Product Code Database
Oslo( , , ( or ; , , ) is the Capital city and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022, and the metropolitan area had an estimated population of in 2021.
During the Viking Age, the area was part of Viken. Oslo was founded as a city at the end of the Viking Age in 1040 under the name Ánslo, and established as a kjobstad or trading place in 1048 by Harald Hardrada. The city was elevated to a bishopric in 1070 and a capital under Haakon V of Norway around the year 1300. with Denmark from Kalmar Union and again from 1536 to 1814 reduced its influence. After being destroyed by a fire in 1624, during the reign of King Christian IV, a new city was built closer to Akershus Fortress and named Christiania in honour of the king. It became a municipality ( formannskapsdistrikt) on 1 January 1838. The city functioned as the capital of Norway during the 1814–1905 union between Sweden and Norway. From 1877, the city's name was spelled Kristiania in government usage, a spelling that was adopted by the municipal authorities in 1897, although 'Christiania' was also used. In 1925, the city, after incorporating the village retaining its former name, was renamed 'Oslo'. In 1948, Oslo merged with Aker, a municipality which surrounded the capital and which was 27 times larger, thus creating the modern, much larger Oslo municipality.
Oslo is the economic and governmental centre of Norway. The city is also a hub of Norwegian trade, banking, industry and shipping. It is an important centre for maritime industries and maritime trade in Europe. The city is home to many companies within the maritime sector, some of which are among the world's largest shipping companies, shipbrokers and maritime insurance brokers. Oslo is a pilot city of the Council of Europe and the European Commission intercultural cities programme.
Oslo is considered a global city and was ranked "Beta World City" in studies carried out by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network in 2008. It was ranked number one in terms of quality of life among European large cities in the European Cities of the Future 2012 report by fDi magazine. A survey conducted by ECA International in 2011 placed Oslo as the second most expensive city in the world for living expenses after Tokyo. In 2013, Oslo tied with the Australia city of Melbourne as the fourth most expensive city in the world, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)'s Worldwide Cost of Living study. Oslo was ranked as the 24th most liveable city in the world by Monocle magazine.
Oslo's population was increasing at record rates during the early 2000s, making it the fastest growing major city in Europe at the time. This growth stems for the most part from international immigration and related high birth rates, but also from intra-national migration. By 2010 the immigrant population in the city was growing somewhat faster than the Norwegians population, and in the city proper this had become more than 25% of the total population if the children of immigrant parents were included.
To the north and east, wide forested hills ( Marka) rise above the city giving the location the shape of a giant amphitheatre. The urban municipality ( bykommune) of Oslo and county ( fylke) of Oslo are two parts of the same entity, making Oslo the only city in Norway where two administrative levels are integrated. Of Oslo's total area, is built-up and is agricultural. The open areas within the built-up zone amount to .
The city of Oslo was established as a municipality on 3 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). It was separated from the county of Akershus to become a county of its own in 1842. The rural municipality of Aker was merged with Oslo on 1 January 1948 (and simultaneously transferred from Akershus county to Oslo county). Furthermore, Oslo shares several important functions with Akershus county.
| + Boroughs as defined in January 2004 by the city council | |||
| Alna | 50,378 | 13.7 | 12 |
| Bjerke | 36,460 | 7.7 | 9 |
| Frogner | 60,646 | 8.3 | 5 |
| Gamle Oslo | 63,712 | 7.5 | 1 |
| Grorud | 28,065 | 8.2 | 10 |
| Grünerløkka | 65,577 | 4.8 | 2 |
| Nordre Aker | 54,199 | 13.6 | 8 |
| Nordstrand | 53,969 | 16.9 | 14 |
| Sagene | 47,660 | 3.1 | 3 |
| St. Hanshaugen | 40,095 | 3.6 | 4 |
| Stovner | 34,158 | 8.2 | 11 |
| Søndre Nordstrand | 39,069 | 18.4 | 15 |
| Ullern | 35,425 | 9 | 6 |
| Vestre Aker | 51,869 | 16.6 | 7 |
| Østensjø | 51,785 | 12.2 | 13 |
| Overall | 717,710 | 151.8 |
The nine municipalities directly included in the Urban area of Oslo.
| 65,2 % |
| 11,9 % |
| 6,6 % |
| 5,7 % |
| 4,3 % |
| 3,8 % |
| 1,4 % |
| 1,0 % |
| 0,2 % |
| 100,0 % |
Aftenposten, 12 October 2014, p. 15.
[http://www.osloby.no/nyheter/Han-har-kartlagt-Christianias-karthistorie-7810898.html Han har kartlagt Christianias karthistorie]
,
''Osloby'',
8 December 2014.
The Old Town is an area within the administrative district Gamle Oslo. The previous names are reflected in street names like Oslo gate (Oslo street)
Knut Are Tvedt, red. (2000). ''«Oslo gate». Oslo byleksikon'' (4. utg.). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Page 324.
.
and Oslo hospital.
Pål Abrahamsen et al. (red.): ''Fra dollhus til moderne psykiatri. Oslo Hospital 1538 – 1988.'' Selskapet for Oslo bys vel. Oslo 1988.
Erroneously, it was once assumed that Oslo meant "the mouth of the Lo river", a supposed previous name for the Alnaelva. Not only has no evidence been found of a river "Lo" predating the work where Peder Claussøn Friis first proposed this etymology, but the very name is ungrammatical in Norwegian: the correct form would have been Loaros (cf. Nidaros). The name Lo is now believed to be a back-formation arrived at by Friis in support of his idea etymology for Oslo. "Alna – elv i Oslo" , In: Store Norske Leksikon (in Norwegian).
According to the Norse , Oslo was founded around 1049 by Harald Hardrada. Recent archaeological research, however, uncovered Christian burials which could be dated to prior to AD 1000, evidence of a preceding urban settlement. This called for the celebration of Oslo's millennium in 2000 rather than 2049.
In 1174, Hovedøya Abbey was built. The churches and abbeys became major owners of large tracts of land, which proved important for the city's economic development, especially before the Black Death.
At the end of the 12th century, Hanseatic League traders from Rostock moved into the city and gained major influence in the city.
On 25 July 1197, Sverre of Norway and his soldiers attacked Oslo from Hovedøya.
During the Middle Ages, Oslo reached new heights during the reign of Haakon V of Norway (1299–1319). He was the first king to reside permanently in the city, and it has been regarded as the capital city of Norway since his reign. He also started the construction of the Akershus Fortress and the Oslo Kongsgård.
The Black Death came to Norway in 1349 and, like other cities in Europe, the city suffered greatly. The churches' earnings from their land dropped so much that the Hanseatic traders dominated the city's foreign trade in the 15th century.
In 1380, Norway was the weaker part in a personal union with Denmark, and Oslo's role was reduced to that of provincial administrative centre, with the monarchs residing in Copenhagen.
The transformation of Christiania went slowly for the first hundred years. However, outside of the city at Vaterland, Grønland, and the old town of Oslo, a new, unmanaged part of the city arose populated by citizens of lower class status.
The last Black Death outbreak in Oslo occurred in 1654.
Large areas of the surrounding Aker municipality were incorporated in 1839, 1859, and 1878. The 1859 expansion included Grünerløkka, Grønland, and Oslo. At that time the area called Oslo (now Gamlebyen or Old Town) was a village or suburb outside the city borders east of Aker river.Boye, Else: Christiania 1814–1905. Oslo: Grøndahl, 1976. The population increased from approximately 10.000 in 1814 to 230.000 in 1900. In 1850, Christiania overtook Bergen and became the most populous city in the country. Christiania expanded its industry from 1840, most importantly around Akerselva. There was a spectacular building boom during the last decades of the 19th century, with many new apartment buildings and renewal of the city center, but the boom collapsed in 1899.
In 1877 the city was renamed Kristiania.
The municipality developed new areas such as Ullevål garden city (1918–1926) and Torshov (1917–1925). City Hall was constructed in the former slum area of Vika from 1931 to 1950. In 1948, Oslo merged with Aker, a municipality which surrounded the capital and was 27 times larger, thus creating the modern, vastly enlarged Oslo municipality. At the time, Aker was a mostly affluent, green suburban community, and the merger was unpopular in Aker. Other suburbs, such as Lambertseter, began to be developed in the 1950s. Aker Brygge was constructed on the site of the former shipyard, Aker ASA, from 1982 to 1998.
Norway was invaded by Germany on 9 April 1940. Efforts to stop the invasion, most notably the sinking of the Blücher, delayed the occupation of Oslo for several hours which allowed King Haakon to escape the city. Oslo remained occupied throughout the war until Germany capitulated in 1945. During this time, the occupying troops were harried by saboteurs in acts of resistance. On 31 December 1944, allied bombers missed their intended target and hit a tram, resulting in 79 civilian deaths.
During the 2011 Norway attacks, Oslo was hit by a bomb blast that ripped through the Government Quarter, damaging several buildings including the building that houses the Office of the Prime Minister. Eight people died in the bomb attack.
On 25 June 2022, two people were killed and 21 others injured in a mass shooting. An Iranian-born Norwegian citizen was subsequently charged with "aggravated terrorism".
The city has continued to expand. For a few years, new large scale housing areas and infrastructure projects are being built and planned across the city, notably in Hasle, Helsfyr,Bjørvika, Nydalen and Sinsen, this is increasing the density in and around Ring 2 and Ring 3. The Fornebu Line on the metro is under construction as of 2024, and further subway lines crossing the inner city are being planned.
Although Eastern Norway has a number of rivers, none of these flow into the ocean at Oslo. Instead Oslo has two smaller rivers: Akerselva (draining Maridalsvannet, which flows into the fjord in Bjørvika), and Alna River. The waterfalls in Akerselva gave power to some of the first modern industry of Norway in the 1840s. Later in the century, the river became the symbol of the stable and consistent economic and social divide of the city into an East End and a West End; the labourers' neighbourhoods lie on both sides of the river, and the divide in reality follows Uelands street a bit further west. River Alna flows through Groruddalen, Oslo's major suburb and industrial area. The highest point is Kirkeberget, at . Although the city's population is small compared to most European capitals, it occupies an unusually large land area, of which two-thirds are of forests, hills and lakes. Its boundaries encompass many parks and open areas, giving it an airy and green appearance.
The warmest month on record is July 1901 with mean , and the all-time high was also recorded in July 1901. The warmest month in more recent years is July 2018 with mean and average daily high . The record summer of 2018 also recorded the warmest May and May all-time high with on 30th, and 2018 was even the sunniest year on record with 2133 sunhours. On 27 July 2018, the temperature in Oslo rose to , the hottest recorded since 1937, when weather recordings started at Blindern. In January, on average three out of four days are below freezing () and one out of four days is colder than (1961–1990). The coldest temperature recorded is , on 21 January 1841, while the coldest recorded at Blindern is in January 1941. The coldest temperature more recently was on 6 January 2024, where the temperature reached -23.1 °C (-17 °F) at Oslo-Blindern, which is the coldest measured temperature since January 1987. The coldest month on record is January 1941 and also January 1947 with mean and average daily low . The average date for the last overnight freeze (low below ) in spring is 23 April and average date for first freeze in autumn is 17 October giving a frost-free season of 176 days (1981–2010 average for Blindern). Oslo sits right on the border between hardiness zones 7a and 7b.
Oslo Gardermoen airport is located 35 km northeast of Oslo and has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfb) bordering on a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfc).
The municipality operates eight public swimming pools. Tøyenbadet is the largest indoor swimming facility in Oslo and one of the few pools in Norway offering a 50-metre main pool. Another in that size is the outdoor pool Frognerbadet.
When Christiania was made capital of Norway in 1814, there were practically no buildings suitable for the many new government institutions. An ambitious building program was initiated, but realised very slowly because of economic constraints. The first major undertaking was the Royal Palace, designed by Hans Linstow and built between 1824 and 1848. Linstow also planned Karl Johans gate, the avenue connecting the Palace and the city, with a monumental square halfway to be surrounded by buildings for Oslo University, the Stortinget (Storting) and other institutions. Only the university buildings were realised according to this plan. Christian Heinrich Grosch, one of the first architects educated completely within Norway, designed the original building for the Oslo Stock Exchange (1826–1828), the local branch of the Bank of Norway (1828), Christiania Theatre (1836–1837), and the first campus for the University of Oslo (1841–1856). For the university buildings, he sought the assistance of the German architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel. German architectural influence persisted in Norway, and many wooden buildings followed the principles of Neoclassicism. In Oslo, the German architect Alexis de Chateauneuf designed Trefoldighetskirken, the first neo-gothic church, completed by von Hanno in 1858.
A number of landmark buildings, particularly in Oslo, were built in the Functionalist style (better known in the US and Britain as Modernist), the first being (1925–1927) by Lars Backer, demolished in 1970. Backer also designed the restaurant at Ekeberg, which opened in 1929. Kunstnernes Hus art gallery by Gudolf Blakstad and Herman Munthe-Kaas (1930) still shows the influence of the preceding classicist trend of the 1920s. The redevelopment of Gardermoen (by the Aviaplan consortium) at Gardermoen, which opened in 1998, was Norway's largest construction project to date.
| + Oslo City Council after 2023 |
| +5 |
| -1 |
| -3 |
| 0 |
| +2 |
| +1 |
| 0 |
| 0 |
| +1 |
| 59 |
Constituting both a municipality and a county of Norway, the city of Oslo is represented in the Storting by twenty members of parliament. The Conservative Party is the most represented party in Oslo with five members, the Labour Party has four, the Liberals and the Socialist Left Party have three each; the Green Party, the Red Party have two each and the Progress Party has one.
The combined municipality and county of Oslo has had a parliamentary system of government since 1986. The supreme authority of the city is the City Council ( Bystyret), which has 59 seats. Representatives are popularly elected every four years. The city council has five standing committees, each having its own areas of responsibility.
The Mayor of Oslo chairs the city council and is the highest ranking representative of the city. Because of Oslo's parliamentary system, its mayor fulfills different needs than that of many other cities. Therefore, one of the mayor's most important roles is that of the ceremonial head of the city and its public face, similar to that of the President of the Storting at the national level. The Mayor of Oslo is Anne Lindboe.
The Governing Mayor of Oslo is the head of the City government. The post was created with the implementation of parliamentarism in Oslo and is similar to the role of the prime minister at the national level. The governing mayor is Eirik Lae Solberg.
Oslo is an important centre of maritime knowledge in Europe and is home to approximately 1980 companies and 8,500 employees within the maritime sector. Some of them are the world's largest shipping companies, , and . Oslo Teknopol Mal Det Norske Veritas, headquartered at Høvik outside Oslo, is one of the three major maritime classification societies in the world, with 16.5% of the world fleet to class in its register. The city's port is the largest general cargo port in the country and its leading passenger gateway. Close to 6,000 ships dock at the Port of Oslo annually with a total of 6 million tonnes of cargo and over five million passengers.
The GDP of Oslo totaled €64 billion (€96,000 per capita) in 2016, which amounted to 20% of the national GDP. This compares with Norwegian krone253 billion (€23 billion) in 1995 (adjusting for 2016 inflation). The metropolitan area, bar Moss and Drammen, contributed 25% of the national GDP in 2003 and was also responsible for more than one quarter of . In comparison, total tax revenues from the oil and gas industry on the Norwegian Continental Shelf amounted to about 16%.
Oslo is one of the most expensive cities in the world. , it is ranked tenth according to the Worldwide Cost of Living Survey provided by Mercer Human Resource Consulting and first according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The reason for this discrepancy is that the EIU omits certain factors from its final index calculation, most notably housing. In the 2015 update of the EIU's Worldwide Cost of Living survey, Oslo now ranks as the third most expensive city in the world. Although Oslo does have the most expensive housing market in Norway, it is comparably cheaper than other cities on the list in that regard. Meanwhile, prices on goods and services remain some of the highest of any city. Oslo hosts 2654 of the largest companies in Norway. Within the ranking of Europe's largest cities ordered by their number of companies Oslo is in fifth position. A whole group of oil and gas companies is situated in Oslo.
According to a report compiled by Swiss bank UBS in the month of August 2006, Yahoo! News Oslo and London were the world's most expensive cities.
The City of Oslo has set the goal of becoming a low carbon city, and reducing Greenhouse gas 95% from 1990 levels by 2030. The climate action plan for the Port of Oslo includes implementing a low-carbon contracting process, and installing Shorepower for vessels which are docked.
By October 2022, Oslo had an extensive network of bicycle lanes and tram lines, most of its ferry boats had been electrified, and the city was "on course to become the first capital city in the world with an all-electric public transport system", including e-buses.
The level of education and productivity in the workforce is high in Norway. Nearly half of those with education at tertiary level in Norway live in the Oslo region, placing it among Europe's top three regions in relation to education. In 2008, the total workforce in the greater Oslo region (5 counties) numbered 1,020,000 people. The greater Oslo region has several higher educational institutions and is home to more than 73,000 students. The University of Oslo is the largest institution for higher education in Norway with 27,400 students and 7,028 employees in total.
As of March 2018 six Oslo restaurants were mentioned in the Michelin Guide. Maaemo is the only Norwegian restaurant ever to have been awarded three Michelin stars. Statholdergaarden, Kontrast, and Galt each have one star. Only two restaurants in Oslo have a BIB gourmand mention: Restaurant Eik and Smalhans.
Due to its proximity to the North Sea, fish and seafood are a staple component of cuisine in Oslo. Many restaurants also serve game meat year round.
Folkemuseet is located on the Bygdøy peninsula and is dedicated to Folk art, Folk Dress, Sami people culture and the viking culture. The outdoor museum contains 155 authentic old buildings from all parts of Norway, including a Stave Church.
The Vigeland Museum located in the large Frogner Park, is free to access and contains over 212 sculptures by Gustav Vigeland including an obelisk and the Wheel of Life. Another popular sculpture is Sinnataggen, a baby boy stamping his foot in fury. This statue is very well known as an icon in the city. There is also a newer landscaped sculpture park, Ekebergparken Sculpture Park, with works by Norwegian and international artists such as Salvador Dalí. Ekebergparken Sculpture Park Homepage The Viking Ship Museum features three found at Oseberg, Gokstad and Tune and several other unique items from the Viking Age. The museum is currently closed for renovation, but will open again in 2026. The new museum will be called Museum of the Viking Age, and has plans to feature more viking items than at the old location.
The Oslo City Museum holds a permanent exhibition about the people in Oslo and the history of the city.
The Kon-Tiki Museum houses Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-tiki and Ra II.
The Fram Museum features items from arctic and antarctic expeditions, including the wooden ship Fram used by Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen during their expeditions.
The National Museum holds and preserves, exhibits and promotes public knowledge about Norway's most extensive collection of art. The museum shows permanent exhibitions of works from its own collections but also temporary exhibitions that incorporate work loaned from elsewhere. The National Museums exhibition avenues are the National Gallery, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the National Museum, the Museum of Decorative Arts and the National Museum of Architecture. A new National Museum in Oslo will open in 2020 located at Vestbanen behind the Nobel Peace Center.
The Nobel Peace Center is an independent organisation opened on 11 June 2005 by the King Harald V as part of the celebrations to mark Norway's centenary as an independent country. The building houses a permanent exhibition, expanding every year when a new Nobel Peace Prize winner is announced, containing information of every winner in history. The building is mainly used as a communication centre.
The Peace prize is headed by the Institute; the award ceremony is held annually in The City Hall on 10 December. Even though Sami people land is far away from the capital, the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History marks the Sami National Day with a series of activities and entertainment.
The World Cup Biathlon in Holmenkollen is held every year and here male and female competitors compete against each other in Sprint, Pursuit and Mass Start disciplines.
Other examples of annual events in Oslo are Desucon, a convention focusing on Japanese culture and Færderseilasen, the world's largest overnight regatta with more than 1100 boats taking part every year.
Rikard Nordraak, composer of the national anthem of Norway, was born in Oslo in 1842.
Norway's principal orchestra is the Oslo Philharmonic, based at the Oslo Concert Hall since 1977. Although it was founded in 1919, the Oslo Philharmonic can trace its roots to the founding of the Christiania Musikerforening (Christiania Musicians Society) by Edvard Grieg and Johan Svendsen in 1879.
Oslo has hosted the Eurovision Song Contest twice, in 1996 and 2010.
The playwright Henrik Ibsen is probably the most famous Norwegian author. Ibsen wrote plays such as Hedda Gabler, Peer Gynt, A Doll's House and The Lady from the Sea. The Ibsen Quotes project completed in 2008 is a work of art consisting of 69 Ibsen quotations in stainless steel lettering which have been set into the granite sidewalks of the city's central streets.
In recent years, novelists like Lars Saabye Christensen, Tove Nilsen, Suresh Chandra Shukla, Jo Nesbø and Roy Jacobsen have described the city and its people in their novels. Early 20th-century literature from Oslo include poets Rudolf Nilsen and André Bjerke.
Oslo is the home of several football clubs in the Norwegian league system. Vålerenga, FK Lyn and Skeid Fotball have won both the league and the cup, KFUM-Kameratene entered the Eliteserien in 2024. while Mercantile SFK and Frigg have won the cup.
Ullevål Stadion is the home arena for the Norway national team and the Football Cup Final. The stadium has previously hosted the finals of the UEFA Women's Championship in 1987 and 1997, and the 2002 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. Røa IL is Oslo's only team in the women's league, Toppserien. Each year, the international youth football tournament Norway Cup is held on Ekebergsletta and other places in the city.
Due to the cold climate and proximity to major forests bordering the city, skiing is a popular recreational activity in Oslo. The Tryvann Ski Resort is the most used ski resort in Norway. The most successful ice hockey team in Norway, Vålerenga Ishockey, is based in Oslo. Manglerud Star is another Oslo-team who play in the GET-ligaen.
Bislett Stadium is the city's main track and field venue, and hosts the annual Bislett Games, part of Diamond League. Bjerke Travbane is the main venue for harness racing in the country. Oslo Spektrum is used for large ice hockey and team handball matches. Nordstrand IF and Oppsal IF plays in the women's GRUNDIGligaen in handball, while Bækkelaget HE plays in the GRUNDIGligaen. Jordal Amfi, the home of the ice hockey team Vålerenga Ishockey, and the national team. The 1999 IIHF World Championship in ice hockey were held in Oslo, as have three Bandy World Championships, in 1961, 1977 and 1985. The UCI Road World Championships in bicycle road racing were hosted 1993.
Oslo is also home to the Oslo Pretenders Sportsklubb, a club that hosts a baseball, softball, basketball, and disc golf teams. The baseball team has won 21 Norwegian Cup Championships and 18 Norwegian Baseball League titles. They participate in the European Cup.
Oslo was bidding to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, but later withdrew on 2 October 2014.
Oslo Central Station acts as the central hub, and offers rail services to most major cities in southern Norway as well as Stockholm and Gothenburg in Sweden. The Flytoget operates along the high-speed Gardermoen Line. The Drammen Line runs under the city centre in the Oslo Tunnel. Some of the city islands and the neighbouring municipality of Nesodden are connected by ferry. Daily cruiseferry services operate to Copenhagen and Frederikshavn in Denmark, and to Kiel in Germany.
| +Airports around Oslo | |||
| Oslo-Gardermoen | OSL/ENGM | 28,518,584 | |
| Oslo-Torp | TRF/ENTO | 1,963,000 | |
| Oslo-Rygge | RYG/ENRY | 0 (1,890,889 in 2013) |
Oslo has made an effort since the late 2000s in restricting private car use, as well promoting the use of above fossil-fueled vehicles. In 2018, Oslo banned all non-resident cars from its downtown areas. Oslo has been called the electric vehicle capital of the world, as 41% of all registered cars in the municipality are fully electric. In September 2021, the number of electric vehicles entering Oslo's toll ring was higher than the number of fossil-fueled vehicles. The high amount of electric vehicles in Oslo can be attributed to cheaper tolls, no vehicle import tax, no VAT, free parking, and access to throughout the city.
| + Number of minorities (1st and 2nd gen.) in Oslo county by country of origin in 2023 |
| 22,330 |
| 17,455 |
| 16,070 |
| 11,266 |
| 8,278 |
| 7,731 |
| 6,938 |
| 6,808 |
| 6,570 |
| 6,565 |
| 6,423 |
| 6,394 |
| 4,739 |
| 4,609 |
| 4,469 |
The population of Oslo was by 2010 increasing at a record rate of nearly 2% annually (17% over the last 10 years), making it the fastest-growing Scandinavian capital. In 2015, according to Statistics Norway annual report, there were permanent residents in the Oslo municipality, of which resided in the city proper. There were also in the city's urban area and an estimated in the Greater Oslo Region, within of the city centre.
According to the most recent census Oslo residents (70.4% of the population) were ethnically Norwegian, an increase of 6% since 2002 (). Oslo has the largest population of immigrants and Norwegians born to immigrant parents in Norway, both in relative and absolute figures. Of Oslo's inhabitants, were immigrants or born to immigrant parents, representing 30.4 percent of the capital's population. All suburbs in Oslo were above the national average of 14.1 percent. The suburbs with the highest proportions of people of immigrant origin were Søndre Nordstrand, Stovner and Alna, where they formed around 50 percent of the population.Kristoffer Fredriksen: Immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents, 1 January 2013 SSB, January 2013
Pakistanis make up the single largest ethnic minority, followed by Polish people, Somali people, and Swedes. Other large immigrant groups are people from Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Turkey, Morocco, Iraqi Norwegian & Iraqi Kurdistan and Iran & Kordestan province. Folkebibl.no
In 2013, 40% of Oslo's primary school pupils were registered as having a first language other than Norwegian or Sami languages. The western part of the city is predominantly ethnic Norwegian, with several schools having less than 5% pupils with an immigrant background. The eastern part of Oslo is more mixed, with some schools up to 97% of immigrant background. In the borough of Grorud Valley in 2008 for instance, the ethnic Norwegian population decreased by 1,500, while the immigrant population increased by 1,600.
As of 2022, immigrants of non-Western origin and their children enumerated 164,824, and made up an estimated 24% of Oslo's population.
Immigrants of Western origin and their children enumerated 71,858, and made up an estimated 10% of the city's population. Immigrants made up a total of 35% of Oslo's population in 2022.
Oslo has numerous religious communities. In 2019, 48.7% of the population were members of the Church of Norway, lower than the national average of 69.9%. Church of Norway – main figures 14 June 2019 Statistics Norway Members of other Christian denominations make up 8.4% of the population. Islam was followed by 9.5% and Buddhism by 0.6% of the population. Adherents of other religions formed 1.1% of the population. Life stance communities, mainly the Norwegian Humanist Association, were represented by 2.8% of the population. 28.9% of the Oslo population were unaffiliated with any religion or life stance community.
|
|
