innflygingskartene

Innflygingskartene are a series of demographic maps produced in Norway that illustrate the geographic origins of immigrants and their descendants within the country. Created and regularly updated by Statistics Norway (Statistisk sentralbyrå), the maps use the statistical classification STYRK or industry codes to illustrate where immigrants took up residence, their employment sectors, and educational attainment across different municipalities and counties.

The maps rely on a combination of civil registration data, tax records and the census, which provide cognitions such as country of birth, year of arrival, and length of residence. Each map is layered according to specific parameters: total immigrant population, female migrants, Syrian refugees, labor migrants from EU, students with study permits, and citizens born in Norway with at least one immigrant parent. The data are displayed in choropleth style, showing gradations in density, and are often used by policymakers, researchers, and media to illustrate migratory trends and regional integration patterns.

The primary purpose of innflygingskartene is to support evidence‑based policy making in domains such as integration services, education and employment, urban planning and housing. The maps have been criticised in academic discourse for potentially reinforcing divisions if not contextualised correctly, but they are also considered an essential tool for monitoring demographic changes in a country that increasingly relies on immigration to sustain its population and labor market growth. The most recent update (2023) includes data on the growing Kurdish, Somali, and Pakistani immigration sectors and correlates these to housing demand and social‑service provision.