The landscape for foreign workers in Norway is changing, which raises concerns about the country's future economic stability.
Statistics Norway (SSB) reported that labour immigration has dropped sharply in recent years. In 2025, just 10,500 non-Nordic citizens moved to Norway for work, the lowest number since 2005.
This is a notable decrease considering that between 2004 and 2015, following the expansion of the European Union, Norway typically welcomed over 20,000 non-Nordic workers annually.
"Since the EU enlargement in 2004, more than 373,000 non-Nordic labour immigrants have come to Norway, and 234,000 of them still live in this country," said Johan Åmberg, Section Head at Statistics Norway, on their website.
Among European Economic Area (EEA) arrivals in 2025, the largest number of migrant workers came from Poland (1,820), followed by Spain (770), Lithuania (740), Romania (580), Germany (570), and Italy (520).
Polish nationals remain the largest group of immigrant workers. “Since 2004, a total of 119,000 Polish labour immigrants have arrived, with 77,000 still residing in Norway at the start of 2026,” explained SSB.
Labour immigrants from outside the EEA, known as third-country nationals, have also become an important part of the local workforce. In 2025, SSB recorded 2,800 such arrivals.
Within this group, the largest numbers came from India (460), the United Kingdom (300), the United States (230), and Argentina (190).
Of the over 373,000 total labour immigrants who arrived between 2004 and 2025, about 71,000 were third-country nationals, and more than 39,000 of these individuals were still residing in Norway as of 2026.
How this affects Norway
With labour immigration at historic lows, there are concerns about which Norwegian industries will be most affected and whether Norway is now less attractive to international workers than in previous decades.
Recently, the Norwegian government has emphasised the significant value of international workers and their essential role in supporting the domestic economy, while also announcing the need to modernise its approach.
In June, they officially appointed a specialised expert committee to conduct the first comprehensive review of Norway’s labour immigration policy in two decades.
The government intends to evaluate the legal and structural changes needed to maintain Norway’s competitiveness, and these new SSB figures will likely provide deeper insights increasing the pressure to take action on the matter.
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