Population of Svalbard

Updated: 14 September 2023

Next update: 17 April 2024

Inhabitants in Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund
Inhabitants in Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund
2nd half year 2023
2 596
Population in Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund, by sex and age
Population in Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund, by sex and age
2nd half year 2023
TotalMalesFemales
Total2 5961 3791 217
0 years13310
1-5 years964452
6-12 years1779384
13-15 years743539
16-19 years754728
20-44 years1 451742709
45-66 years666388278
67 years or older442717
Corrected 12 May 2023.
Explanation of symbols

Selected tables and charts from this statistics

  • Population and population changes during the year in Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund, by place of registered residence outside Svalbard.
    Population and population changes during the year in Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund, by place of registered residence outside Svalbard.
    2022
    Northern NorwaySouthern NorwayFrom abroad
    Population at the beginning of the year5401 201762
    Births4111
    Deaths000
    Excess of births4111
    Immigration88273227
    Emigration91315182
    Net migration-3-4245
    Correction1750-78
    Population growth-16-81124
    Population at the end of the year5241 120886
    Explanation of symbols
  • Population in the settlements. Svalbard
    Population in the settlements. Svalbard
    Longyearbyen and Ny-ÅlesundBarentsburg and PyramidenHornsund
    Resident on the mainlandFrom abroad, not resident on the mainland
    2nd half year 20111 74136342510
    1st half year 20121 7383773809
    2nd half year 20121 7884074398
    1st half year 20131 7484104718
    2nd half year 20131 74545049310
    1st half year 20141 66243843610
    2nd half year 20141 66145743410
    1st half year 20151 69249347110
    2nd half year 20151 64554446810
    1st half year 20161 61453849210
    2nd half year 20161 59556749510
    1st half year 20171 56558042810
    2nd half year 20171 57163953210
    1st half year 20181 55565951410
    2nd half year 20181 58672446710
    1st half year 20191 58167745810
    2nd half year 20191 67270753710
    1st half year 20201 69773150110
    2nd half year 20201 65776045512
    1st half year 20211 70675340010
    2nd half year 20211 79575737810
    1st half year 20221 75375139110
    2nd half year 20221 65475241310
    1st half year 20231 71781335710
    2nd half year 20231 2 1 74085648810
    1Number of residents in Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund registered resident on the mainland corrected with correct figures 24 August 2022
    21. half is defined as 1 January. 2. half is defined as 1 July.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Private households and persons in private households by size of household. Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund
    Private households and persons in private households by size of household. Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund
    2nd half year 20231
    Private households, numberPrivate households, per centPersons in private households, numberPersons in private households, per cent
    1 person66649.566625.7
    2 persons36627.273228.2
    3 persons14210.642616.4
    4 persons1128.344817.3
    5 persons or more594.432412.5
    11. halvår is defined as 1 January. 2. halvår is defined as 1 July.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Population and population changes during half of the year in Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund, by place of registered residence outside Svalbard
    Population and population changes during half of the year in Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund, by place of registered residence outside Svalbard
    1st half year 2023
    Northern NorwaySouthern NorwayFrom abroad
    Population at the beginning of the half year5241 120886
    Births120
    Deaths010
    Excess of births110
    Immigration4095108
    Emigration3811332
    Net migration2-1876
    Correction-6-1517
    Population growth9-259
    Population at the end of the half year5331 118945
    Explanation of symbols

About the statistics

The statistics give a view of the population of Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund by age, sex and household size, as well as in- and out migration, births and deaths. It additionally gives the number of people in Barentsburg and Hornsund.

Population

All persons with a personal identification number who are resident in a municipality on the mainland, and persons that have been issued with a D-number for tax purposes in Norway, but who are not deemed to be resident in a Norwegian municipality.

Population growth

There are two ways of calculating population growth; 1) the total of excess of births over deaths and net migration, or 2) the difference between the population at the end of the quarter minus population at the beginning of the half-year. Ideally the two methods should give the same result, but extensive experience in corresponding statistics for the Norwegian mainland shows that there is always a discrepancy between these two methods.

Excess of births over deaths

The difference between births and deaths, also called "net natural increase in the total population". A minus sign means an excess of deaths over births.

Births

Live births

Net migration

The difference between inward migration and outward migration. A minus sign means net outward migration. Inward migration, outward migration: Migration is the relocation of one person between Svalbard and a Norwegian municipality or between Svalbard and abroad.

D-number

Persons subject to taxes who are not resident in Norway are issued with a D-number by the tax authorities. The D-number is also issued to other non-residents when the Norwegian authorities require an unambiguous identification definition.

Not relevant

Name: Population of Svalbard
Topic: Population

17 April 2024

Division for Population Statistics

Svalbard

Half-yearly. The statistics are published about two and a half months after the reference periods, which are January 1st and July 1st.

Reported annually to Eurostat together with NUTS code lists.

The half-yearly statistics contain aggregated data and are only stored for a short period of time. Annual population figures and final figures of changes are stored for longer.

Statistics Norway publishes statistics on the number of persons on Svalbard and a census of the Norwegian part of the population in Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund by age and sex. In order to provide more and better statistics, half-yearly population statistics is published on these settlements as from 2009.

The statistics show half yearly population changes in the Norwegian settlements, as well as the composition of the population.

The Population Register of Svalbard was started in the summer of 2008, and is structured in the same way as the Central Population Register, which the Svalbard register communicates with.

The statistics are used by the public administration, institutes involved in researching demographics and living conditions, and the Norwegian settlements on Svalbard.

No external users have access to the statistics and analyses before they are published and accessible simultaneously for all users on ssb.no at 08 am. Prior to this, a minimum of three months' advance notice is given inthe Statistics Release Calendar. This is one of Statistics Norway’s key principles for ensuring that all users are treated equally.

Not relevant

Statistics Act § 10

None.

The Population Register of Svalbard covers persons in Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund , i.e. everyone who plans to live on Svalbard for more than six months.

Holders of a personal identification number who are registered as residents in a municipality on the mainland or who have been resident in a Norwegian municipality are included in the Population Register of Svalbard. The register also includes holders of a D-number who are not deemed to be resident in a Norwegian municipality.

Persons that have relocated from Norway to Svalbard are registered in two places; as resident in a Norwegian municipality and with residency on Svalbard with a duration of more than six months.

The Population Register of Svalbard does not cover the settlements of Barentsburg and Hornsund.

Figures for changes in the half-year are based on notifications of events during the half-year (births, deaths, relocations) that are registered within three months of the end of the half-year. Table 1 includes figures for Barentsburg and Hornsund, which have been obtained from the Governor of Svalbard.

The statistics are based on the Population Register of Svalbard (BRSV) and the daily reports used to update the BRSV through communication with the Central Population Register. Figures for residents in Barentsburg and Hornsund are obtained from the Governor of Svalbard.

Statistics Norway receives daily reports from the BRSV

In addition to the controls carried out in the BRSV, Statistics Norway also performs checks for statistical purposes. The Central Population Register and Statistics Norway carry out this work together, which contributes to the high quality of the register.

The population (resident persons), live births, deaths and migration in both directions are aggregated for the Norwegian settlements on Svalbard.

None

Where one or two units form the basis of the figures in a cell, and these can be traced to the respondent or other identifiable individual, the cells are rounded off or replaced by dots.

Statistical releases older than 25 April 2017.

Previously published population statistics for the Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund only cover persons that live or have been registered as resident on the Norwegian mainland.

Statistical Yearbook 2013 and before - Persons in settlements on Svalbard Statistical Yearbook - Norwegian settlements on Svalbard by age and sex.

Some errors can occur in the collection and processing routines from the point reports are received from the BRSV until statistics are produced.

Other errors can occur, for instance coding errors, revision errors, data processing errors etc. Routines are in place to minimise such errors and Statistics Norway considers these to be of minor importance.

The BRSV contains persons with personal identification numbers and D-numbers. Persons belonging to the Russian and Polish settlements are not included in the BRSV. Persons that do not report relocations to Svalbard are not included in the statistics.

None

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