Population of Svalbard, 1 January 2014

Of the 2 100 persons, some 1 660 had arrived at Svalbard from a Norwegian municipality, and hence also are registered as residents on the mainland. A total of 440 persons had arrived at Svalbard directly from abroad, and therefore are not registered as mainland residents. Their share of the total population in the Norwegian settlements is 21 per cent. The first time information on this group of residents at Svalbard was published, in 2009, they constituted 14 per cent. During 2013, their number increased by 28, whereas the number of those also registered on the mainland decreased by 86.

A total of 436 ¹⁾ persons lived in the Russian settlements; a number which has remained relatively stable since 2009. Looking back at 1990, a total of 2 400 lived in the Russian settlements. In addition, on 1 January 2014, 10 persons were also living at Hornsund, a permanent research station led by the Polish Academy of Sciences.

Many different citizenships in the Norwegian settlements

Among those living in the Norwegian settlements, 41 non-Norwegian citizenships are represented. The Norwegian citizens constitute some 1 600 persons or 76 per cent. Persons with a Thai or Swedish citizenship make up the second and third largest groups, with 112 and 111 persons respectively. While six in ten Swedes are men, six in ten of the Thai citizens are women. Other Asian citizenships are also represented, along with America, Oceania and Africa.

Fifty-seven per cent of those living in the Norwegian settlements are men. Among those with non-Norwegian citizenships, the distribution is almost equal between the sexes. While 66 per cent of all persons living in the Norwegian settlements are in the age group 25-59 years, this group constitutes only 47 per cent of those living on the Norwegian mainland.

Of the 436 ¹⁾ living in the Russian settlements, 429 ¹⁾ live in Barentsburg and 7 in Pyramiden. Almost 75 per cent are Ukrainian citizens, while the remaining are Russian and Tajik citizens.

Lower in-migration, larger out-migration than the previous year

In 2013, 22 children were born to parents (mothers) living in the Norwegian settlements at Svalbard. Two persons died, resulting in a birth surplus of 20; the same as in 2012. A total of 387 moved to Svalbard and 453 moved away, which corresponds to a net out-migration of 66. 2012 saw a net in-migration of 24. Those arriving directly from abroad at Svalbard without being registered on the mainland had a net in-migration of 28, while those also registered on the mainland had a net out-migration of 94. The first group also had the largest net in-migration in 2012.

¹⁾ The figures are corrected 25th of September 2014 due to errors in the data source for the Russian settlements.