12,000 persons receive Norwegian citizenship

Nearly 12,000 persons received Norwegian citizenship in 1997. This is about the same number as in 1995 and 1996. Most of the recipients were Pakistani and Vietnamese.

Almost half of those naturalized last year were former citizens of Asian countries. This is a decline from 1996, when the corresponding share was nearly 60 per cent. Nearly 20 per cent of those receiving citizenship papers were European nationals.

Many residents of Oslo

Nearly 40 per cent, or 5,100 of those naturalized, are residents of Oslo, where most foreign nationals live. Foreigners make up nearly 10 per cent of the population of Oslo. After Oslo, Akershus and Rogaland counties ranked second and third in naturalizations last year, accounting for 1,150 and 800 respectively.

The largest single groups receiving Norwegian citizenship were Pakistanis and Vietnamese, with 1,600 and 1,300 naturalizations respectively. Iranians, Sri Lankans and Turks were next in line with around 840 each.

New Statistics

Population statistics. Naturalizations, 1997.
Statistics are published annually in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics, Current Population Statistics and in the Official Statistics of Norway (NOS) Population Statistics Vol. III. For more information, contact: kirsten.enger.dybendal@ssb.no, tel. +47 62 88 52 96 or kare.reidar.hoiby@ssb.no, tel. +47 62 88 52 97.

Weekly Bulletin issue no. 17, 1998