Approaching 5.3 million

Published:

Low immigration and fewer births resulted in reduced population growth in 2017. The population increased by 37 300 in 2017, a decline from 44 300 the year before. At the end of the year there were 5 295 600 people in Norway.

The low population growth is a result of a birth surplus of 15 900 and a net immigration of 21 300. These figures and the population growth are at their lowest since 2005.

Figur 1

Figure 1. Excess of births, net migration and population growth. 1988-2017

Low in-migration and high out-migration

A total of 58 200 people moved to Norway in 2017, while 36 800 people left the country. Net immigration was 21 300. Immigration from Europe was close to 8 000 higher than from the rest of the world. Nevertheless, nationals from countries outside Europe accounted for 90 per cent of net immigration. The reason for this is that very many European citizens emigrated while fewer citizens from outside Europe did the same.

The low birth surplus is primarily the result of only 56 600 children being born last year.

Many Poles

The number of foreign nationals increased by only 8 500 in 2017, compared to 21 000 the previous year. Among the 567 800 foreign nationals who lived in Norway at the turn of the year, the Poles were still the largest group with 103 800. These were followed by Swedes, Lithuanians and Syrians, with 44 000, 43 700 and 26 000 respectively.

Figure 2. Population by age 1 January 1900-2018

80 years and over 67-79 years 45-66 years 20-44 years 16-19 years 13-15 years 6-12 years 0-5 years
1900 29968 120776 366369 709239 167763 140083 347885 338888
1901 27741 121058 370710 715855 170587 142593 349423 345028
1902 29248 121927 373339 721805 174134 143360 354679 348335
1903 30397 123407 376093 723538 175412 143547 359913 351836
1904 31400 122992 379330 721751 176766 143073 363954 352126
1905 32121 122413 384838 722891 177533 145033 367820 350946
1906 32916 120859 389942 725688 176940 146448 372681 348075
1907 34123 119894 394302 727990 177725 148361 376379 346058
1908 34122 119146 398547 730482 178267 148207 381585 342736
1909 34353 119812 403673 741225 182326 151650 385076 339921
1910 35293 119760 408677 746624 185906 153117 387885 339690
1911 35389 120754 412999 750879 186482 156427 388861 338611
1912 35722 122052 417627 761196 189394 158226 387894 339079
1913 35636 123694 420419 774018 194026 160154.0 387452.0 339779
1914 35636 124673 423666 788533 196954 161175.0 386789.0 341143
1915 35877 125375 427147 803264 200820 162813.0 385554.0 342419
1916 35828 125649 431049 823205 203821 164425.0 386455.0 338831
1917 35243 127609 434160 841335 206163 165364.0 386183.0 339035
1918 34548 129271 438543 860172 209588 164736.0 386762.0 342374
1919 34097 132021 441760 874503 211460 163204.0 388494.0 343924
1920 33591 134093 447215 893192 213415 162879.0 389747.0 342142
1921 33569 136842 453200 910709 214237 162722.0 392624.0 349151
1922 34239 140539 458368 928061 213232 162910.0 390334.0 354997
1923 34597 142991 464080 943274 212202 164157.0 389297.0 356402
1924 34973 144708 469500 949905 209496 164152.0 391879.0 354620
1925 35622 147043 475961 961548 209469 164442.0 393586.0 350627
1926 36615 148939 481074 975415 211503 164027.0 391209.0 346549
1927 37413 151698 485068 988311 211404 165148.0 398310.0 333528
1928 37810 153122 490457 997648 212029 166692.0 400341.0 320752
1929 38370 154160 497147 1009306 213586 164311.0 404199.0 309418
1930 39006 155252 503067 1022261 213857 164178.0 404737.0 297355
1931 39983 158172 509687 1035911 216760 165319.0 400849.0 288483
1932 40580 159764 516914 1054619 216374 169388.0 393931.0 281029
1933 41019 161859 525508 1073644 217034 167846.0 391029.0 272518
1934 41867 164122 533782 1093625 219611 173415.0 375216.0 264591
1935 43487 164771 543283 1114443 220786 174852.0 363209.0 257351
1936 44103 165829 553729 1130630 221642 178357.0 350924.0 251025
1937 44377 166628 566480 1147011 229403 171838.0 339109.0 245952
1938 44585 168020 578134 1166008 230472 167116.0 328233.0 244118
1939 44991 170045 592063 1182084 230626 160248.0 320355.0 244508
1940 45172 171941 605158 1195424 233403 154739.0 308909.0 249163
1941 45483 174143 619680 1214270 224352 148116.0 300953.0 255227
1942 45772 177280 632208 1229238 215848 144133.0 294079.0 259686
1943 46707 181317 645659 1239261 209340 138419.0 288455.0 270363
1944 48224 185329 659981 1247717 200050 136007.0 284657.0 283372
1945 49507 189586 673593 1253486 192791 132453.0 284010.0 299658
1946 51056 194601 687987 1256029 187736 129867.0 285293.0 314700
1947 53665 198270 703581 1249870 182700 126743.0 293368.0 338300
1948 53920 202507 719368 1248072 179892 122532.0 296922.0 360312
1949 55015 205575 735689 1245959 176393 118508.0 308461.0 372899
1950 55417 208656 751420 1243061 170819 118568.0 323058.0 378955
1951 55476 212086 766675 1239685 165177 120291 337982.0 382924
1952 56064 217475 782617 1234596 160948 124109 357091.0 378546
1953 57846 221839 797989 1228831 158062 127832 381033.0 370578
1954 59066 227090 814089 1219190 159580 132139 400259.0 366353
1955 60546 232339 830569 1207914 163194 132309 419889.0 363966
1956 62130 236841 845886 1200429 168427 137525 429635.0 364800
1957 64569 241339 863107 1183779 172909 145559 437845 366783
1958 66271 246877 879133 1172426 174687 161766 437167 369659
1959 68239 252295 893452 1162143 181282 174465 435856 370269
1960 70004 258476 907454 1152292 190767 189206 429059 370449
1961 71079 266152 918927 1144025 205049 194766 425168 369605
1962 71447 273836 930434 1136315 224112 195653 423750 369282
1963 72588 281592 942130 1132581 242477 188071 425854 367713
1964 72762 288904 952515 1133031 253979 183666 426692 368519
1965 74307 296400 959938 1141110 256996 179043 429920 370895
1966 76196 305284 974740 1142452 255048 179294 430292 374420
1967 78325 313650 985912 1153948 247497 180361 429743 378862
1968 80920 321348 994802 1166083 241637 182524 430106 383360
1969 82696 329039 1002693 1175693 239604 183732 429428 389307
1970 84517.0 336324 1007398 1186298 240129 184954 429232 394369
1971 86723.0 343345 1009136 1196452 240759 185606 432162 394122
1972 89050.0 349085 1011479 1208271 244168 185454 435849 394417
1973 91301.0 355071 1011385 1225820 246327 184638 441020 392672
1974 94418.0 360336 1009856 1243415 246614 183844 446481 388026
1975 97670.0 366298 1006433 1262723 247393 183572 452489 380947
1976 101356.0 371898 1002233 1281881 247469 183081 459233 369950
1977 105163.0 378751 995469 1303965 245740 185128 461730 359256
1978 109387.0 384936 988629 1325626 245799 188630 462809 345392
1979 113830.0 390853 977889 1349903 245660 192947 461876 333176
1980 117386.0 397467 966289 1373876 246506 196763 457239 323374
1981 121669.0 403367 954490 1397533 250814 198206 451354 314907
1982 125432.0 409062 944069 1422174 255298 200145 441056 309827
1983 130265.0 413613 935375 1445901 260450 201619 427356 307932
1984 134593.0 417938 928130 1468127 264181 200407 413984 306993
1985 138578.0 424012 920285 1491172 266758 198825 400471 305744
1986 141688.0 428985 913924 1515749 269359 195647 388166 305669
1987 145672.0 431435 908466 1543668 268183 192616 378369 307112
1988 149133.0 440550 901114 1570607 268406 187238 370324 310916
1989 152270.0 445774 901645 1592136 265602 179535 366078 317646
1990 156279.0 449294 908868 1598706 258460 171895 363163 326451
1991 159425.0 452294 918718 1602278 254229 163293 362945 336648
1992 163239.0 453537 938002 1604512 246019 159036 362866 346423
1993 167316.0 452457 957102 1609796 235745 157448 364811 354492
1994 169705.0 451046 975037 1614190 226276 158335 368894 361332
1995 173480.0 448306 993453 1617037 218532 158007 375596 363999
1996 176503.0 445030 1011308 1616334 214193 157892 383554 365145
1997 180322.0 441128 1028451 1614206 212467 156842 394331 364967
1998 184413.0 436493 1047832 1610129 212928 156599 405198 364007
1999 188421.0 431289 1069027 1608964 213381 156866 414815 362566
2000 190022.0 427485 1091251 1609632 212949 160173 423446 363539
2001 196901.0 416799 1115495 1605850 212674 163889 429370 362458
2002 201459.0 408148 1140915 1599041 213407 170128 432405 358563
2003 205063.0 400080 1166058 1598643 215714 177202 435762 353730
2004 209186.0 394144 1190474 1593297 220083 184525 435192 350556
2005 213155.0 390779 1214707 1589361 227335 188544 432856 349626
2006 215876.0 390334 1237400 1590623 235513 190203 432455 347815
2007 218162.0 391585 1260240 1596946 244387 189163 432602 348049
2008 218594.0 395134 1284643 1615854 252217 188723 430842 351164
2009 219631.0 396983 1312372 1638836 256305 189664 428010 357451
2010 220022.0 405121 1337202 1656097 258415 192099 425646 363597
2011 221153.0 415884 1359812 1678123 259309 192810 424638 368576
2012 221583.0 433018 1379093 1703611 259718 191488 424921 372428
2013 221585.0 451627 1396542 1728068 261666 190264 426509 375014
2014 220760.0 477962 1408723 1744961 262789 190040 428077 375744
2015 220437 502304 1424649 1759513 262481 188886 433578 373954
2016 220025 524671 1439486 1769024 262536 186284 441838 370121
2017 220980 545022 1455310 1774275 262705 185352 447901 366772
2018 222752 563607 1471644 1776723 260605 186608 451079 362601

At the turn of the year, 61 per cent of the residents in Norway were between 20 and 66 years old and 11 percent were in the age group 67-79 years. The oldest part of the population, those aged 80 years or more, amounted to 4 per cent of the population. People under the age of 20 accounted for 24 per cent of the population.

Clearing-up in the Central Population Register

A third of the emigrations last year concerned people that the Tax Administration has decided have emigrated. These are persons without a residence permit or persons who have emigrated a long time ago without reporting it to the authorities.

Short-term stays and asylum seekers

Persons who stay in Norway for less than 6 months are not included in the figures. Asylum seekers are included when they are granted a residence permit.