Greater Oslo winner in migration

The most central municipalities (large cities and surrounding local authorities) in Norway are steadily increasing their migration surplus from other municipalities. Net migration to these areas was also high in the mid-1980s (6,800 in 1986). From a low level at the end of this decade (1,800 in 1989), net migration to the most central municipalities has risen again, to 5,200 in 1994 and 7,200 in 1996. Most of the migration gains have come to the Oslo area.

Oslo and the surrounding municipalities in Akershus County (which together make up Greater Oslo) increased their annual migration surplus from 900 in 1989 to 5,200 in 1996. All these communities are grouped among the most central municipalities in the country (out of altogether four centrality groups). The other metropolitan areas (Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, Tromsų and Kristiansand) have not seen the same migration surplus increase as the Oslo area. Trondheim and surrounding municipalities have had a net migration loss in recent years. The Tromsų area in northern Norway had net in-migration of between 200 and 300 in 1994 and 1995, but a net migration loss of 140 in 1996.

Over the past three years net out-migration from the most remote municipalities has been between 4,000 and 5,000 annually. In the mid 1980s, however, migration losses were larger, totalling 6,500 in 1986.

The increase in migration losses from remote areas has been the most pronounced in the three northernmost counties, rising from 1,000 in 1989 to 2,000 in 1995 and 2,700 in 1996. Municipalities with the second lowest degree of centrality have also had increasing domestic migration losses in the 1990s, from near balance in 1989 to a loss of 2,300 in 1996. Most of the increase since 1994 occurred in municipalities in northern Norway.

New Statistics

Population statistics. Migration, 1996.
Statistics are published every year in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics, the Official Statistics of Norway (NOS) Regional Statistics and in NOS Population Statistics Vol. III. More information: Irene Aamodt, tel. +47 62 88 52 64, e-mail: iaa@ssb.no or Kirsten Enger Dybendal, tel. +47 62 88 52 96, e-mail: kie@ssb.no.

Weekly Bulletin issue no. 34, 1997