Almost half of new immigrants to Norway speak Norwegian at home

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A ‘living conditions’ survey from Statistics Norway (Statistisk sentralbyrå – SSB) shows that 46% of Norway’s immigrants speak Norwegian at home.

In the survey, immigrants from twelve countries are interviewed about attitudes and values, housing, health and economics. Almost half say that they speak Norwegian at home.

‘We see a connection between the length of time spent in Norway and if Norwegian is spoken at home. In many cases it’s as a result of having children who speak Norwegian at home.

The lowest percentage of those speaking Norwegian at home is among people from Afghanistan and Eritrea.

This might be because immigrants from these countries have only lived for a short time in Norway’, said Kjersti Stabell Wiggen, project manager for the survey.

The survey also shows that many immigrants feel as strongly established in Norway as the country they originally came from. Half of the participants responded that they want to stay in Norway in the future.

‘Half said that they feel strongly attached to Norway, and on average immigrant’s felt a greater affiliation to Norway than to the country they originally came from.

It is clearly show for those from Iran, Afghanistan, Vietnam and Iraq,’ said Stabell Wiggen.

Confidence in the political system, the judiciary and the police is as high as, or higher, among immigrants than among the general population, according to the survey.

The countries represented in the survey were Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Eritrea, and Somalia.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today