Demographics of Norway
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Norway, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population. Total population. The total population of Norway on 1 January 2021 was 5,391,369. Statistics Norway estimated that the 5,000,000 milestone was reached on 19 March 2012. Total fertility rate from 1850 to 1899. The total fertility rate is the number of children born per woman. It is based on fairly good data for the entire period. Sources: Our World In Data and Gapminder Foundation. Vital  statistics since 1900. Data according to Statistics Norway, which collects the official statistics for Norway. Life expectancy at birth from 1846 to 2015. Sources: Our World In Data and the United Nations. 1543–1950 1950-2015 Source: "UN World Population Prospects" Ethnicity. Statistics Norway does not attempt to quantify or track data on ethnicity. The national population registry records only country of birth. As of 2012, an official government study shows that 75.2% of the total population are ethnic Norwegians (born in Norway with two parents also born in Norway). Ethnically, the residents of Norway are predominantly Norwegians, a North Germanic  ethnic group. In Northern Norway there is a population of Sami people, who claim descent from people who settled the area around 8,000 years ago, probably from continental Europe through the Norwegian coast and through Finland along the inland glaciers. The national minorities of Norway include: Scandinavian Romani, Roma, Jews, and Kvener, as well as a small Finnish community. Immigration. In the last decades, Norway has become home to increasing numbers of immigrants, foreign workers, and asylum-seekers from various parts of the world. Norway had a steady influx of immigrants from South Asia (mostly Pakistanis and Sri Lankans), East  Asia (mainly Chinese), and Southeast Asia/Pacific Islands (e.g. Filipinos), Eastern Europe (e.g. Russians) and (Central Europe Poles), Southern Europe (Greeks, Albanians and people from former Yugoslavia, Bosniaks, Serbs etc.), and Middle East countries (especially Iraqis and Kurdish Iranians), as well as Somalis, Turks, Moroccans, and some Latin Americans. After ten Eastern European and Baltic countries joined the EU in 2004, there has also been a substantial influx of people from Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. At the start of 2021, there were 800,094 immigrants and 197,848 Norwegian-born to immigrant parents in Norway, together constituting 18.5% of the total  population. The same year, immigrants (and Norwegian born to immigrant parents) originating in the European Economic Area constituted 7% of the total number of Norwegian residents, while 6.2% were from Asia including Turkey and 2.6% were from Africa. Among people of African descent in Oslo, almost 60% are younger than 30, compared to 20% of those of North American background. As of 2020, an official government study shows that more than 1,333,620 people (24.8%) living in Norway are either first-generation immigrants or have one or two foreign-born parents. Of these 979,254 immigrants and their descendants (born in Norway  with two foreign born parents): In 2012, of the total 660 000 with immigrant background, 407,262 had Norwegian citizenship (62.2 percent). Immigrants were represented in all Norwegian municipalities. The cities or municipalities with the highest share of immigrants in 2012 was Oslo (26 percent) and Drammen (18 percent). The share in Stavanger was 16%. According to Reuters, Oslo is the "fastest growing city in Europe because of increased immigration". In recent years, immigration has accounted for most of Norway's population growth. Genetics of the native people of Norway. Y-chromosome DNA. Y-Chromosome DNA (Y-DNA) represents the male  lineage, The Norwegian Y-chromosome pool may be summarized as follows where haplogroups R1 & I comprise generally more than 85% of the total chromosomes. Mitochondrial DNA. Mitochondrial DNA mtDNA represents the female lineage, Haplogroup H represent about 40% of the Norwegian mitochondrial DNA lineages Immigration. As of January 1st, 2020, official data shows that the quotient of the total population that is either born outside Norway, or has one or two parents born abroad is 1,333,620 to 5,367,580 (which equals 24.8%). About a half million of these, however, identify as ethnic Norwegians who may have, for example, Swedish or Danish  ancestors. As of 2020, an official government study shows that 75.2% of the total population are ethnic Norwegians and more than 1,333,620 individuals (24.8%) are migrants and their descendants (790,497 are first-generation immigrants i.e. foreign-born, 277,085 are Norwegian-born with one foreign-born parent and 188,757 are Norwegian-born with two foreign-born parents). Of these 979,254 immigrants and their descendants (foreign-born or Norwegian-born with two foreign-born parents): Other demographic statistics. The following demographic statistics are from the World Population Review. The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated. Slightly  greater than British Columbia, but slightly less than Singapore and Eritrea. Note: data is calculated based on actual age at first births (2015 est.) Norwegian 83.2% (includes about 60,000 Sami), other European 8.3%, other 8.5% (2017 est.) Norwegian and Sami Note: There is no standardized spoken Norwegian. Sami is an official language in nine municipalities in Norway's three northernmost counties: Finnmark, Nordland, and Troms. There are also Finnish-speaking minorities. Church of Norway (Evangelical Lutheran) 69.9%, Roman Catholic 3.0%, other Christians 3.8%, Muslim 3.3%, other religions 0.8%, unaffiliated and humanism 19.2% (2018) Note: data include Svalbard and Jan Mayen  Islands Note: data include Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands Religion. The Lutheran Church of Norway is the former state church and the vast majority remain at least nominal members. Other religions do, however, enjoy religious freedom and have prospered with immigration in recent years, particularly Islam and Roman Catholicism. Saint Olaf is the patron saint of Norway. He is regarded by some as the eternal king and has a reputation and place in history unchallenged by any other Norwegian King for the last 1000 years. Official languages. Norwegian (the written standards Bokmål and Nynorsk). Uralic languages – South Sami, Lule Sami , North Sami and Kven – are additional official languages of some municipalities.