Population and area in urban settlements
Yearly
Statistikken gir i tillegg til tall for det enkelte tettsted også tall for antall bosatte i tettbygd og spredtbygd strøk fordelt på grunnkrets og kommune
320 - Division for Population Statistics
Statistics Act, §§ 2-1, 2-2, 3-2
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Urban settlements are regional delimitations that can describe the urban development in Norway. The dicotomy of sparsely and densely populated areas is useful in analysis describing social, environmental and demographic variations.
The term urban settlements is used in Statistics Norway since the Population Census in 1960. The original definition is, with a few modifications, used in all the censuses since 1960.
Since 1960 to 1990 population statistics for urban settlements has been elaborated in connection with the censuses each 10 years. Since 1990 the statistics are elaborated per 1 January each year. A new method for automatic delimitation of the urban settlements has been used since 1999. Allthough the definition of urban settlements remains the same, the statistics will differ slightly due to the new method. Figures referring to new and old method should not be compared.
The statistics is mainly used by civil administration (ministries, directorates, county- and municipality administrations) as well as for research purposes. Population in urban settlements is used in many analysis as an important variable in social, environmental and demographic studies.
The population is persons registered as residents in Norway. The observation unit is person.
Data sources are the Central Population Register and the national register of Ground, Addresses and Buildings.
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The statistic is estimated by counting the number of persons who belong to urban or rural settlement.
If a table consists of three or fewer units and disclosing these units can lead to identification of individuals, the figure is rounded up or left empty.
Urban settlement:
1. A hub of buildings shall be registered as an urban settlement if it is inhabited by at least 200 persons (60 - 70 dwellings).
2. The distance between the buildings shall normally not exceed 50 metres. Deviations are allowed for areas that cannot/are not to be occupied, for example parks, sports facilities, industrial areas or natural barriers such as rivers or arable land. Also included are agglomerations that naturally belong to the urban settlement with up to a distance of 400 meters from the centre of the urban settlement.
Urban settlements are geographical areas with dynamic boundaries. Thus the number of urban settlements and their boundaries will change over time, depending on construction activity and changes of resident population.
The delimitation of the urban settlements is independent of the administrative boundaries.
A standard classification of the urban settlements is: 200 - 1 999 residents 2 000 - 19 999 residents 20 000 - 99 999 residents 100 000 or more residents
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The sources of error are mainly connected to the quality and completeness in the registers used. By merging the Central Population Register and the GAB register, each individual gets coordinates for their reisident. Thus, the key for the merge which is the numeric address, must be identical in the two registers.
As mentioned (2.1) there have been some small changes in the definition of urban settlements since 1960. During the period 1990 to 1998 the statistics have been elaborated on the basis of information from the municipalities own registration in the GAB-register. Since 1999 (expect of 2001) the delimitation will be done by Statistics Norway using an automatic method. Data should not be compared unless the method is the same.
The international recommendations and definitions are closely related to the Norwegian definition. The most important difference is that the distance between the buildings should not exceed 200 metres in the international definition, whereas the criterion is 50 metres in the Norwegian. In the nordic definition deviation from the 200 metre limit is allowed.
Statistics Norway also produce land use statistics for urban settlements.
Population and landarea in urban settlements
RAPP 1999/29: Tettstedsavgrensing og arealdekke innen tettsteder. Metode og resultater
Notater 2000/69. Tettstedsavgrensing. Teknisk dokumentasjon
Nos C513: Regional classifications
Statistical Yearbook of Norway
Rapporter 86/11: Statistikk for tettsteder
Tettsteder 2007 Ny versjon 2008 vil foreligge etter ny publisering i juni.
The code for urban settlement and sparse population will be stored on the files over Norwegian residents 1 January each year.
2008 © Statistics Norway