Weekly Bulletin Is.19, 1996

Over 30 percent rise in change to Norwegian citizenship in 1995

Norwegian citizenship was granted to 11,800 foreign nationals in 1995, 3,000 more than the previous year and 6,200 more compared to 1993. The record jump is the result of particularly high immigration of foreign nationals seven years ago.

Nearly 6,000, or half of all the people receiving Norwegian citizenship in 1995, were Asians, while nearly a quarter were Europeans.

Iranians made up the largest single group, with 1,400 - 12% of all recipients - becoming Norwegian citizens. Other major groups were Sri Lankans, Pakistanis and Chileans with 1,200, 1,000 and 900 switches, respectively. Norwegian citizenship was also granted to a large number of people from Turkey (800), Yugoslavia (750), Vietnam (730) and Somalia (600).

New statistics

Populations statistics. Foreign nationals granted Norwegian citizenship, 1995.
Statistics are issued every year in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics and Official Statistics of Norway (NOS) Population Statistics Vol. III. More information: Kirsten Enger Dybendal, tel. +47 62 88 52 96, e-mail: kie@ssb.no or Irene Aamodt, tel. +47 62 88 52 64, e-mail: iaa@ssb.no.

Weekly Bulletin Is.19, 1996