The population reached 5 328 200 at the turn of the year

Published:

The population increased by 32 600 in 2018, thereby continuing the annual decline in population growth we have seen since 2012.

The growth of 32 600 was the lowest since 2004 and slightly below that of 2005. In relation to the population, growth was nevertheless lower in most years between 1975 and 1996 than it was in 2018. During the period 2006-2016, population growth was particularly high, thus the level in 2018 was more normal.

Several counties with population decline

Akershus and Oslo had the largest population growth in 2018. These two counties accounted for just over half (54 per cent) of total growth.

The population fell in four counties in 2018: Sogn og Fjordane, Oppland, Finnmark and Telemark. This is the first time so many counties have shown a population decline since 2005. Since then, most years have shown no decline in any of the counties.

The number of municipalities with a population decline in 2018 was 227. This is a clear increase from the year before and particularly from the preceding years. However, the figures in the period 2004–2006 were about the same as in 2018.

Most Poles

In 2018, the number of foreign nationals in Norway grew by 16 500. This growth constitutes just over half of the total population growth. The Poles make up the largest group, with 105 200 people, which corresponds to 18 per cent of the 584 200 foreign nationals living in Norway. This group is thus well over twice the size of the next largest groups, in which Lithuanians and Swedes amount to 45 100 and 44 000 respectively.

Figure 1. Foreign citizens. The whole country. 1 January

Foreign citizens
1976 67465
1977 71149
1978 74703
1979 77885
1980 80327
1981 82570
1982 86478
1983 90643
1984 94673
1985 97776
1986 101471
1987 109293
1988 123672
1989 135947
1990 140312
1991 143304
1992 147774
1993 154012
1994 162298
1995 164030
1996 160837
1997 157537
1998 157965
1999 165070
2000 178686
2001 184337
2002 185863
2003 197668
2004 204731
2005 213303
2006 222277
2007 238305
2008 266260
2009 302977
2010 333873
2011 369228
2012 407262
2013 448765
2014 483177
2015 512154
2016 538223
2017 559218
2018 567769
2019 584233

An increasingly older population

On 1 January 2019, the average age in the population was 40.28 years. In all the years for which annual statistics on age distribution are available, the average age has increased slightly. In recent years, the rate of the annual increase has accelerated, reaching 0.19 years in 2017 and 0.23 years in 2018. This is the fastest ageing of the population that has been seen in Norway.

Figure 2. Average age. 1 January

Average age
1971 35.5114119
1972 35.5482532
1973 35.5997522
1974 35.681298
1975 35.7787082
1976 35.9019977
1977 36.0501668
1978 36.2217948
1979 36.3812169
1980 36.5378112
1981 36.6974445
1982 36.8460336
1983 36.9996708
1984 37.1610355
1985 37.3147666
1986 37.4374457
1987 37.5549359
1988 37.6257124
1989 37.6730418
1990 37.7395434
1991 37.773883
1992 37.8067418
1993 37.8456974
1994 37.8621778
1995 37.925519
1996 37.9802711
1997 38.0438228
1998 38.1010276
1999 38.166745
2000 38.2030968
2001 38.2784223
2002 38.3811419
2003 38.4631657
2004 38.5716177
2005 38.6909357
2006 38.8076415
2007 38.9065568
2008 38.9760491
2009 39.0298747
2010 39.089531
2011 39.1521986
2012 39.2353457
2013 39.3116416
2014 39.4245833
2015 39.5613508
2016 39.7089128
2017 39.862604
2018 40.0521258
2019 40.2776811

Figure 3. Population by age 1 January

0-5 years 6-12 years 13-15 years 16-19 years 20-44 years 45-66 years 67-79 years 80 years and over
1900 338888 347885 140083 167763 709239 366369 120776 29968
1901 345028 349423 142593 170587 715855 370710 121058 27741
1902 348335 354679 143360 174134 721805 373339 121927 29248
1903 351836 359913 143547 175412 723538 376093 123407 30397
1904 352126 363954 143073 176766 721751 379330 122992 31400
1905 350946 367820 145033 177533 722891 384838 122413 32121
1906 348075 372681 146448 176940 725688 389942 120859 32916
1907 346058 376379 148361 177725 727990 394302 119894 34123
1908 342736 381585 148207 178267 730482 398547 119146 34122
1909 339921 385076 151650 182326 741225 403673 119812 34353
1910 339690 387885 153117 185906 746624 408677 119760 35293
1911 338611 388861 156427 186482 750879 412999 120754 35389
1912 339079 387894 158226 189394 761196 417627 122052 35722
1913 339779 387452 160154 194026 774018 420419 123694 35636
1914 341143 386789 161175 196954 788533 423666 124673 35636
1915 342419 385554 162813 200820 803264 427147 125375 35877
1916 338831 386455 164425 203821 823205 431049 125649 35828
1917 339035 386183 165364 206163 841335 434160 127609 35243
1918 342374 386762 164736 209588 860172 438543 129271 34548
1919 343924 388494 163204 211460 874503 441760 132021 34097
1920 342142 389747 162879 213415 893192 447215 134093 33591
1921 349151 392624 162722 214237 910709 453200 136842 33569
1922 354997 390334 162910 213232 928061 458368 140539 34239
1923 356402 389297 164157 212202 943274 464080 142991 34597
1924 354620 391879 164152 209496 949905 469500 144708 34973
1925 350627 393586 164442 209469 961548 475961 147043 35622
1926 346549 391209 164027 211503 975415 481074 148939 36615
1927 333528 398310 165148 211404 988311 485068 151698 37413
1928 320752 400341 166692 212029 997648 490457 153122 37810
1929 309418 404199 164311 213586 1009306 497147 154160 38370
1930 297355 404737 164178 213857 1022261 503067 155252 39006
1931 288483 400849 165319 216760 1035911 509687 158172 39983
1932 281029 393931 169388 216374 1054619 516914 159764 40580
1933 272518 391029 167846 217034 1073644 525508 161859 41019
1934 264591 375216 173415 219611 1093625 533782 164122 41867
1935 257351 363209 174852 220786 1114443 543283 164771 43487
1936 251025 350924 178357 221642 1130630 553729 165829 44103
1937 245952 339109 171838 229403 1147011 566480 166628 44377
1938 244118 328233 167116 230472 1166008 578134 168020 44585
1939 244508 320355 160248 230626 1182084 592063 170045 44991
1940 249163 308909 154739 233403 1195424 605158 171941 45172
1941 255227 300953 148116 224352 1214270 619680 174143 45483
1942 259686 294079 144133 215848 1229238 632208 177280 45772
1943 270363 288455 138419 209340 1239261 645659 181317 46707
1944 283372 284657 136007 200050 1247717 659981 185329 48224
1945 299658 284010 132453 192791 1253486 673593 189586 49507
1946 314700 285293 129867 187736 1256029 687987 194601 51056
1947 338300 293368 126743 182700 1249870 703581 198270 53665
1948 360312 296922 122532 179892 1248072 719368 202507 53920
1949 372899 308461 118508 176393 1245959 735689 205575 55015
1950 378955 323058 118568 170819 1243061 751420 208656 55417
1951 382924 337982 120291 165177 1239685 766675 212086 55476
1952 378546 357091 124109 160948 1234596 782617 217475 56064
1953 370578 381033 127832 158062 1228831 797989 221839 57846
1954 366353 400259 132139 159580 1219190 814089 227090 59066
1955 363966 419889 132309 163194 1207914 830569 232339 60546
1956 364800 429635 137525 168427 1200429 845886 236841 62130
1957 366783 437845 145559 172909 1183779 863107 241339 64569
1958 369659 437167 161766 174687 1172426 879133 246877 66271
1959 370269 435856 174465 181282 1162143 893452 252295 68239
1960 370449 429059 189206 190767 1152292 907454 258476 70004
1961 369605 425168 194766 205049 1144025 918927 266152 71079
1962 369282 423750 195653 224112 1136315 930434 273836 71447
1963 367713 425854 188071 242477 1132581 942130 281592 72588
1964 368519 426692 183666 253979 1133031 952515 288904 72762
1965 370895 429920 179043 256996 1141110 959938 296400 74307
1966 374420 430292 179294 255048 1142452 974740 305284 76196
1967 378862 429743 180361 247497 1153948 985912 313650 78325
1968 383360 430106 182524 241637 1166083 994802 321348 80920
1969 389307 429428 183732 239604 1175693 1002693 329039 82696
1970 394369 429232 184954 240129 1186298 1007398 336324 84517
1971 394122 432162 185606 240759 1196452 1009136 343345 86723
1972 394417 435849 185454 244168 1208271 1011479 349085 89050
1973 392672 441020 184638 246327 1225820 1011385 355071 91301
1974 388026 446481 183844 246614 1243415 1009856 360336 94418
1975 380947 452489 183572 247393 1262723 1006433 366298 97670
1976 369950 459233 183081 247469 1281881 1002233 371898 101356
1977 359256 461730 185128 245740 1303965 995469 378751 105163
1978 345392 462809 188630 245799 1325626 988629 384936 109387
1979 333176 461876 192947 245660 1349903 977889 390853 113830
1980 323374 457239 196763 246506 1373876 966289 397467 117386
1981 314907 451354 198206 250814 1397533 954490 403367 121669
1982 309827 441056 200145 255298 1422174 944069 409062 125432
1983 307932 427356 201619 260450 1445901 935375 413613 130265
1984 306993 413984 200407 264181 1468127 928130 417938 134593
1985 305744 400471 198825 266758 1491172 920285 424012 138578
1986 305669 388166 195647 269359 1515749 913924 428985 141688
1987 307112 378369 192616 268183 1543668 908466 431435 145672
1988 310916 370324 187238 268406 1570607 901114 440550 149133
1989 317646 366078 179535 265602 1592136 901645 445774 152270
1990 326451 363163 171895 258460 1598706 908868 449294 156279
1991 336648 362945 163293 254229 1602278 918718 452294 159425
1992 346423 362866 159036 246019 1604512 938002 453537 163239
1993 354492 364811 157448 235745 1609796 957102 452457 167316
1994 361332 368894 158335 226276 1614190 975037 451046 169705
1995 363999 375596 158007 218532 1617037 993453 448306 173480
1996 365145 383554 157892 214193 1616334 1011308 445030 176503
1997 364967 394331 156842 212467 1614206 1028451 441128 180322
1998 364007 405198 156599 212928 1610129 1047832 436493 184413
1999 362566 414815 156866 213381 1608964 1069027 431289 188421
2000 363539 423446 160173 212949 1609632 1091251 427485 190022
2001 362458 429370 163889 212674 1605850 1115495 416799 196901
2002 358563 432405 170128 213407 1599041 1140915 408148 201459
2003 353730 435762 177202 215714 1598643 1166058 400080 205063
2004 350556 435192 184525 220083 1593297 1190474 394144 209186
2005 349626 432856 188544 227335 1589361 1214707 390779 213155
2006 347815 432455 190203 235513 1590623 1237400 390334 215876
2007 348049 432602 189163 244387 1596946 1260240 391585 218162
2008 351164 430842 188723 252217 1615854 1284643 395134 218594
2009 357451 428010 189664 256305 1638836 1312372 396983 219631
2010 363597 425646 192099 258415 1656097 1337202 405121 220022
2011 368576 424638 192810 259309 1678123 1359812 415884 221153
2012 372428 424921 191488 259718 1703611 1379093 433018 221583
2013 375014 426509 190264 261666 1728068 1396542 451627 221585
2014 375744 428077 190040 262789 1744961 1408723 477962 220760
2015 373954 433578 188886 262481 1759513 1424649 502304 220437
2016 370121 441838 186284 262536 1769024 1439486 524671 220025
2017 366772 447901 185352 262705 1774275 1455310 545022 220980
2018 362601 451079 186608 260605 1776723 1471644 563607 222752
2019 356139 452818 188647 257853 1779999 1487062 579695 225999

 

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