The number of people immigrating to Norway deceased from 2011 to 2020, before increasing in 2021 and 2022. The high number of immigrants arriving in 2022 must be seen in relation with the high number of refugees from Ukraine arriving after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war that year.

A high number of immigrants from Poland

Most of the people immigrating to Norway come from other European countries as Norway is a member of the European Economic Area (EEA. It is not a full EU-member). With the exception of Ukrainian refugees and immigrants with an unknown origin, the highest number of immigrants came from Poland in 2022. Poles are also the biggest group of immigrants living in Norway.

Most emigrants move to Sweden

The number of people emigrating from Norway was at its higest in 2016, when 40,000 people left the country. It then decreased until 2019, before increasing again in 2021, reaching 34,000 emigrants. In 2021, the highest numbr of emigrants moved to Sweden.

Over the past 10 years, the number of people with an immigrant background living in Norway increased. Whereas nearly 1.1 million people with an immigrant background lived in Norway in 2014, this number had increased to nearly 1.5 million as of 2024. Of these, first generation immigrants was, by far, the largest group, counting 930,000 people. The second largest group was people born in Norway with one parent born abroad, followed by inhabitants born in Norway with two parents born abroad. Immigration to the Nordics Norway is not the only Nordic country with increasing immigration. Immigration has increased in each Nordic country from 2000 and onwards, with Sweden leading immigration until being taken over by Denmark in 2022. Sweden has taken in a comparatively high number of refugees, but most immigrants to the Nordics are from other European countries, such as in Finland. Population challenges in the Nordics Over time, the fertility rate has declined in each Nordic country, and as of 2022, Iceland had the highest fertility rate in the region with only 1.6 children born per woman. Moreover, those aged 70 and older are increasingly making up larger portions of Nordic societies. These factors combined can create challenges as there are less workers available, making immigration an important factor in the Nordic labor markets.

Norway immigration statistics for 2015 was 741,813, a 40.82% increase from 2010.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Norway immigration statistics for 2010 was <strong>526,799</strong>, a <strong>45.87% increase</strong> from 2005.</li>
<li>Norway immigration statistics for 2005 was <strong>361,144</strong>, a <strong>23.49% increase</strong> from 2000.</li>
<li>Norway immigration statistics for 2000 was <strong>292,440</strong>, a <strong>25.35% increase</strong> from 1995.</li>
</ul>International migrant stock is the number of people born in a country other than that in which they live. It also includes refugees. The data used to estimate the international migrant stock at a particular time are obtained mainly from population censuses. The estimates are derived from the data on foreign-born population--people who have residence in one country but were born in another country. When data on the foreign-born population are not available, data on foreign population--that is, people who are citizens of a country other than the country in which they reside--are used as estimates. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 people living in one of the newly independent countries who were born in another were classified as international migrants. Estimates of migrant stock in the newly independent states from 1990 on are based on the 1989 census of the Soviet Union. For countries with information on the international migrant stock for at least two points in time, interpolation or extrapolation was used to estimate the international migrant stock on July 1 of the reference years. For countries with only one observation, estimates for the reference years were derived using rates of change in the migrant stock in the years preceding or following the single observation available. A model was used to estimate migrants for countries that had no data.

Norway Immigration: Europe: Germany data was reported at 1,403.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1,534.000 Person for 2016. Norway Immigration: Europe: Germany data is updated yearly, averaging 897.000 Person from Dec 1967 (Median) to 2017, with 51 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,580.000 Person in 2008 and a record low of 580.000 Person in 1979. Norway Immigration: Europe: Germany data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Norway. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Norway – Table NO.G006: Immigration: by Country.

The Directorate of Integration and Diversity (IMDi) publishes statistics on immigration and integration on its website, with data on municipal, industrial, county and country levels, as well as districts in the Oslo Statistical Base covering a number of topics, from population and demographics, education, labour market, living conditions and grant payments from IMDi. The statistics are mainly specially ordered from Statistics Norway, but there are also data from IMDi’s systems: resettlement of refugees, introductory programmes for refugees and grants paid to Norwegian municipalities. The web pages provide a clear presentation of current statistics, explanatory text to the tables, and the possibility to search for and download data. Different data sets are available for different time periods, but everything should be available from 2014. The data is updated mainly once a year, but at different times. IMDi’s own statistics have other update routines. The Directorate of Integration and Diversity (IMDi) publishes statistics on immigration and integration on its website, with data on municipal, industrial, county and country levels, as well as districts in the Oslo Statistical Base covering a number of topics, from population and demographics, education, labour market, living conditions and grant payments from IMDi. The statistics are mainly specially ordered from Statistics Norway, but there are also data from IMDi’s systems: resettlement of refugees, introductory programmes for refugees and grants paid to Norwegian municipalities. The web pages provide a clear presentation of current statistics, explanatory text to the tables, and the possibility to search for and download data. Different data sets are available for different time periods, but everything should be available from 2014. The data is updated mainly once a year, but at different times. IMDi’s own statistics have other update routines.

Between the years 1990 and 2022, family was the most common reason for people immigrating to Norway. During this period, 363,000 people moved to Norway because of family. The second most common reason of immigration was labor migration, amounting to roughly 347,000 people.

Norway Immigration: America: South: Colombia data was reported at 133.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 149.000 Person for 2016. Norway Immigration: America: South: Colombia data is updated yearly, averaging 142.000 Person from Dec 1967 (Median) to 2017, with 51 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 255.000 Person in 2000 and a record low of 0.000 Person in 1970. Norway Immigration: America: South: Colombia data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Norway. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Norway – Table NO.G006: Immigration: by Country.

The share of respondents in Norway saying that immigration is a good thing for the country increased in March 2022, immediately after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, when a high number of refugees from Ukraine started arriving in Norway. During the same period, the share saying that immigration is bad for Norway fell.

Norway Immigration: Asia: Vietnam data was reported at 364.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 393.000 Person for 2016. Norway Immigration: Asia: Vietnam data is updated yearly, averaging 268.000 Person from Dec 1967 (Median) to 2017, with 51 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 830.000 Person in 1989 and a record low of 0.000 Person in 1976. Norway Immigration: Asia: Vietnam data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Norway. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Norway – Table NO.G006: Immigration: by Country.

In Norway, the employment rate among immigrants varies by the reason of immigration. In 2022, the highest employment rate was registered among immigrant workers, reaching 80 percent. With 75 percent, the second highest rate was observed among immigrants where the reason of immigration was unknown. By contrast, the lowest rate was measured among refugees and refugees reuniting with their families, the former standing at 53 percent.

In 2022, the most common age for people immigrating to Norway was 16 to 44 years. 55,000 people in this age group immigrated to Norway that year. The second largest age group was children from zero to 15 years, counting 20,000 immigrants. Meanwhile, only around 2,500 people aged 67 years or more immigrated to the country. The number of immigrants to Norway peaked in 2022, partly as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Norway Immigration: America: North and Central data was reported at 2,135.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2,271.000 Person for 2016. Norway Immigration: America: North and Central data is updated yearly, averaging 2,517.000 Person from Dec 1967 (Median) to 2017, with 51 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,211.000 Person in 1971 and a record low of 1,959.000 Person in 2004. Norway Immigration: America: North and Central data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Norway. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Norway – Table NO.G006: Immigration: by Country.

Norway Immigration: Municipality data was reported at 46,874.000 Person in 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 55,080.000 Person for 2023. Norway Immigration: Municipality data is updated yearly, averaging 25,388.000 Person from Dec 2004 (Median) to 2024, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 58,480.000 Person in 2022 and a record low of 13,050.000 Person in 2004. Norway Immigration: Municipality data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Norway. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Norway – Table NO.G006: Immigration: by Municipality.

Norway Immigration: Europe: Others data was reported at 0.000 Person in 2017. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.000 Person for 2016. Norway Immigration: Europe: Others data is updated yearly, averaging 0.000 Person from Dec 1967 (Median) to 2017, with 51 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 52.000 Person in 1967 and a record low of 0.000 Person in 2017. Norway Immigration: Europe: Others data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Norway. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Norway – Table NO.G006: Immigration: by Country.

From 2000 to 2022, there were constantly more people immigrating to Norway than people emigrating. Hence, Norway constantly had a positive net migration during this period. The number of immigrants in Norway peaked in 2022, when 90,000 immigrants arrived in the country. Meanwhile, net migration decreased since 2012, before increasing again in 2021 and 2022.

Norway Immigration: America: South: Others data was reported at 0.000 Person in 2017. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.000 Person for 2016. Norway Immigration: America: South: Others data is updated yearly, averaging 0.000 Person from Dec 1967 (Median) to 2017, with 51 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 85.000 Person in 1967 and a record low of 0.000 Person in 2017. Norway Immigration: America: South: Others data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Norway. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Norway – Table NO.G006: Immigration: by Country.

Norway Immigration: Africa: Mozambique data was reported at 5.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 9.000 Person for 2016. Norway Immigration: Africa: Mozambique data is updated yearly, averaging 11.000 Person from Dec 1967 (Median) to 2017, with 51 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 50.000 Person in 1994 and a record low of 0.000 Person in 1974. Norway Immigration: Africa: Mozambique data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Norway. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Norway – Table NO.G006: Immigration: by Country.

Norway Immigration: Asia: China data was reported at 676.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 694.000 Person for 2016. Norway Immigration: Asia: China data is updated yearly, averaging 289.000 Person from Dec 1967 (Median) to 2017, with 51 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,122.000 Person in 2011 and a record low of 8.000 Person in 1969. Norway Immigration: Asia: China data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Norway. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Norway – Table NO.G006: Immigration: by Country.

Norway Immigration: America: South: Brazil data was reported at 428.000 Person in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 463.000 Person for 2016. Norway Immigration: America: South: Brazil data is updated yearly, averaging 126.000 Person from Dec 1967 (Median) to 2017, with 51 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 612.000 Person in 2014 and a record low of 38.000 Person in 1976. Norway Immigration: America: South: Brazil data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Norway. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Norway – Table NO.G006: Immigration: by Country.

Characteristics of suicide cases by immigration background with respect to sex, age, method of suicide, and month of suicide, 1992–2012.