Population Decline in Svalbard

New population figures from Statistics Norway show that there are now a total of 2905 inhabitants on Svalbard, a decrease of 35 persons since the second half of 2021.

There are 2504 persons residing in Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund, 48 fewer compared to the second half of 2021. Among these are 1753 Norwegians and 751 foreigners. The decrease is greatest among the Norwegian inhabitants (-42).

The Russian settlements Barentsburg and Pyramiden have 391 inhabitants, an increase, compared to the second half of 2021, of 13 persons. The settlement of Hornsund is stable at 10 persons.

The decline in population in Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund is greater than for Svalbard in total, which indicates internal migration from the Norwegian settlements to the Russian.