According to the main alternative in Statistics Norway’s population projections, the population of Norway will pass 6 million just after 2030, making it the fastest million growth in the country’s history.

Today, the population of Norway stands at 5.2 million. The 5 million mark was passed in 2012, which was 37 years after reaching 4 million in 1975. The population projections show continued growth in the population based on the assumption that immigration will continue to exceed emigration and that the number of births will still be higher than the number of deaths.

In the main alternative, 6 million will be passed just after 2030, which means a growth of 1 million in less than 20 years. This is the quickest million ever reached in Norway’s history. Looking further ahead, we expect continued growth, but at a slower pace than before. We will pass the 7 million mark by 2060, and reach 8 million before 2090 according to the main alternative.

The main alternative shows the development when assuming a medium development in fertility, life expectancy, internal migration and immigration. This assumes that the current fertility level will remain at around 1.7 children per woman, that life expectancy will increase by around seven years for men and five years for women by 2060, that the internal migration pattern of recent decades will continue, and that net migration in the long term will be between 25 000 and 30 000.

SSB assume that central areas will see the highest population growth, and that Norway’s cities will grow considerably. In the main alternative, the populations of Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim will surpass 700 000, 300 000 and 200 000 respectively over the next ten years. Strong growth will also be seen in many of the municipalities situated near regional centres.

Read the full article: www.ssb.no

Photo: CH/Visitnorway.com