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Nearly 10 000 Syrian immigrants in Norway

jobsKarl Johans gate. Photo Norway Today Media.

At the beginning of 2016 there were 698 600 immigrants and 149 700 Norwegian-born to immigrant parents in Norway. The highest relative growth in 2015 was among immigrants from Syria.

The number of immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents grew by 43 200 in 2015, which is the lowest percentage growth since 2006. Asylum seekers who have not yet been granted a residence permit in Norway are not registered as residents in the population register, and thus not included in the statistics.

Immigrants accounted for 13.4 per cent of the total population in Norway as per 1 January 2016, while Norwegian-born to immigrant parents accounted for 2.9 per cent. These two groups have a background from 223 different countries and independent regions.

Polish immigrants still the largest group
The growth in the Polish immigrant group during 2015 was 4 800, which is the lowest percentage growth since 2005. Immigrants from Poland still made up the largest immigrant group in the country, with 95 700 persons, and now constitute almost 14 per cent of immigrants in Norway.

The second largest group of immigrants is made up of Lithuanians, with 37 400 persons. Swedes are in third place with 37 200, followed by Somalians, with 28 300.

Immigrants from Syria have had the relatively highest growth among immigrant groups. At the beginning of 2016 there were 9 700 immigrants from Syria, while the corresponding figure for the previous year was 5 400.

Most Norwegian- born to Pakistani, Somali and Polish parents
Norwegian-born to immigrant parents accounted for 2.9 per cent of the total population in Norway, or 149 700 persons as per 1 January 2016. Those with Pakistani parents made up the largest group of all Norwegian-born to immigrant parents, with 16 500. Norwegian-born to Somali parents were the second largest group (11 800), followed by those with parents from Poland (10 000).

Most in Oslo
Persons with an immigrant background were resident in all Norwegian municipalities. Oslo had the largest population of immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents, both in relative terms and absolute figures. Of Oslo’s 658 400 inhabitants, 163 300 were immigrants and 50 900 were Norwegian-born to immigrant parents as per 1 January 2016. These two figures combined constitute 33 per cent of the capital’s entire population. The proportions in Drammen and Båtsfjord were also high, with 28 and 27 per cent respectively.

All suburbs in Oslo were above the national average of 16.3 per cent. The suburbs with the highest proportions of immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents were Stovner, Søndre Nordstrand and Alna, with over 50 per cent.

 

Source: SBB / Norway Today