Where people move to and from
In-migration minus out-migration per 1,000 inhabitants.
Ål has the highest net migration of Norway's municipalities at 58.32 per 1,000 (2025). The lowest is Sel at −22.23 per 1,000. Source: SSB, table 06913, processed by Morning Analytics 5 November 2026.
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The picture in figures
The bars show the ten highest and the ten lowest of 183 municipalities. The dashed line is the median of all municipalities.
Each bar is the number of municipalities in a range of values. The dashed line is the median. Hover over a bar to see the range.
Analysis: why are some at the top and others at the bottom?
We compared net migration with every other municipal figure we have, from Statistics Norway, NIPH and the Brønnøysund Register Centre. Below are the figures that go most closely together with net migration across the country, and what marks the municipalities at the top and bottom on those figures.
The pattern across the country
- Municipalities that rank high on «Net domestic migration per 1,000 inhabitants» most often also rank high on net migration (strong association, rank correlation 0.67 across 182 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 09588).
- Municipalities that rank high on «Net domestic migration aged 30 and over per 1,000 inhabitants» most often also rank high on net migration (strong association, rank correlation 0.55 across 183 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 13255).
- Municipalities that rank high on «Domestic in-migration per 1,000 inhabitants» most often also rank high on net migration (strong association, rank correlation 0.52 across 183 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 09588).
- Municipalities that rank high on «Net domestic migration aged 0–17 per 1,000 inhabitants» most often also rank high on net migration (moderate association, rank correlation 0.48 across 182 municipalities; Statistics Norway table 13255).
The highest and the lowest
- No. 1 Ål (58.32 per 1,000) The municipality does not stand out on the figures that otherwise go together with the measure. The explanation probably lies in something we have no figures for. Goes against the pattern: «Net domestic migration aged 30 and over per 1,000 inhabitants» −1.65 per 1,000 (no. 284 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 13255). Most distinctive industry: oppføring av bygninger, 5% of the jobs, 2.1 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
- No. 2 Hitra (29.55 per 1,000) Fits the pattern: «Net domestic migration per 1,000 inhabitants» 11.27 per 1,000 (no. 41 of 351 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09588); «Net domestic migration aged 0–17 per 1,000 inhabitants» 3.14 per 1,000 (no. 44 of 289 from the top; Statistics Norway table 13255); «Domestic in-migration per 1,000 inhabitants» 52.83 per 1,000 (no. 71 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09588). Most distinctive industry: produksjon av nærings- og nytelsesmidler, 21% of the jobs, 12.4 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
- No. 3 Lørenskog (23.11 per 1,000) Fits the pattern: «Domestic in-migration per 1,000 inhabitants» 97.93 per 1,000 (no. 1 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09588); «Net domestic migration per 1,000 inhabitants» 18.44 per 1,000 (no. 8 of 351 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09588); «Net domestic migration aged 30 and over per 1,000 inhabitants» 10.06 per 1,000 (no. 25 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 13255). Most distinctive industry: post og distribusjonsvirksomhet, 6% of the jobs, 10.4 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
- No. 183 Sel (−22.23 per 1,000, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Net domestic migration aged 0–17 per 1,000 inhabitants» −10.31 per 1,000 (no. 277 of 289 from the top; Statistics Norway table 13255); «Net domestic migration per 1,000 inhabitants» −29.70 per 1,000 (no. 334 of 351 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09588); «Net domestic migration aged 30 and over per 1,000 inhabitants» −12.27 per 1,000 (no. 339 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 13255). Most distinctive industry: landtransport og rørtransport, 5% of the jobs, 2.2 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
- No. 182 Volda (−12.94 per 1,000, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Net domestic migration per 1,000 inhabitants» −14.10 per 1,000 (no. 313 of 351 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09588). Most distinctive industry: undervisning, 16% of the jobs, 2.0 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
- No. 181 Sunndal (−11.12 per 1,000, among the lowest) Fits the pattern: «Domestic in-migration per 1,000 inhabitants» 22.52 per 1,000 (no. 353 of 357 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09588); «Net domestic migration aged 0–17 per 1,000 inhabitants» −5.84 per 1,000 (no. 267 of 289 from the top; Statistics Norway table 13255); «Net domestic migration per 1,000 inhabitants» −15.43 per 1,000 (no. 316 of 351 from the top; Statistics Norway table 09588). Most distinctive industry: produksjon av metaller, 26% of the jobs, 68.3 times the national share (Statistics Norway table 13470, 2025).
The analysis describes what goes together, not what causes what. Two figures can follow each other because both depend on something else, such as size, location or industry. The figures are from the latest year available for each source, so the years can differ. Rank correlation runs from −1 to 1; values near 1 mean the municipalities lie in roughly the same order on both measures.
What explains the placing?
- 1. Ål 58.32 per 1,000 1,349% above the median of the municipalities.
- 2. Hitra 29.55 per 1,000 634% above the median of the municipalities.
- 3. Lørenskog 23.11 per 1,000 474% above the median of the municipalities.
- 181. Sunndal −11.12 per 1,000 376% below the median of the municipalities.
- 182. Volda −12.94 per 1,000 421% below the median of the municipalities.
- 183. Sel −22.23 per 1,000 652% below the median of the municipalities.
| # | Municipality | net migration |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Osterøy | 6.85 per 1,000 |
| 52 | Råde | 6.62 per 1,000 |
| 53 | Horten | 6.60 per 1,000 |
| 54 | Kongsberg | 6.58 per 1,000 |
| 55 | Våler (Østfold) | 6.49 per 1,000 |
| 56 | Farsund | 6.48 per 1,000 |
| 57 | Austevoll | 6.44 per 1,000 |
| 58 | Klepp | 6.42 per 1,000 |
| 59 | Lillestrøm | 6.27 per 1,000 |
| 60 | Løten | 6.18 per 1,000 |
| 61 | Tynset | 6.12 per 1,000 |
| 62 | Kristiansand | 6.05 per 1,000 |
| 63 | Stavanger | 5.98 per 1,000 |
| 64 | Hustadvika | 5.94 per 1,000 |
| 65 | Hammerfest | 5.92 per 1,000 |
| 66 | Balsfjord | 5.90 per 1,000 |
| 67 | Tønsberg | 5.87 per 1,000 |
| 68 | Gran | 5.71 per 1,000 |
| 69 | Kvinnherad | 5.69 per 1,000 |
| 70 | Sandefjord | 5.60 per 1,000 |
| 71 | Målselv | 5.45 per 1,000 |
| 72 | Fredrikstad | 5.37 per 1,000 |
| 73 | Ålesund | 5.27 per 1,000 |
| 74 | Notodden | 5.25 per 1,000 |
| 75 | Sandnes | 5.05 per 1,000 |
| 76 | Sør-Odal | 5.03 per 1,000 |
| 77 | Oppdal | 4.86 per 1,000 |
| 78 | Porsgrunn | 4.77 per 1,000 |
| 79 | Haugesund | 4.66 per 1,000 |
| 80 | Øvre Eiker | 4.51 per 1,000 |
| 81 | Averøy | 4.51 per 1,000 |
| 82 | Levanger | 4.39 per 1,000 |
| 83 | Surnadal | 4.37 per 1,000 |
| 84 | Rakkestad | 4.34 per 1,000 |
| 85 | Froland | 4.31 per 1,000 |
| 86 | Nannestad | 4.30 per 1,000 |
| 87 | Trondheim | 4.21 per 1,000 |
| 88 | Drammen | 4.21 per 1,000 |
| 89 | Bærum | 4.18 per 1,000 |
| 90 | Lunner | 4.14 per 1,000 |
| 91 | Larvik | 4.09 per 1,000 |
| 92 | Halden | 4.03 per 1,000 |
| 93 | Inderøy | 3.98 per 1,000 |
| 94 | Haram | 3.93 per 1,000 |
| 95 | Askøy | 3.85 per 1,000 |
| 96 | Narvik | 3.84 per 1,000 |
| 97 | Skaun | 3.76 per 1,000 |
| 98 | Sveio | 3.48 per 1,000 |
| 99 | Vestvågøy | 3.45 per 1,000 |
| 100 | Vennesla | 3.26 per 1,000 |
Not ranked because the municipality has fewer than 5,000 inhabitants, where a few people can move the figure a lot (174): Alvdal (−5.18 per 1,000), Andøy (4.40 per 1,000), Aremark (11.14 per 1,000), Askvoll (3.75 per 1,000), Aukra (4.52 per 1,000), Aure (−5.01 per 1,000), Aurland (22.33 per 1,000), Austrheim (12.01 per 1,000), Bardu (8.33 per 1,000), Beiarn (−15.11 per 1,000), Berlevåg (−31.46 per 1,000), Bindal (1.46 per 1,000), Bjerkreim (−9.64 per 1,000), Bokn (14.56 per 1,000), Bremanger (9.82 per 1,000), Bygland (8.61 per 1,000), Bykle (12.51 per 1,000), Båtsfjord (1.42 per 1,000), Bø (10.32 per 1,000), Dovre (3.97 per 1,000), Drangedal (3.44 per 1,000), Dyrøy (14.97 per 1,000), Dønna (−1.38 per 1,000), Eidfjord (22.75 per 1,000), Engerdal (−22.62 per 1,000), Etne (7.82 per 1,000), Etnedal (275.12 per 1,000), Evenes (25.70 per 1,000), Evje og Hornnes (2.35 per 1,000), Fedje (21.11 per 1,000), Fitjar (5.61 per 1,000), Fjaler (6.84 per 1,000), Fjord (19.95 per 1,000), Flakstad (−16.59 per 1,000), Flatanger (−4.46 per 1,000), Flesberg (2.15 per 1,000), Flå (4.48 per 1,000), Folldal (−7.79 per 1,000), Frosta (6.76 per 1,000), Fyresdal (23.09 per 1,000) …