Number of foreign citizens drops again

The number of foreign nationals living in Norway declined for the second consecutive year in 1996. In the course of the last two years, the number of foreign citizens has dropped by 6,500 to 157,500 at the turn of the year. They account for 3.6 per cent of the population.

Beginning in 1975, the first year statistics were published, and until 1994, the number of foreign nationals increased every year. The decline in the last two years is primarily attributed to the fact that many foreigners, respectively 11,800 and 12,200, have now obtained Norwegian citizenship. The number of residents with foreign backgrounds is not declining.

New Statistics

Population statistics. Foreign citizens, 1 January 1997.
Statistics are published every year in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics, Current Population Data, Official Statistics of Norway (NOS) Population Statistics Vol. II, Vol. III and regional statistics. More information: Kåre Høiby, tel. +47 62 88 52 97, e-mail: krh@ssb.no or Kirsten Enger Dybendal, tel. +47 62 88 52 96, e-mail: kie@ssb.no.

Weekly Bulletin issue no. 22, 1997