Population growth at 39 400 in 2019

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As 2020 began, Norway’s population stood at 5 367 580. Population growth for 2019 came in at 39 400.

Written by: Magnus Haug

A stable immigration count, fewer births, and an ageing population. These are among the tendencies showcased by the updated annual and quarterly data from Statistics Norway’s population statistics.

Stable immigration count, fewer births

After the number of immigrations spiked at 79 500 in 2011, it fell quickly in the following years. In 2018, the number was 52 500, whereas the number for 2019 was 52 200. Such a meagre reduction in the number of immigrations has rarely occurred after 2011, when the recent norm has been annual declines in the thousands.

Net immigration for 2019 came in at 25 300, which is a big rise from 2018’s figure of 18 100. Do note, though, that much of this increase is due to special circumstances with regards to the registering of emigrations in 2019. These resulted in the registering of about 5 000 fewer emigrations than would have been the case under normal circumstances and relate to non-Nordic EEA citizens.

Another figure to see declines in recent years is the number of births. The post-millennium peak were the 61 800 births registered in 2009, but a steady decline over the following years has now been marked by another low of 54 500. The excess of births, meanwhile, was 13 800.

Figure 1

Figure 2. Net migration, excess of births, and population growth 1970-2019

Mean age continues rise

As of 1st January 2020, the mean age of the Norwegian population stood at 40,5 years, which is 0,23 years higher than 1st January 2019, and 0,46 years higher than 1st January 2018. From 1971 to 2020, the increase in mean age is exactly five years.

Figure 2. Average age. 1971-2019

År Gjennomsnittsalder
1971 35.51
1972 35.55
1973 35.60
1974 35.68
1975 35.78
1976 35.90
1977 36.05
1978 36.22
1979 36.38
1980 36.54
1981 36.70
1982 36.85
1983 37.00
1984 37.16
1985 37.31
1986 37.44
1987 37.55
1988 37.63
1989 37.67
1990 37.74
1991 37.77
1992 37.81
1993 37.85
1994 37.86
1995 37.93
1996 37.98
1997 38.04
1998 38.10
1999 38.17
2000 38.20
2001 38.28
2002 38.38
2003 38.46
2004 38.57
2005 38.69
2006 38.81
2007 38.91
2008 38.98
2009 39.03
2010 39.09
2011 39.15
2012 39.24
2013 39.31
2014 39.42
2015 39.56
2016 39.71
2017 39.86
2018 40.05
2019 40.28
2020 40.51

During 2019, the number of persons aged 0-5 declined by 5 000, whereas the number of residents aged 80 or more grew by 4 700.

Figure 3. Population 1 January by age group. 1971-2020

År 0-5 years 6-12 years 13-15 years 16-19 years 20-44 years 45-66 years 67-79 years 80 years or more
1971 394122 432162 185606 240759 1196452 1009136 343345 86723
1972 394417 435849 185454 244168 1208271 1011479 349085 89050
1973 392672 441020 184638 246327 1225820 1011385 355071 91301
1974 388026 446481 183844 246614 1243415 1009856 360336 94418
1975 380947 452489 183572 247393 1262723 1006433 366298 97670
1976 369950 459233 183081 247469 1281881 1002233 371898 101356
1977 359256 461730 185128 245740 1303965 995469 378751 105163
1978 345392 462809 188630 245799 1325626 988629 384936 109387
1979 333176 461876 192947 245660 1349903 977889 390853 113830
1980 323374 457239 196763 246506 1373876 966289 397467 117386
1981 314907 451354 198206 250814 1397533 954490 403367 121669
1982 309827 441056 200145 255298 1422174 944069 409062 125432
1983 307932 427356 201619 260450 1445901 935375 413613 130265
1984 306993 413984 200407 264181 1468127 928130 417938 134593
1985 305744 400471 198825 266758 1491172 920285 424012 138578
1986 305669 388166 195647 269359 1515749 913924 428985 141688
1987 307112 378369 192616 268183 1543668 908466 431435 145672
1988 310916 370324 187238 268406 1570607 901114 440550 149133
1989 317646 366078 179535 265602 1592136 901645 445774 152270
1990 326451 363163 171895 258460 1598706 908868 449294 156279
1991 336648 362945 163293 254229 1602278 918718 452294 159425
1992 346423 362866 159036 246019 1604512 938002 453537 163239
1993 354492 364811 157448 235745 1609796 957102 452457 167316
1994 361332 368894 158335 226276 1614190 975037 451046 169705
1995 363999 375596 158007 218532 1617037 993453 448306 173480
1996 365145 383554 157892 214193 1616334 1011308 445030 176503
1997 364967 394331 156842 212467 1614206 1028451 441128 180322
1998 364007 405198 156599 212928 1610129 1047832 436493 184413
1999 362566 414815 156866 213381 1608964 1069027 431289 188421
2000 363539 423446 160173 212949 1609632 1091251 427485 190022
2001 362458 429370 163889 212674 1605850 1115495 416799 196901
2002 358563 432405 170128 213407 1599041 1140915 408148 201459
2003 353730 435762 177202 215714 1598643 1166058 400080 205063
2004 350556 435192 184525 220083 1593297 1190474 394144 209186
2005 349626 432856 188544 227335 1589361 1214707 390779 213155
2006 347815 432455 190203 235513 1590623 1237400 390334 215876
2007 348049 432602 189163 244387 1596946 1260240 391585 218162
2008 351164 430842 188723 252217 1615854 1284643 395134 218594
2009 357451 428010 189664 256305 1638836 1312372 396983 219631
2010 363597 425646 192099 258415 1656097 1337202 405121 220022
2011 368576 424638 192810 259309 1678123 1359812 415884 221153
2012 372428 424921 191488 259718 1703611 1379093 433018 221583
2013 375014 426509 190264 261666 1728068 1396542 451627 221585
2014 375744 428077 190040 262789 1744961 1408723 477962 220760
2015 373954 433578 188886 262481 1759513 1424649 502304 220437
2016 370121 441838 186284 262536 1769024 1439486 524671 220025
2017 366772 447901 185352 262705 1774275 1455310 545022 220980
2018 362601 451079 186608 260605 1776723 1471644 563607 222752
2019 356139 452818 188647 257853 1779999 1487062 579695 225999
2020 351159 451246 191130 255214 1789814 1501597 596710 230710

Artificially low emigration count in 2019

Please note that the number of emigrations by decision in the National Population Register declined sharply in 2019. There were two reasons for that: An internal reorganization which had temporary consequences for the allocation of resources to the control work, and a need to go through the procedures. If the percentage of decision-based emigrations had been the same in 2019 as in the three preceding years, approximately 5 000 more emigrations would have been registered – and the number of residents at the end of the year would have decreased accordingly. This calculation is relevant only for citizens of non-Nordic EEA countries – among others 1 700 Poles and 870 Lithuanians. For citizens of Norway, the other Nordic countries and third countries, the variations in the percentage of emigration decisions is within what one could reasonably expect. Geographically, it looks as if the consequences of the missing emigrations are distributed evenly within Norway. In the 2019 quarterly statistics, the most significant impact occurs in the 4th quarter.

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