Population of Svalbard, 1 July 2010

In the Russian settlement Barentsburg the increase was 29. The Norwegian settlements Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesunnd increased by 10, from 2 061 to 2 071. Eighteen children were born in the Norwegian settlements.

High level of migration

In the Norwegian settlements, the population of Norwegians decreased by 12 during the first six months, while the number of foreign nationals increased by 22. Given a population of some 2 000, the in- and out-migrations have a considerable impact on the size of the population. The in-migration to Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund from July 2009 to July 2010 corresponds to 17 per cent of the population in July 2009. Furthermore, since the in- and out-migrations normally arrive at different times of the year, the size of the population varies between six month periods.

Fewer children and more adults

From 1 January to 1 July, the number of people below 20 years of age decreased by 19. At the same time, the number of people above the age of 19 increased by 29. The figures from 1 January 2011 will reflect whether this drop in the number of children is just a seasonal variation. Nevertheless, there are a large number of children born on Svalbard. The 18 children born during the first six months corresponds to 49 per 1 000 women in the age 20-39 years, which is at the same level as in Norway as a whole.

More Russians in the Norwegian settlements

Thai citizens are still the largest group of foreign nationals in the Norwegian settlements, followed by Swedes and Russians. A growth in the number of Russians, from 25 to 33, during the last year, is the biggest change in the foreign population. At the same time, the number of Thais has dropped slightly, from 102 to 96.

Tables:

• Table 1 Population in the settlements. Svalbard
• Table 2 Population in the Norwegian settlements at Svalbard, by sex and age. 1 July 2010
• Table 3 Population in the Norwegian settlements at Svalbard, by sex and place of residence outside Svalbard. 1 July 2010
• Table 4 Population per 1 July 2010 and population changes during 1st half of 2010. The Norwegian settlements at Svalbard