Norway birth rates rise for third consecutive year

New data from Statistics Norway indicates a rise in birth rates across Norway, marking the third consecutive year of growth. In the first half of the year, 29,200 children were born, which is 1,600 more than in the same period in 2025. This upward trend in births has been observed across all counties and centrality levels since 2023.

In the Buskerud region, the municipalities of Drammen, Lier, and Øvre Eiker saw a combined population increase of 273 residents during the second quarter. Drammen experienced the highest growth with 196 new residents, followed by Lier with 66 and Øvre Eiker with 11. This growth was driven by both a surplus of births and net migration.

Nationally, Norway's total population reached 5,636,900 by the end of the second quarter, following an increase of 3,100 people. Despite the rise in births, overall population growth remained low due to net emigration. Statistics Norway noted that some emigration figures were influenced by administrative updates to the population register to remove individuals no longer residing in the country.