MigrantoNorwegian Diaspora
120.9K Norwegians live abroad — the #148 largest diaspora in the world
Where emigrants go
The top 3 countries receive 66% of all emigrants
↑↓ — change vs 2020
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Sweden | 39914 |
| Denmark | 20886 |
| Bangladesh | 19278 |
| Poland | 13563 |
| Australia | 3910 |
| Canada | 3410 |
| Lithuania | 2911 |
| Finland | 2180 |
| Iceland | 2098 |
| Hungary | 1745 |
| Italy | 1722 |
| Slovakia | 1193 |
| Bulgaria | 749 |
| Brazil | 701 |
| Greece | 558 |
| Chile | 486 |
| Estonia | 467 |
| Portugal | 425 |
| Botswana | 413 |
| Latvia | 408 |
| China | 398 |
| Libya | 377 |
| Malta | 341 |
| Luxembourg | 303 |
| Egypt | 302 |
| Argentina | 287 |
| South Africa | 250 |
| Faroe Islands | 238 |
| Mexico | 214 |
| Cyprus | 208 |
| Panama | 139 |
| Bolivia | 119 |
| Sri Lanka | 118 |
| Costa Rica | 110 |
| Croatia | 99 |
| Venezuela | 80 |
| Greenland | 64 |
| Dominican Republic | 60 |
| Belarus | 58 |
| Namibia | 56 |
| Slovenia | 34 |
| Bahamas | 12 |
| Liechtenstein | 7 |
| Guinea | 0 |
By destination region
Europe is the leading destination region at 74%
89.9K
19.8K
3.9K
3.5K
2.2K
1.4K
208
Ask Migo
Tap a question — our AI assistant answers it in chat, with real migration data
Interesting facts
Notable statistics about emigration from Norway.
Emigration destinations have diversified since 1990
The top destination's share fell from 60% to 33%, indicating a broader spread of emigration patterns.
Top emigration destinations have shifted significantly since 1990
7 new countries have entered the top 20 destinations: Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia — Poland rose from outside the top 20 to rank #4.
Sweden is the primary destination for emigrants
Sweden attracts 33% of all emigrants from Norway, while the second-largest destination receives just 17%.
The share of emigrants going to Asia has grown since 1990
The share of emigrants going to Asia has shifted from 5.3% to 16.4% since 1990.
How emigration changed over time
Total emigrant population by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 88450 |
| 1995 | 84525 |
| 2000 | 87049 |
| 2005 | 94553 |
| 2010 | 98853 |
| 2015 | 101769 |
| 2020 | 110143 |
| 2024 | 120891 |
Top destinations over time
Emigration to the 5 largest destination countries
| Year | Sweden | Denmark | Bangladesh | Poland | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 52690 | 13930 | 4240 | 93 | 2299 |
| 1995 | 45532 | 14613 | 7022 | 150 | 2647 |
| 2000 | 42315 | 16285 | 9804 | 242 | 3985 |
| 2005 | 44840 | 17483 | 11669 | 475 | 4392 |
| 2010 | 43617 | 18594 | 13509 | 1006 | 4347 |
| 2015 | 42161 | 19604 | 14311 | 2800 | 4382 |
| 2020 | 41346 | 20381 | 14032 | 8212 | 4100 |
| 2024 | 39914 | 20886 | 19278 | 13563 | 3910 |
Fastest-changing destinations
How emigration to each country has changed since the selected year
Norway as an emigration source
Share of immigrants in each country who originate from Norway
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
Where do Norwegians move to?
Most Norwegians have moved to Sweden, Denmark and Bangladesh — these three countries account for about 66% of all Norwegians living abroad.
How many Norwegians live abroad?
Around 120.9K Norwegians live abroad, making it the #148-largest emigrant population in the world.
What share of the population of Norway lives abroad?
About 2% of the population of Norway lives abroad — that's 120.9K out of a total population of 5.6M.
How has emigration from Norway changed over the past decade?
Over the past decade, the emigrant population from Norway has grown from 101.8K to 120.9K people, a growth of about 19%.
Where to live?
Match a country to your priorities
Explore other countries
See where people move around the world