;"
|-
! rowspan="3"| Cohort
! colspan="8" | Percentage of cohort voting for
|-
! scope="col" style="width:5em;"| Ap
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" | H
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" | KrF
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" | Sp
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" | Sv
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" | FrP
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" | V
! scope="col" style="width:5em;" | Others
|-
! style="background:" |
! style="background:" |
! style="background:" |
! style="background:" |
! style="background:" |
! style="background:" |
! style="background:" |
! style="background:" |
|-
|align=left| Total vote || style="background:#ffccd4;| 40.8% || 30.4%
| 8.3%|| 6.6%|| 5.5%|| 3.7%|| 3.12%||
|-
! colspan="9" | Gender
|-
|align=left| Females || style="background:#ffccd4;|43.4% || 27.6%
| 10.7%|| 5.5% || 5.7%|| 2.6% || 2.9% ||
|-
|align=left| Males || style="background:#ffccd4;| 38.4% || 33%
| 6%|| 7.6% || 5.2%|| 4.8% || 3.2% ||
|-
! colspan="9" | Age
|-
|align=left| 18–30 years old || style="background:#ffccd4;|34.4% || 33.9%
| 5.5%|| 4.1% || 8.6% || 7.6% || 4.5% ||
|-
|align=left| 30-59 years old || style="background:#ffccd4;| 40.5% || 32%
| 7.5%|| 6.6% || 5.3%|| 3% || 3.6% ||
|-
|align=left| 60 years old and older || style="background:#ffccd4;|47.3% || 24.1%
| 12.6%|| 8.8% || 2.9%|| 1.5% || 0.7% ||
|-
! colspan="9" | Work
|-
|align=left| low income || style="background:#ffccd4;|44.6% || 23.3%
| 9.3%|| 8.4% || 5.5%|| 4.4% || 2.9% ||
|-
|align=left| Average income || style="background:#ffccd4;| 45.5% || 26.6%
| 8.3%|| 6% || 6.5%|| 2.8% || 2.9% ||
|-
|align=left| High income || 28.6% || style="background:#cce4ff;|46.5%
| 6.1%|| 4.4% || 4.4%|| 4.4% || 3.7% ||
|-
! colspan="9" |Education
|-
|align=left| Primary school || style="background:#ffccd4;| 60.2% || 16.3%
| 7.4%|| 7% || 4.4%|| 3% || 1.1% ||
|-
|align=left| High school || style="background:#ffccd4;| 38.2% || 33.6%
| 8.6%|| 6.8% || 4.7%|| 4.6% || 2.4% ||
|-
|align=left| University/college || 14.8% || style="background:#cce4ff;| 44.7%
| 9.3%|| 5.8% || 9.6%|| 2.6% || 8.7% ||
|-
! colspan="11! |
|-
|align=left colspan="9" | Source: Norwegian Institute for Social Research
|}
Seat distribution
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size: 0.9em;"
! rowspan="3" |Constituency
! rowspan="3" |Total<br>seats
! colspan="6" |Seats won
|-
! class="unsortable" style="width:50px;" |Ap
! class="unsortable" style="width:50px;" |H
! class="unsortable" style="width:50px;" |KrF
! class="unsortable" style="width:50px;" |Sp
! class="unsortable" style="width:50px;" |SV
! class="unsortable" style="width:50px;" |Frp
|-
! style="background:;" |
! style="background:;" |
! style="background:;" |
! style="background:;" |
! style="background:;" |
! style="background:;" |
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |Akershus
!12
|5
|5
|
|1
|1
|
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |Aust-Agder
!4
|2
|1
|1
|
|
|
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |Buskerud
!7
|4
|2
|
|1
|
|
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |Finnmark
!4
|3
|1
|
|
|
|
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |Hedmark
!8
|5
|1
|
|1
|1
|
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |Hordaland
!15
|5
|5
|2
|1
|1
|1
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |Møre og Romsdal
!10
|4
|3
|2
|1
|
|
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |Nord-Trøndelag
!6
|3
|1
|
|2
|
|
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |Nordland
!12
|6
|3
|1
|1
|1
|
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |Oppland
!7
|5
|1
|
|1
|
|
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |Oslo
!15
|5
|7
|1
|
|1
|1
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |Østfold
!8
|4
|3
|1
|
|
|
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |Rogaland
!10
|3
|4
|2
|1
|
|
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |Sogn og Fjordane
!5
|2
|1
|1
|1
|
|
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |Sør-Trøndelag
!10
|4
|3
|1
|1
|1
|
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |Telemark
!6
|3
|2
|1
|
|
|
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |Troms
!6
|3
|2
|1
|
|
|
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |Vest-Agder
!5
|2
|2
|1
|
|
|
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |Vestfold
!7
|3
|3
|1
|
|
|
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |Total
!157
!71
!50
!16
!12
!6
!2
|-
|align=left colspan="8" |Source: Norges Offisielle Statistikk
|}