Weekly Bulletin issue no. 48, 1996

Immigrants account for half of Norway's population growth

Norway's immigrant population has increased by 100,400 in the last 10 years and accounts for 48 per cent of the population growth during this period. At the beginning of 1996, the immigrant population totalled 223,800, or 5.1 per cent of the population.

In the course of 1995 the immigrant population increased by 8,700, of which 2,800 were second-generation immigrants.

As defined by Statistics Norway, the immigrant population numbers 191,900 first-generation immigrants and 31,900 second-generation immigrants.

By including second-generation immigrants in the immigrant population, people of Pakistani origin become the largest immigrant group in Norway, with 19,400. Danes are in second place and the Swedes third, with 18,200 and 15,200, respectively. Among first-generation non-Norwegian immigrants, people from Denmark (17,000) and Sweden (14,600) outnumber those from Pakistan (11,800).

Of Norway's immigrant population from Asia, Africa, South and Central America and Turkey, 46.5 per cent live in Oslo, where they make up 10.5 per cent of the population of the capital. The clearly largest immigrant population group in Oslo is people of Pakistani origin, who number 15,000.

New Statistics

Population statistics. Immigrant population, 1 January 1996.
Statistics are published every year in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics. More information: Kåre Vassenden, tel. +47 62 88 52 94, e-mail: kva@ssb.no or Anita Johansson, tel. +47 62 88 54 85, e-mail: bam@ssb.no. Supplementary tables on the foreign-born and immigrant population may be obtained from the contact persons.

Weekly Bulletin issue no. 48, 1996