Demographics of Norway

The total population of Norway on 1 July 2023 was 5,514,042.[3] Statistics Norway estimated that the 5,000,000 milestone was reached on 19 March 2012.[4]

The following demographic statistics are from the World Population Review.[5]

• One birth every 8 minutes
• One death every 13 minutes
• One net migrant every 19 minutes
• Net gain of one person every 10 minutes

Fertility

TFR of Norway overtime to 2016

The total fertility rate is the number of children born per woman. It is based on fairly good data for the entire period. Sources: Our World In Data and Gapminder Foundation.[6]

A large size Norwegian nuclear family in 1890

Years	1800	1801	1802	1803	1804	1805	1806	1807	1808	1809	1810[6]
Total Fertility Rate in Norway	4.32	4.07	3.91	4.2	3.94	4.33	4.39	4.27	4	3.21	3.87

Annual population growth in Norway 1951–2016, in thousands[1]

Natural growth

Total growth

Years	1811	1812	1813	1814	1815	1816	1817	1818	1819	1820[6]
Total Fertility Rate in Norway	3.99	4.26	3.76	3.53	4.4	5.05	4.67	4.43	4.59	4.79

Years	1821	1822	1823	1824	1825	1826	1827	1828	1829	1830[6]
Total Fertility Rate in Norway	5	4.74	4.88	4.67	4.94	5.01	4.61	4.58	4.84	4.65

Years	1831	1832	1833	1834	1835	1836	1837	1838	1839	1840[6]
Total Fertility Rate in Norway	4.46	4.3	4.42	4.56	4.7	4.23	4.13	4.36	3.84	4.01

Years	1841	1842	1843	1844	1845	1846	1847	1848	1849	1850[6]
Total Fertility Rate in Norway	4.29	4.42	4.34	4.31	4.49	4.4	4.43	4.28	4.61	4.45

Years	1851	1852	1853	1854	1855	1856	1857	1858	1859	1860[6]
Total Fertility Rate in Norway	4.6	4.46	4.6	4.93	4.61	4.42	4.54	4.62	4.82	4.63

Years	1861	1862	1863	1864	1865	1866	1867	1868	1869	1870[6]
Total Fertility Rate in Norway	4.3	4.52	4.69	4.55	4.6	4.61	4.38	4.3	4.22	4.26

Years	1871	1872	1873	1874	1875	1876	1877	1878	1879	1880[6]
Total Fertility Rate in Norway	4.29	4.4	4.41	4.59	4.67	4.68	4.69	4.64	4.71	4.53

Years	1881	1882	1883	1884	1885	1886	1887	1888	1889	1890[6]
Total Fertility Rate in Norway	4.4	4.47	4.51	4.59	4.56	4.48	4.56	4.42	4.31	4.43

Years	1891	1892	1893	1894	1895	1896	1897	1898	1899[6]
Total Fertility Rate in Norway	4.51	4.35	4.47	4.38	4.52	4.47	4.48	4.53	4.47

County	Fertility rate (2022)
Viken	1.46
Oslo	1.25
Innlandet	1.44
Vestfold og Telemark	1.41
Agder	1.52
Rogaland	1.57
Vestland	1.46
Møre og Romsdal	1.51
Trøndelag	1.43
Nordland	1.43
Troms og Finnmark	1.35

Total fertility rate

1.85 children born/woman (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 143rd

Mother's mean age at first birth

28.9 years

Birth rate

12.2 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 160th

Life expectancy

Sources: Our World In Data and the United Nations.

1543–1950

Years	1846	1847	1848	1849	1850	1851	1852	1853	1854	1855	1856	1857	1858	1859	1860[7]
Life expectancy in Norway	48.0	44.8	45.0	48.0	49.5	49.7	48.5	47.9	51.6	50.4	50.4	50.2	51.6	49.9	50.0

Life expectancy in Norway since 1846

Years	1861	1862	1863	1864	1865	1866	1867	1868	1869	1870[7]
Life expectancy in Norway	45.8	44.7	46.7	48.8	50.4	49.9	47.9	47.2	49.3	50.9

Years	1871	1872	1873	1874	1875	1876	1877	1878	1879	1880[7]
Life expectancy in Norway	49.7	50.0	49.7	47.8	47.6	46.8	49.7	51.8	53.1	51.9

Years	1881	1882	1883	1884	1885	1886	1887	1888	1889	1890[7]
Life expectancy in Norway	50.4	47.4	49.6	50.8	51.0	51.7	51.7	50.4	49.1	48.6

Years	1891	1892	1893	1894	1895	1896	1897	1898	1899	1900[7]
Life expectancy in Norway	49.8	49.7	51.4	50.6	52.8	53.8	53.7	54.0	51.6	53.5

Years	1901	1902	1903	1904	1905	1906	1907	1908	1909	1910[7]
Life expectancy in Norway	54.6	56.5	55.0	56.1	55.1	56.9	56.5	56.3	57.5	58.0

Years	1911	1912	1913	1914	1915	1916	1917	1918	1919	1920[7]
Life expectancy in Norway	58.0	57.7	58.3	57.8	58.2	57.3	57.7	50.3	56.8	58.9

Years	1921	1922	1923	1924	1925	1926	1927	1928	1929	1930[7]
Life expectancy in Norway	61.6	60.8	61.8	62.1	62.5	63.3	62.9	63.4	62.5	64.1

Years	1931	1932	1933	1934	1935	1936	1937	1938	1939	1940[7]
Life expectancy in Norway	64.1	64.6	65.5	66.2	65.8	65.8	66.0	67.1	67.4	65.9

Years	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	1946	1947	1948	1949	1950[7]
Life expectancy in Norway	65.8	65.7	66.1	65.8	68.2	69.5	70.0	71.1	71.5	71.6

1950–2015

Life expectancy in Norway since 1960 by gender

Period	Life expectancy in Years	Period	Life expectancy in Years
1950–1955	72.8	1985–1990	76.3
1955–1960	73.5	1990–1995	77.3
1960–1965	73.5	1995–2000	78.3
1965–1970	73.9	2000–2005	79.3
1970–1975	74.4	2005–2010	80.6
1975–1980	75.3	2010–2015	81.6
1980–1985	76.0

Source: UN World Population Prospects

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 82 years. Country comparison to the world: 22nd

male: 79.9 years

female: 84.1 years (2018 est.)

Death rate

8 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 90th

Age structure

Animated population pyramid of Norway since 1846. With Emigrants represented by lighter colors and immigrants represented in gray.

0–14 years: 18.0% (male 495,403 /female 471,014) (2018 est.)

15–24 years: 12.4% (male 340,672 /female 324,088)

25–54 years: 41.0% (male 1,136,373 /female 1,065,138)

55–64 years: 11.7% (male 318,898 /female 310,668)

65 years and over: 16.9% (male 420,178 /female 489,759)

Median age

total: 39.3 years. Country comparison to the world: 55th

male: 38.6 years

female: 40 years (2018 est.)

Population density

Population density map of municipalities in Norway from 2016

Urbanization

urban population: 82.2% of total population (2018)

rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2015–20 est.)

Note: data include Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands

Data according to Statistics Norway, which collects the official statistics for Norway.[8]

Current vital statistics

[11]

Period	Live births	Deaths	Natural increase
January – June 2022	26,158	22,847	3,311
January – June 2023	25,985	21,858	4,127
Difference	-173 (−0,66%)	-989 (-4,33%)	816

Statistics Norway does not attempt to quantify or track data on ethnicity.[13] The national population registry records only country of birth.[14]

As of 2012, an official government study shows that 75.2% of the total population are ethnic Norwegians (born in Norway with two parents also born in Norway).[15]

Ethnically, the residents of Norway are predominantly Norwegians, a North Germanic ethnic group. In Northern Norway there is a population of Sámi people, who descend from people who probably settled the area a couple thousand years ago. The people who spoke the proto-Sámi language probably migrated from the Volga region in modern-day Russia in Eastern Europe through Finland, finally arriving in the northern portion of the Scandinavian peninsula where they would assimilate local Paleo-European hunter-gatherers who were already living in the region. The indigenous peoples and minorities of Norway include: Sámi, Scandinavian Romani, Roma, Jews, and Kvener, as well as a small Finnish community.[16]

Norwegians of two Norwegian parents, either born abroad or in Norway, as a percentage proportionally and nationally in Norway as of 2021

Foreign born and their descendants in Norway in 2022

Norwegian and foreign born population pyramid in 2023

In the last decades, Norway has become home to increasing numbers of immigrants, foreign workers, and asylum-seekers from various parts of the world. Norway had a steady influx of immigrants from South Asia (mostly Pakistanis and Sri Lankans), East Asia (mainly Chinese), Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia (e.g. Filipinos), Eastern Europe (e.g. Russians) and Central Europe (e.g. Poles), Southern Europe (Greeks, Albanians and people from former Yugoslavia, Bosniaks, Serbs etc.), and Middle East countries (especially Kurdish Iraqi is and Kurdish Iranians), as well as Somalis, Turks, Moroccans, and some Latin Americans. After ten Eastern European and Baltic countries joined the EU in 2004, there has also been a substantial influx of people from Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

At the start of 2022, there were 819,356 immigrants and 205,819 Norwegian-born to immigrant parents in Norway, together constituting 18.9% of the total population.[17] The same year, immigrants (and Norwegian born to immigrant parents) originating in the European Economic Area constituted 7.1% of the total number of Norwegian residents, while 6.3% were from Asia including Turkey and 2.7% were from Africa.[17]

Among people of African descent in Oslo, almost 60% are younger than 30, compared to 20% of those of North American background.[18]

As of 2022, there are around 207,575 third generation immigrants in Norway.[17] This means that all of their grandparents were born in a foreign country. The majority of these persons are of Western European and Northern European background with Sweden and Denmark accounting for 36,126 (17.4%) and 33,695 (16.2%) respectively.[17] Other countries with significant third generation communities are the United States with 29,395 (14.1%), the United Kingdom with 17,882 (8.6%), Germany with 14,090 (6.8%), Finland with 6,213 (3%) and South Korea with 5,199 (2,5%).[17]

Of these 1,025,175 immigrants and their descendants (born in Norway with two foreign born parents):

• 419,720 (41%)[17] have a Western background (UK, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and the EU)
• 88,192 (9%)[17] have a different European background (e.g. Russia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Switzerland are included here)
• 29,515 (3%)[17] have a background from Latin America and the Caribbean
• 144,868 (14%)[17] have an African background
• 342,571 (33%)[17] have an Asian background, including Turkey

In 2012, of the total 660 000 with immigrant background, 407,262 had Norwegian citizenship (62.2 percent).[19] Immigrants were represented in all Norwegian municipalities. The cities or municipalities with the highest share of immigrants in 2012 was Oslo (26 percent) and Drammen (18 percent).[20] The share in Stavanger was 16%.[20] According to Reuters, Oslo is the "fastest growing city in Europe because of increased immigration".[21] In recent years, immigration has accounted for most of Norway's population growth.[18]

Population Group	Year
	1970[22][23]		1980[22][23]		1990[22][23]		2000[22][23]		2010[22][23]		2020[22][23]		2021[24]
	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%
Norwegians	3,795,534	98.24%	3,969,943	97.32%	4,047,528	95.61%	4,173,219	93.18%	4,275,120	87.99%	4,350,131	81.04%	4,354,566	80.76%
Norwegian born in Norway	3,732,091	96.60%	3,880,229	95.12%	3,931,143	92.86%	4,007,823	89.42%	4,031,805	82.98%	4,033,960	75.15%	4,031,194	74.77%
Foreign born to Norwegian born parents	10,544	0.27%	14,515	0.35%	16,004	0.37%	17,591	0.39%	36,688	0.75%	39,086	0.72%	39,198	0.72%
Norwegian born with one foreign-born parent	52,899	1.36%	75,199	1.84%	100,381	2.37%	147,805	3.30%	206,627	4.25%	277,085	5.16%	284,174	5.27%
Total: Immigrants	67,687	1.75%	108,957	2.67%	185,588	4.38%	305,278	6.81%	583,079	12%	1,017,449	18.95%	1,036,803	19.23%
Immigrants	57,041	1.47%	88,929	2.18%	150 973	3.56%	238,462	5.32%	459,346	9.45%	790,497	14.72%	800,094	14.84%
Norwegian born to immigrant parents	2,155	–	6,273	0.15%	17,325	0.40%	44,025	0.98%	92,967	1.91%	188,757	3.51%	197,848	3.67%
Foreign born with one Norwegian parent	8,491	0.21%	13,755	0.33%	17,290	0.40%	22,791	0.50%	30,766	0.63%	38,195	0.71%	38,861	0.70%
Total	3,863 221	100%	4,078,900	100%	4,233,116	100%	4,478,497	100%	4,858,199	100%	5,367,580	100%	5,391,369	100%

Rank	Country of origin[25]	Population (2022)[26]
1.	Poland	124,025
2.	Lithuania	50,406
3.	Somalia	43,595
4.	Syria	42,397
5.	Pakistan	41,110
6.	Sweden	39,805
7.	Ukraine	38,057
8.	Iraq	35,377
9.	Eritrea	32,838
10.	Germany	30,047
11.	Philippines	27,655
12.	Iran	25,311
13.	Afghanistan	24,823
14.	Russia	24,790
15.	Vietnam	24,119
16.	Thailand	23,590
17.	India	21,982
18.	Turkey	21,892
19.	Denmark	20,711
20.	Romania	19,669

Unemployment, youth ages 15–24

total: 10.4%. Country comparison to the world: 125th

male: 11.7%

female: 9% (2017 est.)

The Lutheran Church of Norway is the former state church and the vast majority remain at least nominal members. Other religions do, however, enjoy religious freedom and have prospered with immigration in recent years, particularly Islam and Roman Catholicism. Saint Olaf is the patron saint of Norway. He is regarded by some as the eternal king and has a reputation and place in history unchallenged by any other Norwegian King for the last 1000 years.

Norwegian (the written standards Bokmål and Nynorsk).
Uralic languages – South Sámi, Lule Sámi, North Sámi and Kven – are additional official languages of some municipalities.

• Demographics of Svalbard
• Aging of Europe