United Press Scandinavia

OSLO, Norway (UP) -- Norwegian students are the least ambitious in Scandinavia and people in the oil-rich country are generally reluctant to surrender their leisure time to build a career, surveys showed on Monday.

Only 29 percent of Norwegian business students in a survey aimed to be top executives in 10 to 15 years, against 39 percent of Danish students and 40 percent among their Swedish counterparts, management newsletter Mandag Morgen said.

In another survey, just 13 percent of Norwegians said they were willing to give up much free time to pursue careers, Mandag Morgen said.

The figures were even lower -- 6 percent and 9 percent -- when Norwegians were asked if they were willing to give up time with family and friends for their careers, the newsletter said.

"The figures are not unexpected but they confirm that Norway has a serious problem," consultant Lars Otto Wollum said.

Norway has one of the most generous welfare states in the world, funded by oil riches.

The Nordic nation is the world's number three oil exporter behind Saudi Arabia and Russia and a fund that saves surplus wealth for future generations recently topped 1.0 trillion Norwegian crowns ($164.3 billion).