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Higher immigration increases the number of persons with low income
statistikk
2010-04-30T10:00:00.000Z
Income and consumption;Social conditions, welfare and crime;Immigration and immigrants
en
inntind, Households' income, particular groups, income distribution, household income, low-income groups (for example single parents, long-term sick, supplementary benefit recipients), poor, median income, low-income limits, EU scale, OECD scaleIncome and wealth, Living conditions , Income and consumption, Income and consumption, Social conditions, welfare and crime, Immigration and immigrants
false

Households' income, particular groups, 2008

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Higher immigration increases the number of persons with low income

A total of 360 000 persons had a persistent low income during the period 2006 to 2008; an increase of 9 000 persons from the period 2005 to 2007. Many of these are immigrants.

Based on the EU's definition of persistent low income, 8.2 per cent of the population had a persistent low income (see text box below) in the period 2006 to 2008; a total of nearly 360 000 persons. This was slightly higher than in the period 2005 to 2007 (8.1 per cent). The number of persons with a persistent low income increased by 9 400. Of these, almost seven out of ten had an immigrant background.

Based on the OECD method, 3.2 per cent of the population, or almost 141 000 persons, had a persistent low income in 2006 to 2008; up 8 800 persons compared with the period 2005 to 2007. Persons with an immigrant background constitute more than half of the increase according to this method of measuring low income.

The number and proportion of persons with persistent low income1. Different three-year periods
Period EU's low-income definition (60 percent of the average median)
All ages Hereof immigrants or persons born in Norway with foreign born parents
Number Proportion Number Proportion Proportion of the
low-income group
2004-2006         341 900         7.9 84 100 25.6 24.6
2005-2007  350 400 8.1 90 200 25.7 25.8
2006-2008  359 800 8.2 96 700 25.5 26.9
           
  OECD's low-income definition (50 percent of the average median)
  All ages Hereof immigrants or persons born in Norway with foreign born parents
  Number Proportion Number Proportion Proportion of the
low-income group
2004-2006  126 800 2.9 52 500 16.0 41.4
2005-2007  132 000 3.0 56 400 16.1 42.7
2006-2008  140 800 3.2 61 100 16.1 43.4
1  Students living alone are excluded.

Persistent low income

Persons are considered to have a persistent low income when their average income (per consumption unit) over a three-year period falls below the low-income threshold for the same period, i.e. the sum of equivalent income across the three years is less than the sum of the low-income threshold for the same three years.

The difference between the EU and the OECD definition is that the EU definition has a higher low-income threshold than the OECD (60% of the median vs. 50% of the median). In addition, the EU definition takes economies of scale within the households into account more than the OECD definition.

Persons with immigrant background

The term "persons with immigrant background" is defined as persons who are born abroad to two foreign-born parents and who have moved to Norway, and those born in Norway with two immigrant parents.

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