Migrations, 2010

During 2010 there were 214 700 migrations between Norwegian municipalities, which is the highest number ever registered. Adjusted for the size of the population, the mobility was higher until the mid 1970s, and was also higher for a couple of years in the middle of the 1980s and then again in 2000 and 2001. In addition to the high level of migration between municipalities, there were 408 700 migrations within municipalities, which is the highest number ever recorded.

The currents of migrations run between all parts of the country. The net effect of the migrations is a more centralised settlement pattern year by year, also in 2010. There are more people moving to the Oslo region and the other major city regions than in the opposite direction, and the northern and western parts of the country have a population loss every year, while the counties by the Oslo fjord have a net population gain.

Less centralisation

Even though the mobility is high, the rate of centralisation is slowing down for the fourth year in a row (figure 1). Not since the beginning of the 1990s has centralisation been slower. However, back then there was also less migration due to the bank crisis and a downward economic trend. Lately the centralisation has diminished in spite of an upward economic trend and high mobility.