Historically low turnout among immigrants
Voter turnout generally decreased in 2023 compared to 2019, but the decrease is much greater among those with an immigrant background. At the municipal election in 2023 the turnout among Norwegian voters without an immigrant background was 69 percent, it was 38 percent among immigrants who have become Norwegian citizens, 36 percent among Norwegian-born with two immigrant parents and 25 percent among foreign citizens. The turnout among immigrants has always been lower compared to the rest of the population, but the differences have increased. If we take education level, age and gender into account, the differences become somewhat smaller, but they do not disappear by far.
Big decrease among immigrants from Africa and Asia
Overall, voter turnout decreased by 2.3 percentage points from 2019. Among Norwegian citizens born in Norway with two Norwegian-born parents, the decrease was only 0.6 percentage points. Among the immigrants, Norwegian citizens, the decrease was 8 percentage points, and roughly the same for women and men. Among Norwegian-born with immigrant parents, the decrease was 11 percentage points. The decrease for foreign citizens was 4 percentage points. The decline is biggest for immigrants from Africa and Asia. For immigrants from Africa who have become Norwegian citizens, the decrease is 14 percentage points. For those from Asia, it is 10 percentage points. Among foreign nationals from Africa, the decrease is 11 percentage points. For citizens from Asian countries, the decrease is 9 percentage points.
3.3 percent of the representatives are immigrants or are children of immigrants
In 2019, 281 representatives where immigrant or 2. generation immigrant. In 2023 we see a modest increase to 301 representatives with this background (3.3 per cent). For comparison, the proportion in 2007 was 2 per cent. The proportion of candidates has increased from 3 per cent in 2007 to 6 per cent in 2023. The increase in the proportion of eligible voters in the group 'immigrant or Norwegian-born with immigrant parents' is rising faster than the proportion with an immigrant background on the lists and not least the proportion of representatives with an immigrant background in Norwegian municipal councils. Because of the decrease in turnout among immigrants there is also a decrease in the proportion of counted ballots from immigrants.
18 percent were immigrants or children of immigrants in 2023
9 percent of all eligible voters in the 2023 local elections were foreign citizens, 8 percent were immigrants with Norwegian citizenship, and 1 percent were Norwegian-born to immigrant parents. The corona pandemic reduced net immigration to Norway, foreign citizens who arrived after September 2020 cannot have been resident in the country long enough to have the right to vote. Secondly, as of 1 January 2020, dual citizenship was allowed in Norway. This means that people living in Norway could apply for Norwegian citizenship without having to renounce other citizenships. This led to the proportion of eligible voters with foreign citizenship falling somewhat compared to previous elections. There was a decrease of 0.4 percentage points with foreign citizenship compared to the 2019 election.