Lower growth in the number of immigrants

At the beginning of 2019, there were 765 100 immigrants and 179 300 Norwegian-born to immigrant parents in Norway. Immigrants accounted for 14.4 per cent of the total population in Norway as per 1 January 2019, while Norwegian-born to immigrant parents accounted for 3.4 per cent, according to new figures from Immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents.

3.4 per cent Norwegian-born to immigrant parents

Norwegian-born to immigrant parents accounted for 3.4 per cent of the total population in Norway, or 179 300 persons as per 1 January 2019. Those with Pakistani parents made up the largest group of all Norwegian-born to immigrant parents, with 17 300. Norwegian-born to Somali parents were the second largest group (14 200), followed by those with parents from Poland (13 300). 

Most of the immigration is from Syria

The number of Syrian refugees in Norway has traditionally been low. However, in the last three years, this group of refugees has had the highest growth, with 3 400 immigrations in 2018. Immigrants from Poland still makes up the largest immigrant group in the country, with 98 700 persons. The second largest group of immigrants is made up of Lithuanians, with 39 300. Swedes are in third place with 35 600, followed by Syrians with 30 800.

In all municipalities

All Norwegian municipalities had residents with an immigrant background. Oslo had the largest population of immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents, both in relative terms and absolute figures. A total of 168 700 of Oslo’s inhabitants were immigrants and 54 100 were Norwegian-born to immigrant parents as per 1 January 2018. These two figures combined constitute 33.1 per cent of the capital’s entire population.

All suburbs in Oslo were above the national average of 17.3 per cent. The suburbs with the highest proportions of persons with an immigrant background were Stovner. Søndre Nordstrand, Alna and Grorud, with over 50 per cent.