People are moving out of the cities, new statistics from Statistics Norway (SSB) show. Oslo has the largest population decline.
Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Stavanger, and Tromsø all experienced a decline in population in the second quarter of this year, new SSB figures shows.
The decline occurred despite the fact that the overall population increased by more than 3,600 during the period. Norway’s population now numbers just over 5.4 million.
The decline is primarily due to domestic relocations, i.e., more people moving from cities than to the cities.
Oslo records largest decline
In absolute numbers, Oslo has had the largest relocation loss. While around 7,500 people have moved to the city, 9,600 have moved out.
The figures for both migration to Oslo and relocations from Oslo are the highest that the SSB has ever measured in the second quarter (April-June) since quarterly relocation statistics were introduced in 1997.
At the same time, nearby municipalities such as Lørenskog, Lillestrøm, and Nordre Follo have experienced an increase in population.
“Many choose to settle in nearby municipalities because they still want to have a connection to the city,” Ane Margrete Tømmerås at the SSB noted.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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People may be moving out of Oslo’s inner city, but Lørenskog – I lived in for 4 years – and Lillestrøm are still part of the Oslo megapolis.