Norway now has 4,920,300 residents, according to state statistics bureau SSB, and the birth rate is stable with 61,400 babies born in the country last year. That’s just 400 less than in 2009, with women having an average of two children each.
For the first time, according to SSB, men outnumber women in Norway. Researcher Helge Brunborg told newspaper Aftenposten that around 6 percent more boys than girls are being born, while men’s longevity has increased in recent years. There also are more men arriving as immigrants than women.
Immigration has helped fuel the country’s population growth, while fewer deaths are also driving Norway towards the 5 million-mark. Brunborg expects Norway will surpass 5 million in population sometime next year, since “the population is growing by about 60,000 per year.”
Of the babies born in Norway last year, around half were born outside of marriage. The highest fertility rates were found in the counties of Rogaland, Sogn og Fjordane, Nord-Trøndelag and Vest-Agder. The average age of women giving birth was 28.2 years, while the average age for men becoming fathers was 30.8.
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