Migrations, 1999

In 1999 41,900 people immigrated into Norway, while 22,900 emigrated. The net immigration of 19,000 is about 5,000 higher than in the previous year, which together with 1987 was the peak year until then. The increase was mostly due to the influx of Albanians from the war-torn Kosovo province. Of the 19,000 net immigrants, 14 per cent were western European citizens and 43 per cent were eastern European, while those from Africa, Asia, South and Central America and Turkey amounted to 42 per cent. The greatest net immigration was by Yugoslavs (Kosovo Albanians) and amounted to 5,800 people. This is 5,500 more Kosovo Albanians than were registered in 1998. About 2,000 of the 6,400 Kosovo Albanians who were registered as having immigrated into Norway in 1999 actually came in 1998.

Fewer Nordic Immigrants

The immigration of citizens from other Nordic countries decreased sharply in 1999 relative to the 2-3 previous years. The net immigration of Swedes was scarcely 1,000, compared with about 3,200 per year in 1998 and 1997. Iraqis were the largest group of Asian immigrants with a net immigration of 2,000. All Norwegian counties had a net gain in migration from abroad in 1999. 13 per cent of the net migration from abroad went to Oslo, whereas Akershus and Hordaland counties each received 9 per cent and Nordland and Rogaland counties each received 8 per cent.

Norwegian Citizens Emigrated

As in most previous years, there was a smaller net emigration of Norwegian citizens. Whereas 9,600 Norwegian citizens moved to Norway, 10,200 moved out of the country. Two out of three Norwegian emigrants went to other countries in Europe, while one out of eight emigrated to the USA. Among the European countries, Sweden, Denmark and Great Britain are still the most popular emigration destinations for Norwegian citizens. At the same time, it is from these same three countries that the most Norwegians return home.

Improved regional migration balance

The counties of Akershus, Østfold and Vestfold had the greatest net internal in-migration in 1999. The southern part of Eastern Norway (Østfold, Vestfold, Buskerud and Telemark counties) had the greatest cumulative net in-migration with 3,300, while Akershus county had 2,000. After a significant net out-migration in 1998, Oslo achieved an approximate balance again in 1999. The net in-migration for the counties around the Oslo Fjord as a whole was the lowest since 1994. Northern Norway had the greatest net out-migration. Taken together the net out-migration from the three northernmost counties was about 3,000, compared with 4,800 the year before. The improvement in the migration balance was greatest in Troms and Finnmark counties.

Stable Mobility

The migration statistics for 1999 cover 191,600 migrations between municipalities, or 700 more than the previous year. The geographical mobility measured as migrations per population thereby remained at the same level as in the two previous years. The mobility between counties and between regions, on the other hand, declined slightly.

Migration within municipalities

In addition to the 191,600 migrations between municipalities in 1999, about 350,000 migrations were registered within the municipalities. Oslo had a high internal mobility with 59,500 registered migrations. This figure indicates that about one out of nine residents in Oslo migrated within the municipal boundaries in 1999.

Statistics Norway has previously published only a cumulative annual figure for migrations within municipalities. One reason for this has been uncertainty with regard to the quality of the data, especially in sparsely settled regions with few specific addresses (street addresses), where migration is often not reported. In a couple of small municipalities no internal migration has been registered in 1999. Even though the database has probably become more dependable over the years, the majority of the published municipal data must therefore be treated with caution.

The scope of the statistics

The statistics for 1999 primarily include all migrations that actually occurred (were reported to the Central Population Register) in 1999. Migrations from previous years are counted in the 1999 figures if the change of address notice was updated in the Central Population Register in the period 1 March 1999 up to and including 29 February 2000.

More information: Trude.Jakobsen@ssb.no , tel. +47 62 88 51 39, or oppdragbefolkning@ssb.no , tel. +47 62 88 54 00.

Tables:

• Table 1 Internal migration. 1951-1999
• Table 2 Immigration and emigration. 1951-1999
• Table 3 All migration. Internal and immigration/emigration. County. 1966-1999
• Table 4 Internal migration. County. 1966-1999
• Table 5 Immigration/emigration. County. 1966-1999
• Table 6 Immigration, by country. 1966-1999
• Table 7 Emigration, by country. 1966-1999
• Table 8 Migration within and between counties and between counties and foreign countries. 1999
• Table 9 Net migration between counties. 1999
• Table 10 Migration within and between regions. 1999
• Table 11 Net migration between regions. 1999
• Table 12 Internal migration, by sex and age of migrants, and age-specific rates for males and females. 1999
• Table 13 Internal migration, immigration and emigration, by sex and age of migrants. County. 1999
• Table 14 Internal migration by sex, marital status and 5-year age group. 1999
• Table 15 Immigration and emigration, by sex, age and marital status of migrants.1999
• Table 16 Immigration and emigration, by Norwegian/foreign citizenship and country of immigration/emigration. 1999
• Table 17 Immigration and emigration, by citizenship, 1999
• Table 18 Immigration and emigration among foreign citizens, by sex, age and citizenship of the migrants. 1999
• Table 19 Migration to/from municipalities and counties. 1999
• Table 20 Internal migration. In-migration, out-migration and net migration. Economic region. 1999
• Table 21 Migration within municipalities. 1999