Innflytjendafjöldi

Innflytjendafjöldi is the number of immigrants currently residing in a country. In demography, the term typically refers to people who were born outside the country and have moved there to live on a long-term basis. Some definitions include individuals who have obtained citizenship or permanent residence, while others count only those born abroad. The innflytjendafjöldi is a stock variable, representing the population at a given time, and is complemented by the flow of new arrivals measured over a period such as a year.

Measurement relies on population registers, censuses, and immigration records, and is compiled by national statistical offices. International comparability is aided by datasets from the United Nations, Eurostat, and OECD, which provide harmonized estimates of immigrant stocks and related indicators. Data quality can vary by country due to differences in legal status definitions, temporary residents, asylum seekers, naturalization, and data lag.

Use: policymakers and researchers employ innflytjendafjöldi to assess the size and characteristics of the immigrant population, understand integration challenges, plan labor markets, education, housing, and social services, and monitor demographic change. Characteristics such as age, gender, country of origin, and duration of residence are often reported alongside the stock.

Limitations: definitional ambiguity, discrepancies across data sources, and undercounting of irregular migrants. Despite these caveats, innflytjendafjöldi remains a central metric in modern population statistics and international comparisons.