Fewer young immigrants in Norway are out of work or education

Statistics Norway (SSB) reported that the percentage of immigrants aged 20 to 39 who are neither working nor studying fell from 32 to 26 percent over the last decade.

The agency noted that this decline is stronger than the trend seen in the rest of the population within the same age group. SSB attributes these changes to higher levels of education and increased employment among these individuals.

Among people born in Norway with immigrant parents, 16.8 percent were out of work or education in 2025, compared to 11.7 percent for those without an immigrant background. Immigrant women have the highest rate of being out of work or education at 29.1 percent, though they saw the largest decrease since 2015. Conversely, immigrants from Eastern Europe saw an increase, which the agency attributes to refugees from Ukraine with short residency in Norway.