# Attitudes towards immigrants 2026: SSB sees less positive views

Statistics Norway's annual 2026 survey shows attitudes towards immigrants became somewhat less positive for a third year in a row, but most Norwegians remain positive.

Canonical: https://samfunnprep.no/en/nyheter/holdninger-til-innvandrere-2026
Language: en
Publisher: SamfunnPrep
Author: Hlib Suslov
Published: 2026-06-23T08:49:56.166+00:00
Modified: 2026-10-04T05:48:56.321527+00:00
AI use policy: https://samfunnprep.no/ai-policy.txt

## Key takeaways

- A third year of decline SSB's 2026 survey shows generally somewhat less positive attitudes towards immigrants than the year before – the third year in a row.
- The majority is still positive Around 72 percent say immigrants enrich cultural life and 78 percent that they make a useful contribution to working life.
- 32% want stricter asylum policy The share who think it should be harder for refugees to get residence rose from 24 percent in 2025 to 32 percent in 2026.

Attitudes towards immigrants in Norway became somewhat less positive in 2026, according to Statistics Norway's annual survey – the third year of decline in a row. A majority of Norwegians remain positive, but more people think it should be harder for refugees and asylum seekers to obtain residence.

## Attitudes towards immigrants 2026: a third year of decline

On 23 June 2026, Statistics Norway (SSB) published its annual survey "Attitudes towards immigrants and immigration" (report 2026/25). The overall picture is that attitudes towards immigrants are generally somewhat less positive than the year before. This is the third year in a row that the survey shows such a decline, after positive attitudes peaked in 2023.

SSB largely explains the 2023 peak by the sympathy for refugees from Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The fact that the share of positive responses is now falling for the third year running is partly a normalisation after that period.

The survey was carried out between 5 January and 13 February 2026 and is part of SSB's interview surveys. The questions have been asked in roughly the same way all the way back to 2002, which makes it possible to follow the development over a long period.

## The majority is still positive

Even though the arrows point slightly downwards, it is important to stress that a majority of the population still hold positive attitudes towards immigrants:

- **72 percent** completely or somewhat agree that immigrants **enrich cultural life** in Norway (35% completely agree, 37% somewhat agree). In 2025, 39 percent completely agreed.
- **78 percent** think most immigrants **make a useful contribution to working life** (33% completely agree, 45% somewhat agree), down from 41 percent who completely agreed the year before.
- Only **22 percent** think most immigrants are a **source of insecurity** in society, a slight increase from the year before.
- Around **20 percent** think most immigrants **misuse the welfare schemes** – also a small increase.

That immigrants contribute to working life is consistent with other statistics from SSB and NAV. [Four in ten refugees went straight into work in 2025](https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/flyktninger-rett-ut-i-jobb), and labour participation among immigrants has risen over time.

## What do people think about refugees and asylum seekers?

The clearest shift in this year's survey concerns views on asylum policy. **32 percent** now think it should become **harder for refugees and asylum seekers to obtain residence** in Norway. That is a clear increase from 24 percent in 2025.

From 2002 to 2023 this share fell steadily – fewer and fewer wanted a stricter line. Over the past two years the trend has reversed, and the level is now on a par with what you have to go back to the mid-2010s to find. The shift in opinion happens at the same time as the authorities are tightening up on several fronts, including the [proposal to change the citizenship act in 2026](https://samfunnprep.no/en/nyheter/regjeringen-skjerper-statsborgerloven-2026) and a [broad review of labour immigration policy](https://samfunnprep.no/en/nyheter/norge-starter-gjennomgang-av-arbeidsinnvandringspolitikken).

For Ukrainians on collective protection the picture is mixed: support was highest when the war was new, while everyday life is now more about the [transition from temporary protection to work and integration](https://samfunnprep.no/en/nyheter/fra-midlertidig-vern-til-arbeid-ukrainernes-nye-fase-i-norge).

## More contact with immigrants than before

One feature that points the opposite way of the scepticism is contact. The share that has **contact with immigrants** keeps rising. In 2026 around **87 percent** report contact with immigrants in at least one arena – at work, among friends and acquaintances, or in the neighbourhood. Most have contact daily or weekly, and a large majority describe their experiences as **mostly positive**.

SSB's own figures point in the same direction: those who have the most contact with immigrants generally hold more positive attitudes. More contact is therefore linked to less fear – a point that also recurs when [fear meets facts in child welfare cases](https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/barnevernet-frykt-innvandrere).

## Who is most positive? Gender, age and education

Attitudes vary between groups, but are more positive than negative in every group:

- **Women** are generally more positive than **men**.
- **Students** are the most positive, while **pensioners and benefit recipients** are the least positive.
- **Level of education** produces the clearest differences: the higher the education, the more positive the attitudes.
- Age differences are less marked in 2026 than in previous years.

## What do the numbers mean?

The big picture is twofold. On the one hand, the Norwegian majority is still clearly positive about immigrants contributing to working life and cultural life, and contact is increasing. On the other hand, positive attitudes have fallen three years in a row, and views on asylum and refugee policy have become noticeably stricter.

If you are new to Norway, it is worth remembering that the survey measures attitudes in the majority population – not rules or rights. The rules for residence, work and citizenship are decided by the Storting, the UDI and other authorities, regardless of swings in public opinion.

The figures in this story are taken from SSB's official statistics as of 23 June 2026.

## FAQ

### What does SSB's 2026 attitudes survey show?

The survey "Attitudes towards immigrants and immigration 2026" (report 2026/25, published 23 June 2026) shows generally somewhat less positive attitudes than the year before – the third year in a row of decline after a peak in 2023. The majority is nonetheless still positive.

### Are Norwegians still positive towards immigrants?

Yes. A majority think immigrants contribute positively: around 72 percent say they enrich cultural life and around 78 percent that they make a useful contribution to working life. A majority also reject claims that most immigrants are a source of insecurity or misuse the welfare schemes.

### How many think it should be harder for refugees to get residence?

In 2026, 32 percent think it should become harder for refugees and asylum seekers to obtain residence in Norway, up from 24 percent in 2025. This is the clearest shift in this year's survey.

### Why were attitudes most positive in 2023?

SSB largely explains the 2023 peak by the broad sympathy for refugees from Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The decline over the past three years is partly a normalisation after that period.

### Who is most and least positive towards immigrants?

Women are more positive than men, and students are the most positive. Pensioners and benefit recipients are the least positive. Higher education is linked to more positive attitudes. Attitudes are still more positive than negative in every group.

### How often do Norwegians have contact with immigrants?

The share with contact keeps rising. Around 87 percent report contact with immigrants in at least one arena – work, friends and acquaintances, or the neighbourhood – most of them daily or weekly, and the experiences are described as mostly positive.

## Sources

- [Holdninger til innvandrere og innvandring](https://www.ssb.no/befolkning/innvandrere/statistikk/holdninger-til-innvandrere-og-innvandring)
- [Attitudes towards immigrants and immigration 2026](https://www.ssb.no/en/befolkning/innvandrere/artikler/attitudes-towards-immigrants-and-immigration-2026)
- [Holdning til sju påstander om innvandrere (tabell 08778)](https://www.ssb.no/statbank/table/08778/)

Citation: Hlib Suslov, "Attitudes towards immigrants 2026: SSB sees less positive views", SamfunnPrep, 2026-06-23T08:49:56.166+00:00, https://samfunnprep.no/en/nyheter/holdninger-til-innvandrere-2026