A half million immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents

April 30, 2009

Of Oslo’s 575 500 inhabitants, 152 100 were immigrants or Norwegian-born to immigrant parents, which is 25 per cent of the capital’s entire population.

At the beginning of 2009, there were 422 600 immigrants and 85 600 Norwegian-born to immigrant parents in Norway. There were immigrants resident in all the Norwegian municipalities, with most living in Oslo.

Immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents constituted nearly 508 200 persons or 10.6 per cent of Norway’s population as per 1 January 2009. A total of 422 600 were immigrants and 85 600 were Norwegian-born to immigrant parents. Additionally, 230 000 persons have one Norwegian and one foreign-born parent, and more than half had a parent from Sweden, Denmark, Germany, United Kingdom or the U.S.

Record-high growth

During 2008, the number of immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents increased by 48 600. This is the largest annual increase ever recorded. A total of 25 per cent of them came from Poland. At the beginning of 2004, immigrants form Poland totalled 6 800 persons. At the beginning of 2009, this group had risen to 42 500. There has been a noticeable increase in the number of German immigrants over the same five-year period, with 9 000 more persons from Germany.

The Poles are the largest immigrant group

With a total of 44 500 persons, immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents make up the largest group. Ninety-five per cent in this group are immigrants, and only 2 000 persons are Norwegian-born to immigrant parents. The second largest group consists of persons with a Pakistani background (30 200). A total of 45 per cent were born in Norway. The other large groups of immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents are Swedes (28 700), Iraqis (24 500), Somalians (23 600) and Germans (20 900).

Most from Europe

At the beginning of 2009, immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents from Europe was the largest group, and accounted for 232 800 persons. A total of 172 300 of these came from the EU countries. The immigrant population is made up of a relatively high number of young adults compared with the population as a whole. Most immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents live in Oslo, both in relative and absolute figures. Of Oslo’s 575 500 inhabitants, 152 100 were immigrants or Norwegian-born to immigrant parents, which is 25 per cent of the capital’s entire population.