Demographics of Norway - Statistics & Facts

Norway is a 385,208 square kilometers large country in the north of Europe. It shares a border with Sweden, Finland, and Russia in the east of the country. It is a part of Scandinavia, which usually refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, but it is also a part of the Nordic region, which also includes Iceland and Finland. Norway was one of the founding members of the military alliance NATO as well as the United Nations and is a part of the European Economic Area but not the European Union.

Norway’s population has been increasing consistently in the last two decades, reaching 5.43 million in 2022. It is the second smallest population out of the Nordic countries with only Iceland having fewer inhabitants. Almost 13 percent of the population live in Oslo, the biggest city of Norway and the country’s capital. The most populated county is Viken which surrounds the capital Oslo. Like many other developed countries, Norway has an aging population, with 18 percent of the population being 65 years or older.

Births and deaths

Norway’s population is on average getting older, in part also due to the low fertility rate. The fertility rate has been decreasing yearly in the last decade while also consistently being below two. Worsening the issue of an aging population is the increasing life expectancy in Norway, at 83.21 years in 2020. It is one of the highest life expectancies in the world due to high standards of living. Since fewer and fewer people are born while more Norwegians are getting older, this issue will shape Norway’s demographics in the future. If the COVID-19 pandemic has affected life expectancy in Norway is unclear yet but preliminary numbers show a slight increase in the number of deaths in 2021.

Migration

One of the reasons for Norway’s population growth has been consistent immigration to Norway in the last decade. A steady immigration flow has led to positive net migration in the last 10 years, especially from 2007 to 2014, which must be seen in relation with many Eastern European countries entering the European Union (and hence also the EEA) in 2004 and 2007. Poland, Sweden, and Lithuania are the three most common countries of origin of immigrants. The majority of foreign citizens living in Norway today are from Europe, including Turkey, or Asia. Less people emigrate from Norway but among those who do, the most common countries of destination are Sweden, Denmark, and Poland.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Jun 29, 2023

Key insights

Number of inhabitants
5.49m
Number of female inhabitants
2.72m
Fertility rate
1.41
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Population in Norway from 2013 to 2023 (in millions)

Population

Population in Norway 2013-2023

Norway: largest cities in 2022 (in 1,000 inhabitants)

Norway

Largest cities in Norway in 2022

Number of inhabitants in Norway from 2013 to 2023, by citizenship (in millions)

Population

Population in Norway 2013-2023, by citizenship

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Demographics of the Nordic countries
Demographics of the Nordic countries

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