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

Historical populations
Year	Pop.	±%
1665	440,000	—
1769	723,618	+64.5%
1801	883,603	+22.1%
1825	1,051,318	+19.0%
1835	1,194,827	+13.7%
1855	1,490,047	+24.7%
1875	1,813,424	+21.7%
1900	2,240,032	+23.5%
1910	2,391,782	+6.8%
1920	2,649,775	+10.8%
1930	2,814,194	+6.2%
1946	3,156,950	+12.2%
1950	3,278,546	+3.9%
1955	3,408,161	+4.0%
1960	3,570,554	+4.8%
1965	3,708,609	+3.9%
1970	3,866,468	+4.3%
1975	3,997,525	+3.4%
1980	4,078,900	+2.0%
1985	4,145,845	+1.6%
1990	4,233,116	+2.1%
1995	4,348,410	+2.7%
2000	4,478,497	+3.0%
2060?	7,032,687	+57.0%
Source: Statistics Norway [1] [2].

The total population of Norway on January 1st, 2011 was 4,920,305. Population growth in 2010 was 1.2%.

Population growth rate in 2010

• Norway:1.2%

• Northern Norway: 0.5%
• Trøndelag:0.9%
• Southern Norway:1.2%
• Eastern Norway:1.3%
• Western Norway:1.4%

Vital statistics

Births and deaths ^[1]

	Average population (x 1000)	Live births	Deaths	Natural change	Crude birth rate (per 1000)	Crude death rate (per 1000)	Natural change (per 1000)
1900	2 231	66 229	35 345	30 884	29.7	15.8	13.8
1901	2 255	67 303	33 821	33 482	29.8	15.0	14.8
1902	2 276	66 494	31 670	34 824	29.2	13.9	15.3
1903	2 288	65 470	33 847	31 623	28.6	14.8	13.8
1904	2 298	64 143	32 895	31 248	27.9	14.3	13.6
1905	2 309	62 601	34 050	28 551	27.1	14.7	12.4
1906	2 319	62 091	31 668	30 423	26.8	13.7	13.1
1907	2 329	61 302	33 345	27 957	26.3	14.3	12.0
1908	2 346	61 686	33 366	28 320	26.3	14.2	12.1
1909	2 368	63 324	32 111	31 213	26.7	13.6	13.2
1910	2 384	61 486	32 207	29 279	25.8	13.5	12.3
1911	2 401	61 727	31 691	30 036	25.7	13.2	12.5
1912	2 423	61 409	32 663	28 746	25.3	13.5	11.9
1913	2 447	61 294	32 442	28 852	25.0	13.3	11.8
1914	2 472	62 111	33 280	28 831	25.1	13.5	11.7
1915	2 498	58 975	33 425	25 550	23.6	13.4	10.2
1916	2 522	61 120	34 910	26 210	24.2	13.8	10.4
1917	2 551	63 969	34 699	29 270	25.1	13.6	11.5
1918	2 578	63 468	44 218	19 250	24.6	17.2	7.5
1919	2 603	59 486	35 821	23 665	22.9	13.8	9.1
1920	2 635	69 326	33 634	35 692	26.3	12.8	13.5
1921	2 668	64 610	30 698	33 912	24.2	11.5	12.7
1922	2 695	62 908	32 484	30 424	23.3	12.1	11.3
1923	2 713	61 731	31 543	30 188	22.8	11.6	11.1
1924	2 729	58 021	30 850	27 171	21.3	11.3	10.0
1925	2 747	54 066	30 481	23 585	19.7	11.1	8.6
1926	2 763	54 163	29 933	24 230	19.6	10.8	8.8
1927	2 775	50 175	31 141	19 034	18.1	11.2	6.9
1928	2 785	49 881	30 301	19 580	17.9	10.9	7.0
1929	2 795	48 372	32 023	16 349	17.3	11.5	5.8
1930	2 807	47 844	29 616	18 228	17.0	10.5	6.5
1931	2 824	45 989	30 674	15 315	16.3	10.9	5.4
1932	2 842	45 451	30 102	15 349	16.0	10.6	5.4
1933	2 858	42 114	28 943	13 171	14.7	10.1	4.6
1934	2 874	41 833	28 340	13 493	14.6	9.9	4.7
1935	2 889	41 321	29 747	11 574	14.3	10.3	4.0
1936	2 904	42 240	30 100	12 140	14.5	10.4	4.2
1937	2 919	43 808	30 217	13 591	15.0	10.4	4.7
1938	2 936	45 319	29 211	16 108	15.4	9.9	5.5
1939	2 954	46 603	29 870	16 733	15.8	10.1	5.7
1940	2 973	47 943	32 045	15 898	16.1	10.8	5.3
1941	2 990	45 773	32 209	13 564	15.3	10.8	4.5
1942	3 009	53 225	32 062	21 163	17.7	10.7	7.0
1943	3 032	57 281	31 623	25 658	18.9	10.4	8.5
1944	3 060	62 241	32 652	29 589	20.3	10.7	9.7
1945	3 091	61 814	30 030	31 784	20.0	9.7	10.3
1946	3 127	70 727	29 220	41 507	22.6	9.3	13.3
1947	3 165	67 625	29 894	37 731	21.4	9.4	11.9
1948	3 201	65 618	28 375	37 243	20.5	8.9	11.6
1949	3 234	63 052	29 082	33 970	19.5	9.0	10.5
1950	3 265	62 410	29 699	32 711	19.1	9.1	10.0
1951	3 296	60 571	27 736	32 835	18.4	8.4	10.0
1952	3 328	62 543	28 417	34 126	18.8	8.5	10.3
1953	3 361	62 985	28 412	34 573	18.7	8.5	10.3
1954	3 394	62 739	29 158	33 581	18.5	8.6	9.9
1955	3 427	63 552	29 099	34 453	18.5	8.5	10.1
1956	3 460	64 171	29 981	34 190	18.5	8.7	9.9
1957	3 492	63 063	30 560	32 503	18.1	8.8	9.3
1958	3 523	62 985	31 645	31 340	17.9	9.0	8.9
1959	3 553	63 005	31 761	31 244	17.7	8.9	8.8
1960	3 581	61 880	32 543	29 337	17.3	9.1	8.2
1961	3 610	62 555	33 313	29 242	17.3	9.2	8.1
1962	3 639	62 254	34 318	27 936	17.1	9.4	7.7
1963	3 667	63 290	36 850	26 440	17.3	10.0	7.2
1964	3 694	65 570	35 171	30 399	17.8	9.5	8.2
1965	3 723	66 277	35 317	30 960	17.8	9.5	8.3
1966	3 753	67 061	36 010	31 051	17.9	9.6	8.3
1967	3 785	66 779	36 216	30 563	17.6	9.6	8.1
1968	3 819	67 350	37 668	29 682	17.6	9.9	7.8
1969	3 851	67 746	38 994	28 752	17.6	10.1	7.5
1970	3 877	64 551	38 723	25 828	16.6	10.0	6.7
1971	3 903	65 550	38 981	26 569	16.8	10.0	6.8
1972	3 933	64 260	39 375	24 885	16.3	10.0	6.3
1973	3 961	61 208	39 958	21 250	15.5	10.1	5.4
1974	3 985	59 603	39 464	20 139	15.0	9.9	5.1
1975	4 007	56 345	40 061	16 284	14.1	10.0	4.1
1976	4 026	53 474	40 216	13 258	13.3	10.0	3.3
1977	4 043	50 877	39 824	11 053	12.6	9.9	2.7
1978	4 059	51 749	40 682	11 067	12.7	10.0	2.7
1979	4 073	51 580	41 632	9 948	12.7	10.2	2.4
1980	4 086	51 039	41 340	9 699	12.5	10.1	2.4
1981	4 100	50 708	41 893	8 815	12.4	10.2	2.2
1982	4 115	51 245	41 454	9 791	12.5	10.1	2.4
1983	4 128	49 937	42 224	7 713	12.1	10.2	1.9
1984	4 140	50 274	42 528	7 746	12.1	10.3	1.9
1985	4 153	51 134	44 372	6 762	12.3	10.7	1.6
1986	4 167	52 514	43 560	8 954	12.6	10.5	2.1
1987	4 187	54 027	44 959	9 068	12.9	10.7	2.2
1988	4 209	57 526	45 354	12 172	13.7	10.8	2.9
1989	4 227	59 303	45 173	14 130	14.0	10.7	3.3
1990	4 241	60 939	46 021	14 918	14.4	10.9	3.5
1991	4 262	60 808	44 923	15 885	14.3	10.5	3.7
1992	4 286	60 109	44 731	15 378	14.0	10.4	3.6
1993	4 312	59 678	46 597	13 081	13.8	10.8	3.0
1994	4 325	59 200	44 076	15 124	13.7	10.2	3.5
1995	4 359	60 292	45 190	15 102	13.8	10.4	3.5
1996	4 381	60 927	43 860	17 067	13.9	10.0	3.9
1997	4 405	59 801	44 595	15 206	13.6	10.1	3.5
1998	4 431	58 130	44 045	14 085	13.1	9.9	3.2
1999	4 462	59 191	45 139	14 052	13.3	10.1	3.1
2000	4 491	59 229	44 225	15 004	13.2	9.8	3.3
2001	4 514	56 674	44 153	12 521	12.6	9.8	2.8
2002	4 538	55 445	44 711	10 734	12.2	9.9	2.4
2003	4 565	56 496	42 788	13 708	12.4	9.4	3.0
2004	4 592	56 959	41 635	15 324	12.4	9.1	3.3
2005	4 623	56 756	41 232	15 524	12.3	8.9	3.4
2006	4 661	58 545	41 068	17 477	12.6	8.8	3.7
2007	4 709	58 459	41 954	16 505	12.4	8.9	3.5
2008	4 768	60 497	41 712	18 785	12.7	8.7	3.9
2009	4 829	61 807	41 449	20 358	12.8	8.6	4.2
2010	4 889	61 442	41 500	19 942	12.6	8.5	4.1
2011	4 920	-	-	-	-	-	-

Total fertility rate

Norway has one of the highest fertility rates in Europe. Norwegian women had as many as 4.6 children in average in the late 19th century; more than ten children was not unusual. Later, it has decreased dramatically from 2.7 in the late 1960s to 1.6 in the early 1980s, however it has increased to almost 2.0 today.

1.98 children born/woman (2009)^[2]

1.96 born/woman (2010 est)

1968-1969	1971-1975	1976-1980	1981-1985	1986-1990	1991-1995	1996-2000	2001-2005	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
2.72	2.24	1.77	1.68	1.82	1.88	1.85	1.80	1.84	1.90	1.90	1.96	1.98

County	Fertility rate
Østfold	2.01
Akershus	1.99
Oslo	1.88
Hedmark	1.92
Oppland	1.87
Buskerud	1.91
Vestfold	1.84
Telemark	1.79
Aust-Agder	2.03
Vest-Agder	2.16
Rogaland	2.18
Hordaland	2.03
Sogn og Fjordane	2.10
Møre og Romsdal	2.13
Sør-Trøndelag	1.96
Nord-Trøndelag	2.12
Nordland	2.02
Troms	1.98
Finnmark	2.14

TFR for Norwegian residents by country of birth in 2004: Norway (1.8), Somalia (4.4), Iraq (4.3), Morocco (3.6), Pakistan (3.2), Turkey (2.3), Iran (1.6), Vietnam (2.0), Sri Lanka (2.7), India (1.8), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (1.7). [3]

Ethnicity

Ethnically, the residents of Norway are predominantly ethnic Norwegians who are of North Germanic / Nordic descent, although there are communities of the Scandanivian native people Sami 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 (“Gypsy”), Jews, and Kvener, as well as a small Finnish community.

In recent years, Norway has become home to increasing numbers of immigrants, foreign workers, and asylum-seekers from various parts of the world (mostly from Europe and Asia). Norway had a steady influx of immigrants from Pakistan, East Asia (mainly the Chinese and Filipinos), Eastern Europe (i.e. Russians from Russia), Southern Europe (Greeks, Albanians from Kosovo, and former Yugoslavians), and Middle Eastern countries (Arabs, especially Iraqis and Palestinians), 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 an influx of people from Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

See also: Immigration to Norway

Country of origin	Population (2011)[3]
Poland	60,610
Sweden	34,108
Pakistan	31,884
Iraq	27,827
Somalia	27,523
Germany	24,394
Vietnam	20,452
Denmark	19,522
Iran	16,957
Turkey	16,430
Lithuania	16,309
Bosnia-Herzegovina	16,125
Russia	15,879

Immigration

Main article: Immigration to Norway

Religion

Main article: Religion in Norway

The Lutheran Church of Norway is the 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 statistics (2010): Lutheran 80.6%, other Christian 3.6% (mainly Protestant [1.3%] and Roman Catholic) [1.3%]), Islam 2.0%, other religions (Buddhism 0.2%, Sikhism 0.0%, Hinduism 0.1%, and Judaism 0.0%), Human Ethical 1.7%, none and unknown 13.2%.

Religion	Members	Percent	As of 2010[4]
Christianity	4,093,358	84.2%
Lutheranism	3,919,571	80.6%
Catholicism	66,972	1.3%
Pentecostalism	39,923	0.8%
Jehovah's Witnesses	11,640	0.2%
Methodism	11,082	0.2%
Baptism	9,749	0.2%
Orthodoxy	8,492	0.1%
Seventh-day Adventist Church	5,136	0.1%
Other Christianity	20,793	0.4%
Non-Christian religions	121,321	2.4%
Islam	98,953	2.0%
Buddhism	13,376	0.2%
Hinduism	5,175	0.1%
Sikhism	1,037	0.02%
Bahá'í Faith	1,012	0.02%
Judaism	818	0.02%
Other religions	950	0.02%
Non-religious and unknown	643,520	13.2%
Humanism	82,890	1.7%
Total	4,858,199	100.0%

Genetics

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.^[5]

• I ~ 55%
• R1 ~ 35%
• NOP ~ 5%
• Other Haplogroups ~ 5%

Mitochondrial DNA

Mitochondrial DNA mtDNA represents the female lineage, Haplogroup H represent about 40% of the Norwegian mitochondrial DNA lineages^[6]

• H ~ 40%
• JT ~ 23%
• UK ~ 22%
• IWX ~ 5%
• V ~ 5%
• Other lineages ~ 5%

CIA World Factbook demographic statistics

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.

Population

4,960,700 (November 22, 2011)

1860: 1,583,525
1910: 2,376,952
1960: 3,570,554
2010: 4,858,199
2060?: 7,032,687

Population - comparative

slightly larger than British Columbia, but slightly smaller than Singapore and Eritrea.

Age structure

(2011 est.)
0–14 years: 18.8% (male 472,060; female 449,649)
15–64 years: 66.2% (male 1,662,852; female 1,593,501)
65 years and over: 15.0% (male 325,937; female 416,306)

Historical age structure

(1860 est.)
0–14 years: 35.9% (male 288,510; female 280,249)
15–64 years: 58.0% (male 446,391; female 472,405)
65 years and over: 6.1% (male 42,130; female 53,840)

(1910 est.)
0–14 years: 35.0% (male 423,253; female 408,204)
15–64 years: 57.3% (male 640,835; female 722,443)
65 years and over: 7.7% (male 82,312; female 99,905)

(1960 est.)
0–14 years: 26.0% (male 476,748; female 452,559)
15–64 years: 63.0% (male 1,125,525; female 1,123,206)
65 years and over: 11.0% (male 175,485; female 214,184)

(2010 est.)
0–14 years: 18.9% (male 470,253; female 447,472)
15–64 years: 66.2% (male 1,641,821; female 1,575,980)
65 years and over: 14.9% (male 314,678; female 407,995)

(2060 est.)
0–14 years: 17.4% (male 628,729; female 596,683)
15–64 years: 58.7% (male 2,114,792; female 2,016,030)
65 years and over: 23.9% (male 805,111; female 871,342)

Median age

(2010 est.)
total: 39.7 years
male: 38.8 years
female: 40.5 years

Population growth rate - comparative

Slightly higher than Arkansas and Samoa, but slightly lower than Liechtenstein and New Zealand.

Urbanization

(2011 est.)
urban population: 79.2% of total population (2005-10 est.)
rate of urbanization: 0.7% annual rate of change

Sex ratio

(2004 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.83 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female

Infant mortality rate

(2005)
total: 3.1 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth

(2010)
total population: 81.04 years
male: 78.85 years
female: 83.15 years

Language

Main article: Norwegian language

Official languages

Norwegian (the written standards Bokmål and Nynorsk).
Five Uralic languages – Finnish, South Sami, Lule Sami, North Sami and Kven – are additional official languages of some municipalities.

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: NA%
female: NA%

See also

• Norway
• Norsk Wikipedia (Nynorsk)
• Norsk Wikipedia (Bokmål)
• Demographics of Svalbard
• Aging of Europe

References

1. ^ Statistics Norway
2. ^ Statistics Norway - Total fertility rate1, women, by county. 1968-2009
3. ^ "Population 1 January 2009 and 2010 and changes in 2009, by immigration category and country background. Absolute figures". Statistics Norway. 2010. http://www.ssb.no/emner/02/01/10/innvbef/tab-2011-04-28-01.html. 
4. ^ Statistics Norway - Church of Norway and other religious and philosophical communities
5. ^ Helgason et al. 2000, Zerjal et al. 2001, Passarino et al. 2002, Rootsi et al. 2004, Dupuy et al. 2006, Lindqvist et al. 2006
6. ^ Passarino et al. 2002, Loogväli et al. 2004, Tambets et al. 2004, Lappalainen et al. 2006